2.6 million domestic overnight trips were taken by Irish residents during the first quarter of this year, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
Details
According to a statement published on CSO.ie, the above figure represents a year on year increase of 11%, or 2.3 million.
Total expenditure on domestic overnight trips during the three month period was €517 million, €271 million of which was spent by people on holiday and €148 million of which was spent by people visiting friends or relatives, according to the statement published on CSO.ie, which added the number of nights Irish residents spent in Irish hotels during the first three months of this year increased by 17% year on year from 1.6 million to 1.9 million.
Statement By Statistician In The Tourism And Travel Division
The statement published on CSO.ie quoted statistician in the tourism and travel division Brendan Curtin as saying, "The figures provide information on domestic travel by Irish residents in the months of January, February and March (Q1) 2023. When compared with results from the same period in 2022, the data highlights the continued growth in domestic travel following the disruption caused by COVID-19 restrictions.
"The number of domestic overnight trips taken in Q1 2023 was 11% higher than in the same period in 2022. The main reason for taking domestic overnight trips in Q1 2023 was to visit friends or relatives (41%) followed closely by holidays (40%). Less than one in ten trips were for business purposes (7%). The most popular region visited by Irish residents on overnight trips in Q1 2023 was the southern region (1.1 million trips), while the northern and western region had the least number of trips (0.6 million trips).
"In Q1 2023 expenditure on domestic trips increased by 10% compared with Q1 2022. Spending on holiday trips amounted to €271 million in Q1 2023, while those visiting friends or relatives spent €148 million. Expenditure on domestic business trips was €44 million which was more than double the spend in the same period in 2022 (€18 million).
"Overall, the number of nights spent away on domestic trips remained at the same level in both Q1 2022 and Q1 2023 (5.2 million). The number of nights spent in Irish hotels by Irish residents was 17% higher in Q1 2023 than in the same quarter in 2022, but the number of nights spent in self-catering and rented accommodation was down 33%.
"In Q1 2023 Irish residents took 2.7 million domestic same-day visits and expenditure amounted to €149 million."
Read More: Irish Residents Took 13.3m Domestic Overnight Trips In 2022
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