CSO says upsurge in British visitors explains 10% rise in travel figures

THERE WAS an upsurge in the number of visitors to Ireland from Britain in recent months, with 76,400 extra trips taken by British residents in March, compared to March 2007.

However, this contrasts with a fall in the number of visits by residents of other countries. The number of trips from the US fell by 8.6 per cent, while trips from Europe and other areas fell by 6 per cent, according to the latest Central Statistics Office figures.

The large increase in travel from Britain meant that the total number of overseas trips still increased by almost 10 per cent in March.

The figures show that more than 1.5 million overseas visitors came to the Republic in the first quarter of 2008, a 10 per cent increase compared to the first quarter of 2007.

Irish residents continue to travel abroad more, with a 14 per cent growth in trips overseas in March, compared with March 2007. There were 32,500 more Irish trips overseas than trips into Ireland in March.

Minister for Tourism Martin Cullen described the 10 per cent increase in visitor numbers for the first three months of the year as “encouraging” yesterday.

“I am particularly heartened to see that visitors from Britain are up on the corresponding period last year, despite concerns expressed by the industry about the relative strength of the euro,” he said.

“As we enter the peak tourism season, it is encouraging to see that the early indications are positive in terms of the number of overseas visitors coming to our shores,” Mr Cullen said. “While we have to see how the season evolves, the fundamentals of the industry are sound and the necessary measures are in place, including record resources for overseas marketing, to ensure that 2008 is another good year for Irish tourism”.