Number of tourists in Ireland falls in Q2
29/06/2012 - 12:17:19The number of tourists visiting Ireland fell between March and May of this year, according to the Central Statistics Office.
The CSO released figures on overseas travel today that show a drop of 1.1% for the second quarter.
More than 1.6 million visitors did travel here during the three-month period, but that represents an overall decrease of 18,000 people.
Visitors from Britain fell by 5.7%, but the number of people traveling from North America actually rose by 1%.
Tourist numbers from Europe and other parts of the world also climbed.
Tourism Ireland CEO Niall Gibbons said the figures reflected the challenging environment for travel and tourism since the beginning of the year.
“However, within today’s figures there are a number of encouraging indicators" Mr Gibbons said.
"Business from mainland Europe continues to grow, with core markets all recording increases.
"Visitor numbers from Germany are up almost +10%, France +6%, Italy +9%, the Nordic region +9.5% and Benelux + 8% for the period March to May; this growth is expected to continue into the summer months.
“I also welcome the positive figures from Australia and developing markets like China and India of +12% – thanks in part to the ease of access now, with 17 flights to Ireland with Etihad and Emirates via the Middle East, as well as the visa waiver scheme," Mr Gibbons added.
"Other good news is that the US and Canadian markets have now returned to growth, after a weak start to the year.
"Improvements in American consumer confidence and the value of the dollar against the euro are likely to have a positive effect on outbound travel from the US over the coming months."