With people being advised against all foreign travel, towns in Ireland such as Killeybegs and Lahinch have seen an increase in the number of staycationers this summer.
Local business owners are welcoming the 'fabulous' atmosphere in the towns as families from elsewhere in the country arrive for a break.
They've also stressed that people are continuing to follow the coronavirus guidelines while visiting.
Fergal O’Connor, owner of O’Connor’s Ice Cream Shop on the promenade in Lahinch, said many families are having their first holidays in Clare.
Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast, he said: "We do seem to have a large amount of Irish families staycationing.
"They seem to have replaced the golfers, I think, and the stags and hens.
"You can certainly be hopeful that some fraction or percentage will come again."
He said he has heard that many other spots along the west coast of the country are busy at the moment.
However, he pointed to the outdoor activities - in particular the surfing and other water sports - as one of the main appeals for visitors to the Co Clare town.
Killybegs
Killybegs, Co. Donegal. Credit Image: © Peter Zoeller/Design Pics via ZUMA WireFurther north up the west coast, Killybegs in Co Donegal is another town seeing plenty of staycationers this summer.
Mairead Anderson of the Seafood Shack on the pier in Killybegs said she is "pleasantly surprised" at the situation in the town at the moment.
She explained: "It looks like there's a constant cruise ship coming into Killybegs... but they're all staycationers."
However, she also said the situation this year follows an uptick in visitors in recent years, partially as a result of initiatives such as the Wild Atlantic Way tourism trail.
She said: "We have the most amazing scenery, we have so much to offer here. We're quite an industrialised little town, but there is a whole regeneration of Killybegs starting to happen now, with hotels and accommodation.
"Everybody is being fabulous - people don't mind waiting. I think people came to realise we're maybe not used to those types of numbers... but we will get there over the next few years.
"You'll see Killybegs become, hopefully, like Kinsale, which is a lovely tourist destination."
