Half of overseas travel to UK, Spain

One-half of all Irish residents travelling abroad in the late spring and early summer months went to the UK or Spain, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

International travellers also spent more on holiday travel and less on business trips from April to June this year than in the same period last year, according to the CSO household travel survey.

Expenditure on international travel grew from just over €1.4 billion in the second quarter of 2006 to just over €1.7 billion in the second quarter of 2007, an increase of more than one-fifth.

Foreign holidays accounted for three-quarters of all the money spent on international travel in the April to June period this year, an increase of almost one-third on the same period last year.

Money spent on business travel in the same months fell by 17 per cent. The actual number of holidays increased by one-fifth, while the number of business trips decreased by one-fifth on the April to June period last year.

The UK and Spain were the most popular destinations for Irish residents leaving the country in the second quarter, with these countries accounting for 25 per cent each of international trips. France was the next most popular destination, at 11 per cent, followed by North America at 8 per cent.

The home holiday sector also grew in the second quarter, with the number of trips within Ireland increasing by 15 per cent on the same period in 2006. The amount of money spent on domestic trips increased by a greater extent - 18 per cent on the same period last year.

Home holidays were more popular than international travel from April to June, accounting for 54 per cent of trips. However, the CSO figures show people spend more money on home holidays, which account for 64 per cent of travel expenditure.