Continental Europe is now the single biggest trading block for Ireland's booming tourism business, accounting for almost a third of the total overseas holiday revenue, according to Ms Orla Branigan, Bord Failte general manager in Europe. She said since 1989, visitors from Europe had more than doubled to 1,177,000 last year, with revenue up from £160 million to £467 million. Ms Branigan was speaking after the first day of a two day travel trade conference in Ennis attended by almost 200 European tour operators and more than 200 Irish representatives.

Ms Branigan said the strong European performance over the past 10 years would continue this year, with an increase of 8 per cent in revenue and 6 per cent in visitors.