Number of trips abroad plummets by 13%

THE number of trips abroad taken by Irish people has plummeted by more than 13%, while overseas trips to Ireland have fallen by more than 5%, according to latest figures.

Data released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) yesterday showed the number of trips abroad made by Irish residents fell by 13.4% to 474,000 in February, compared with 547,600 recorded in the same month last year.

February also saw a significant decline in the number of people visiting Ireland from overseas.