Holidays abroad soar despite economic slump

THE almost daily reminders that the Irish economy is in the doldrums have not discouraged the public from treating themselves to holidays abroad, according to figures.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) statistics show that Irish residents took 1,218,000 holidays in the first quarter of 2008 — an 18.7% increase on the corresponding period last year. They also increased the length of their stays.

The CSO figures show the public spent 8,821,000 nights holidaying abroad in the first three months of 2008, a 25% increase on the same period last year.

Asia and the Middle East, in particular, saw a surge in popularity with a 71% increase in visitor numbers.

In total, the public made 53,000 trips to those destinations and spent 784,000 nights there. The region attracted €134.9 million in expenditure from Irish residents travelling there.

Overall, despite the tough financial situation the country finds itself in, Irish residents were still able to spend €1.6 billion on international business and holiday trips in the first quarter of this year, 17.1% more than in the same period in 2007.

Holiday expenditure increased 21.4% to €1.1bn.

Evidence the travel bug really burrowed its way into Irish society can be seen more clearly when one compares international travel now with just four years ago. In the first quarter of 2004, we made little more than a billion trips abroad. In the same period this year, we made 1.8 billion.

Back at home, Irish residents spent €284.2m on domestic trips in the first three months of this year, down from €288.9m in the corresponding period in 2007. The CSO said much of that decrease could be attributed to reduced spending on business trips and visits to friends and relatives.

However, the public spent €181m on domestic holidays over the period, an increase on 2007.

Simon Nugent, chief executive of the Irish Association of Travel Agents, sounded a note of caution about the figures, pointing out Easter fell in the first three months of this year, while it did not last year.

However, he said, looking at the first four months of this year and last year, covering Easter holidays in both years, there was still an 8% increase in holiday travel.

“Travel does seem to be holding up reasonably well,” said Mr Nugent.

“The numbers travelling through Dublin Airport this summer are up 5% on last year. However, it must be borne in mind the mood swing in terms of the economy did not come on stream until a little later than the first three months of this year.”