Visits to Ireland up 10% in Q4 2005
There were 1,574,000 overseas visits to Ireland in the fourth quarter of 2005, compared with 1,428,000 in the same period of 2004, an increase of 10%.
The number of overseas visits by residents of other European countries grew by 33%, while the number of cisits by residents of the USA and Canada fell by 9% on the same quarter in 2004.
Visits by residents of Great Britain grew by 8% on the fourth quarter of 2004. The number of overseas visits to Ireland by residents of other areas fell from 70,000 in Q4 2004 to 62,000 in Q4 2005.
The number of Irish visits abroad between October and December 2005 was 1,316,000, an increase of 11% on the corresponding period in 2004.
Trips abroad on continental routes grew by 17% compared with Q4 2004 and trips on air cross-channel routes increased by 7%. There was a decrease of 24% in the number travelling abroad on sea cross-channel routes, compared with Q4 2004.
The expenditure figures for October-to-December 2005 show a net outflow of €106m. Earnings from visitors to Ireland accounted for €929m while expenditure by Irish visitors abroad amounted to €1bn.
The tourism figures in today’s Central Statistics Office release also show that the number of bednights spent in rented houses or apartments by overseas visitors to Ireland increased by 23% in the fourth quarter of 2005 when compared to the same period in 2004.
However, bednights spent in guest houses and B&Bs by inward visitors recorded a drop of 13% on Q4 2004.
Overseas visits to Ireland on continental European routes in the fourth quarter of 2005 increased by 39% on the corresponding quarter of 2004.
The number of Irish visits abroad for business reasons in Q4 2005 grew by 19% on the same period in 2004.
