Rise in number of visitors to Ireland

The number of visitors to Ireland rose by 9.4 per cent in the second quarter of 2011, according to new figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

The data show that 1.95 million visitors entered the country during the months from May to July, up by 167,100 compared to the same period a year earlier.

Visitors from Britain were up by 8.8 per cent to 791,200, while trips by residents from other European countries was up by 9.3 per cent to 679,100.

Visitors from North America also rose by 9.3 per cent to 368,100.

Trips from residents of countries outside of North America and Europe rose by 14.5 per cent.

Meanwhile, the number of overseas trips taken by Irish residents fell by 1.8 per cent to 1,972,500 when compared to the same three-month period in 2010.

The total number of trips into and out of Ireland increased by 3.5 per cent to 3.92 million from May to July 2010.

For the first seven months of 2011, overseas visits to Ireland are up 11.8 per cent on the same period last year, while trips made by Irish people are down 3 per cent.

Minister for Tourism Leo Varadkar welcomed the increase in visitor figures and expressed confidence that Ireland will exceed its targets for the tourism industry this year.

“I am very pleased to see the positive trend continue through the peak season. However, it’s important to bear in mind that these figures follow the significant drop in tourism numbers in earlier years, particularly during last year’s ash cloud crisis and severe weather conditions," he said.

"Market conditions are still challenging in all our main source markets and we must work harder than ever to get the message out that Ireland represents value for money," he added.

Tourism Ireland chief executive Niall Gibbons said the figures represented "a welcome return to growth and expressed optimism that visitor numbers will continue to rise.

"Overseas tourism has a critical role to play in contributing to Ireland’s economic recovery," he said.

"Given that the period September-December traditionally yields as much as 30 per cent of our overall tourism business, there is still everything to play for," he added.

Approximately 6.7 million overseas visitors came to the island of Ireland in 2010, delivering revenue of approximately €3 billion. Overseas tourism business accounts for 59 per cent of all tourism revenue.

Tourism is Ireland’s largest indigenous industry, contributing in excess of 4 per cent of GNP and providing employment for over 200,000 people in every community throughout the island.