The number of overseas visitors to Ireland has increased by 3.4 per cent in the first five month of this year compared with the corresponding period in 2006.
Figures released yesterday by the Central Statistics Office show some 100,000 more visitors arrived in Ireland between January and May 2007 than in the same period last year. The number of tourists arriving from continental Europe increased by over 17 per cent in the five-month period up to May.
The increased traffic came from traditional major source-markets such as Germany, France and Spain, as well as newer member states of the EU.
The number of visitors from Britain between January and May of this year has dropped by more than 50,000 to just below 1.5 million. However, the number travelling from Britain in May was up by over 5,000 compared to last year's figures.
The figures also show that Irish people are taking more trips abroad with more than 2.8 million trips taken so far this year. This is an increase of over 350,000 on the same period in 2006, with the majority of trips from Ireland being taken in Britain, Spain and North America.
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