Holidaymakers splash out record €2.1bn to escape wet summer

IRISH holidaymakers splashed out a record €2.1 billion for holidays in the sun this summer as they fled Ireland’s disastrous weather and headed abroad.

Between July and September, Irish families, couples and individuals went on 1.6 million overseas holidays — with numbers up 274,000 or 21% on last summer.

Buoyed by the last of the Government pay-outs of SSIA savings bonuses, spending by Irish holidaymakers abroad was €2.1bn, up €280m or 15%.

The expenditure and number of foreign trips was the highest on record, according to figures released by the Government’s Central Statistics Office.

Holidaymakers made 1.5 million trips to continental Europe, 126,000 visits to North America and 682,000 journeys to England.

The number of trips made across the Irish Sea to Britain by air was up 4.2% to 574,000 compared to last summer but traffic on sea routes was down 16% to 108,000 journeys.

Trips to continental Europe rose by 14% and transatlantic visits rose by 21% to 126,000 voyages and flights.

Expenditure by foreign tourists coming to Ireland was €1.767bn, up €21m or 1.2% on last summer.

When the amount of money spent by tourists here is compared to the cash spent abroad by Irish holidaymakers, the country paid out €331m more than it received.

Overseas tourists made 2,645,000 trips to Ireland between July and September, up 139,000 or 5.5% on last summer.

Britons accounted for the largest number of tourists in summer in Ireland and numbered 1,269,000, up 29,000 or 2.3% on last summer

Tourists from continental Europe numbered 873,000 and were up 118,000 or 16% on last summer.

The number of visitors from the US and Canada dropped to 390,000, down 8,000 or 2%.

Of all visitors to Ireland’s shores in summer, 1.4m said they were here on holiday while 699,000 said they were here to see friends and family.