The five-day event, which will be staged in the RDS, is projected to bring up to 20,000 visitors to the capital.
A bid to host the event was put together by the 67 Rotary clubs in Ireland, which have 1,500 members, and supported by Fáilte Ireland and the RDS.
Garth Arnold, co-chair of the bid committee, said: “Rotary in Ireland has a long and proud history of service. Dublin Rotary Club, founded in 1911, was the first Rotary club established outside North America. Yet we have never hosted the international convention.
“Bringing this global gathering to Ireland has been a long-held ambition of our members, and we are looking forward to realising it in 2031.”
Rotary International claims the event could generate about €68m for the local economy. Speakers at previous international conventions have included businessman Bill Gates, and UN secretary general Antonio Guterres.
Paul Mockler, head of commercial development with Fáilte Ireland, said the convention is set to be the most significant event staged in Dublin in 2031. “It is the largest convention ever secured through Fáilte Ireland and a major milestone for Ireland’s business-events sector.”
Rotary International, which has clubs in almost every country in the world, says its members develop and support sustainable, community-driven projects in the areas of health, education and the environment.
Among its projects in Ireland are Bikes for Africa, and Just 1 Life, a road-safety awareness programme for teenagers.
Meanwhile, Enterprise and Tourism Minister Peter Burke has hailed what he described as a “powerful year-end boost for tourism”, following a 34pc increase in visitor numbers in December.
“The first half of 2025 was more challenged than the same period in 2024 and 2023, likely due to the ongoing global macro-economic uncertainty, with discretionary travel spending, as well as the impact of the Dublin Airport passenger cap at the beginning of the year,” Mr Burke said.
“However, performance rallied and strengthened in the second half of the year with growth led by Great Britain and North America, reflecting renewed demand and improved air access.
“Looking ahead, the outlook for 2026 is very positive. Air connectivity to the island of Ireland is set to increase by 12pc in spring 2026, including strong growth from key tourism markets such as North America, Germany, France and Great Britain.
“This summer will also see direct flights to Ireland from a record 23 US gateways, including two new Aer Lingus services from Raleigh/Durham and Pittsburgh to Dublin.”
More than 6.4 million overseas visitors came to Ireland last year, contributing an estimated €5.5bn. The average length of stay was 7.5 nights.
Tourist numbers were down by 3pc on 2024, which was regarded as a bumper year, with numbers up 11pc. Comparing 2025 with 2023, numbers were up 2pc.
There was a recovery in Irish tourism the second half of 2025, with growth recorded in the last five months consecutively.
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