The number of people visiting Ireland is continuing to increase as figures released today showed a 17 per cent rise in foreign trips between April and June this year over the same period in 2005.
According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), there were 2,112,000 overseas visits to Ireland in the second quarter of the year, compared with 1,803,000 in the corresponding timeframe last year.
In total, around 3.5 million visitors came to Ireland in the first half of the year.
Visitors spent €1,230 million during the second quarter, a 9.4 per increase over the same period in 2005. Despite the fact that visitor numbers have increased, however, the average amount spent by each visitor while in Ireland has dropped.
This is attributed to the fact the increase in visitor numbers is largely due to the growth of people visiting family and friends and a falloff in the average length of stay by visitors from North America.
Visits by British residents were up by 14 per cent, while number of trips to Ireland by residents of other EU countries rose by 26 per cent. The number of visitors from the United States and Canada rose by 15 per cent, while there was an 8 per cent jump in those coming from other countries.
Of the trips by non-residents to Ireland, 1,145,000 were for holidays, 566,000 were to visit family and friends, 251,000 were business trips and the remainder were unspecified.
Irish people are also making more foreign trips, with 1,826,000 trips abroad reported in the second quarter, a rise of 12 per cent over 2005. Irish people spent €1,311 million during these foreign trips.
Minister for Tourism John O'Donoghue welcomed the figures, saying they showed Ireland was on course to meet targets set by the tourism industry to increase overseas visitor numbers.
He said it was crucial to ensure US tourists kept coming to Ireland.
"The North American market remains a critical market for the Irish tourism industry due to the nature of the holidays taken by visitors from this area, who traditionally spend more, stay longer and travel more widely than the average," he said.
He said Tourism Ireland had completed a detailed review of the market and the results of this and a strategy to develop the potential of key US visitors would be published in the coming weeks.
"It is most encouraging to see these positive results, particularly coming in the week before the Ryder Cup, which affords us a unique opportunity to further showcase our country. During the Ryder Cup, the eyes of the world will be upon us," he said.
"We will have an unprecedented opportunity to promote Ireland as a compelling tourism destination. Everybody has a role to play, and I would appeal to all sectors of the community to play their part in providing the warmest Irish welcome to all our visitors," the Minister added.
