REPORTS of an exceptionally successful year for tourism have been reaffirmed by figures showing a 50% rise in bookings on one of the country’s most popular accommodation websites.

GoIreland.com has reported an increase of 60% in tourism bookings for the first half of the year.

Online tourism web portal GoIreland.com said the number of bookings made through its site between January and May was double the level of the same period last year.