NI body reports increase in tourists from Republic

The Northern Ireland Tourist Board has reported a 50% increase in bookings at its information centre in Dublin in the first six months of this year.

The board said inquiries at the office also increased by 20% in the first half of 2003 compared to the same period last year.

The NITB said this year's relatively peaceful loyalist marching season had contributed to a rise in tourists visiting the North.

The board said it had been selling trips to the North in euros in an effort to attract more visitors from the Republic.