Home holidays and holiday spend on the rise

The number of people taking holiday breaks at home has risen.

According to figures from the Central Statistics Office, there was a 7% rise in the number of home holiday trips and a rise of 11% in domestic holiday spending for the first nine months of 2005.

Minister for Tourism John O Donoghue has said the figures underline the increasing importance of the home holiday market, especially in terms of regional spread and off-peak business.