Number of visitors to Ireland rises but spending falls

Spend by tourists fell by more than 4% in the first three months of the year despite visitors rising by 5.5%, CSO figures have revealed - as industry bosses admitted growth is not being felt evenly across the country.

The number of nights spent in Ireland by overseas travellers decreased by 3.2% in the first quarter of 2019 compared with the same period last year, down from 12.5 million to 12.1 million, the CSO said.