The number of overseas visitors to Irish shores jumped by more than half a million in 2011.
New figures show that Ireland enjoyed a bumper year for tourism with 6.6 million tourists coming to the country last year.
According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), visitors from overseas increased by 7.9 percent between 2010 and 2011.
The CSO estimated that overseas visitors spent almost €3.6 million during their trips.
Responding to the news, Niall Gibbons, Tourism Ireland chief executive, said the continued success will depend on the state of overseas economies.
"The 11pc increase in holiday visitors is very encouraging, particularly as the increases occur across all market areas," he said.
"Growth in visitor numbers will depend to a large extent on improved economic conditions and consumer confidence in our source markets."
Key findings of the report include:
• The number of overseas trips made by Irish residents fell by 277,000 in 2011.
• Total overseas tourism and travel earnings increased from €3,556 million in 2010 to €3,580 million in 2011.
• The number of bed nights occupied by overseas travellers to Ireland rose by 6.1% in 2011, increasing from 48 million to 50.9 million bed nights.
• In 2011, over 6.6 million overseas trips were made to Ireland compared to just over 6.1 million trips in 2010, an increase of 7.9 percent.
• Total overseas tourism and travel expenditure of Irish residents declined by 7.2 percent, from €5,211 million in 2010 to €4,835 million in 2011.
4 Comments
-
-
-
-
Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.molliepmac | Sep 18, 2012, 08:47 AM EDT
Can anyone clarify how the Central Statistics Office separate genuine tourist statistics from those thousands of Irish now based abroad who are merely returning on brief visits to Ireland to visit family. Maybe even commuting to and from the UK to work - or even just visiting Ireland to collect the dole. How many are true holidaymakers?
bobby | Sep 12, 2012, 07:47 PM EDT
The figures are for the Republic of Ireland, does not include the north of the country
Seanmor | Sep 12, 2012, 12:59 PM EDT
Do these figures on tourism apply to the whole Irish nation or merely to the part of the country which the Dáil continues to misrule? It would be interestning to know how many of the 6.6 million tourists were formerly called "sentimental fools and bloody eejits" by Partitionist politicians who strongly comdemned our quest for peace with justice in the "Wee Six" during the long years of the 'Troubles'
Searlit | Sep 12, 2012, 12:30 PM EDT
Good! I know some Irish people get tired of the tourists, but it is a geat living, afterall.