The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has released overseas travel figures for the period of November 2016 to January 2017 which shows the number of visitors from Britain and Mainland Europe grew by 3.3 per cent and 2 per cent respectively.
According to the figures, the total number of overseas trips to Ireland increased by 7.2 per cent to 1,871,100 for the period in comparison to the three month period between November 2015 to December 2015. The figures show that the number of North American visitors increased by 31 per cent and that visitors from other long-haul areas grew by 11 per cent.
Paul Kelly, CEO of Fáilte Ireland commented: “Today’s figures are very welcome and reflect ongoing growth for the tourism sector. We need to work hard to maintain this positive momentum particularly in light of the recent weakening of sterling relative to the euro. It is important that we continue to invest in our visitor experiences to ensure that Ireland remains a compelling and attractive destination for overseas visitors."
