Visits to Ireland up 3% in 2004
There were 6,574,000 overseas visits to Ireland in 2004, compared with 6,369,000 in 2003, an increase of 3%, according to figures from the Central Statistics Office.
The number of overseas visits on cross-channel air routes grew by 5%, while the number on cross-channel sea routes fell by 6%.
In 2004, the number of overseas visits on continental routes increased by 9% on 2003. Although the number of visits on transatlantic routes fell by 1% in 2004, the number of visits by residents of the USA and Canada grew by 8% on 2003.
The number of overseas visits by Irish residents in the year 2004 was 5,409,000, compared with 4,929,000 in 2003, an increase of 10%.
Overseas visits by Irish residents on transatlantic routes increased by 19% and the number on continental routes grew by 12%.
The expenditure figures for 2004 show a net outflow of €104m. Earnings from visitors to Ireland accounted for €4,076m, while expenditure by Irish visitors abroad amounted to €4,180m.
The number of visits to Ireland from North America in 2004 was 977,000, compared with 904,000 in 2003, an increase of 8%, although still down on the figure of 1,043,000 in 2000.
The number of bednights spent in Ireland by overseas visitors in 2004 dropped by 1% when compared with the 2003 figure.
The average length of stay of overseas visits to Ireland during 2004 was 7.5 nights. This compares with an average of 8.5 nights for Irish visits abroad.
