Sir, – According to figures supplied in your article on tourist numbers (Home News, September 12th) it appears that the 6.6 million incoming tourists spent the same amount, €630 million, on travel to Ireland as the 6.3 million Irish spent travelling abroad.
However we received €2.95 billion from our visitors but spent €4.84 billion abroad. On a per capita basis each visitor to Ireland spent €447 while each Irish tourist spent €768 abroad – almost twice (72 per cent actually) as much.
Does this mean that each of us could have almost two holidays at home in Ireland instead of just one abroad or is there a rational explanation for these figures? – Yours, etc,