Irish tourism is set to have its best year ever in terms of visitor numbers, as total overseas trips to the country for the period January to October rose by 12.8 per cent.
According to the CSO Overseas Travel figures, a total of 7,419,400 trips have been made to the country in the first ten months of the year, compared to 6,577,100 for the same period in 2014.
This figure includes a 11 per cent increase from British visitors and 13 per cent rise from North America. Mainland Europe and areas further afield also showed increases of 14 per cent.
Speaking about the results, Fáilte Ireland chief executive Shaun Quinn said: "While the general expectation is that growth will continue into next year, we can’t be too complacent and tourism can still be influenced by external factors – whether currency exchange fluctuations or unexpected global events."
Quinn added that the increased figures are mirrored by strong local performance and increased optimism for 2016.
The amount of trips made by Irish residents overseas also increased in the first ten months of the year, from 5,622,300 to 6,054,000. Read the full CSO report here.
