A record number of AIB customers used their credit and debit cards in France last month as fans flocked to Paris to cheer on the Irish team at the Olympic Games, the bank said on Monday.
Overall, card issuance volumes remained unchanged from June to July, but were 9 percent higher than in July 2024, according to new figures from the lender, despite a noticeable decline in spending in restaurants and bars, which fell 6 percent and 10 percent respectively from the previous month.
But spending on hotels in what is normally a busy month for the sector offset the decline across the hospitality industry, AIB said. Spending on hotels rose 7 percent in June-July and was 4 percent above the same month the previous month, with customers aged 35-44 most likely to pay for a room, followed by the 45-54 age group.
July is a “hugely important month for the hospitality industry,” said Adrian Moynihan, head of consumer affairs at AIB, “and hotels in Ireland are enjoying great popularity this year.”
Meanwhile, around 45,000 AIB customers were responsible for 597,000 transactions in France in July, the highest number AIB has recorded in a single month in the country, including during the Rugby World Cup last year.
The highest spending categories this month, according to AIB, were restaurants and food, as the typical “exodus” of Irish holidaymakers “was supplemented this year by visitors for the Olympic Games”.
Back-to-school spending, meanwhile, peaked on July 30, Mr. Moynihan said, while movie theaters saw their highest spending of the year on July 20 due to cool weather and the release of summer blockbusters such as “Despicable Me 4” and “Twisters.”
“It is also encouraging to see card spend on electric vehicle charging increased 8 percent month-on-month and 45 percent year-on-year as customers do their part to drive the transition to a lower carbon future,” he said.
