When deciding on holiday destinations, many people in Ireland are now drawing on inspiration from social media, closely following their favourite influencers to see which cities and countries receive their seal of approval before finalising travel plans. But as it can be hard to keep track of all the top European influencers, we’ve done the hard part, analysing the travel itineraries of more than 200 key influencers from all over Europe, including Ireland, over the last year, and we’re now ready to reveal the top ten must-go destinations for Irish foodies and fashionistas in 2018. And, in case you are wondering how much it might cost to reach one of these top destinations, never fear, we’ve got that information for you as well.
London ranks first amongst Irish food and fashionistas
London is the top choice for influencers of food and fashion in Ireland. The British capital is followed by the A-list cities of New York and Paris, with long-haul destinations Toronto and Dubai appearing in fourth place for food and fashion respectively. However, food lovers looking for something a bit closer to home can rejoice at seeing two local options in Dublin and Cork on the foodies’ list – a tempting reason for a staycation.
In fact, Ireland was the country which was featured most amongst Irish foodies – ahead of the UK, the USA and France. Irish fashionistas also included their homeland amongst their top destinations – in sixth place, outranking even fashion heavyweight Italy.
The summer period is the most popular time to travel for Irish foodies and fashionistas, with food lovers travelling in July and August, and fashion followers more in May and June. Irish fashion influencers also favour travel in February, likely due to the many annual fashion weeks taking place that month around the world.
London and Milan are the cheapest food/fashion destinations to reach from Ireland
Amongst trend-setting influencers from across Europe, it’s perhaps no surprise that the top city when it comes to both food and fashion is Paris, followed by New York and London. These three super-destinations are known around the world as cultural hotspots, with each hosting at least 70 Michelin-starred restaurants as well as making up (along with Milan) the ‘big-four’ Fashion capitals.
As well as being the number one must-go destination for influencers, London is also the easiest and cheapest to reach from Ireland – with return tickets costing an average of €60. Milan, at €75 on average, is the next cheapest destination, and one of five cities reachable for less than €80 return. Long-haul destinations Los Angeles (€506), Dubai (€379) and New York (€316) are unsurprisingly the most expensive options on average.
Top tip: Once flights are booked, try our hotel Heatmaps tool to make sure they stay right in the heart of the action, whether it’s close to the best boutiques or restaurants’.
Note to editors: Destinations based on desktop research of more than 200 European Influencers Instagram profiles between 01.08.2016 and 01.09.2017. Average flight prices are indicated in EUR for a return trip in economy class for one person. Flight searches were made on KAYAK.ie between 01.04.2017 and 20.10.2017 for travel between 01.01.2018 and 31.03.2018. Currency conversions apply and are based on average rates for November 2017. All prices are subject to change, may vary or no longer be available.
