Travel site 1 2 travel.com, which is committed to selling the Republic as a tourist destination to the US, British, Canadian and German markets, said it recorded revenues of more than £500,000 (€635,300) for the first quarter 2001.

The site, which was established in 1998 in converted farm sheds near Castletownshend in West Cork, expects sales of more than £2 million this year, said Mr Conor Buckley, managing director of 1 2 Travel.