Visits by foreign tourists up by 15%
The figures, published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), show that between April and the end of June the total number of overseas trips to Ireland increased to 1,781,600 — up 240,200 or 15.6% compared with the same period in 2010.
The main reason for the rise in the number of overseas visitors was a 24% increase in visits by people from European countries other than Britain. They accounted for 620,700 visits.
The number visiting from North America rose by 17% in the same period to 308,800, while the number of people travelling here from Britain rose by 8.5% to 761,000.
Trips to Ireland by residents of all other areas rose by 21.3%, with increases in visits across the board, including from Germany, France and Spain.
The figures offer a welcome comparison to those for the same period last year, when overseas trips here stood at just over 1.5 million. The latest statistics show the numbers of visits here is still considerably lower than the second quarter figure two years ago when 1,901,900 visits were registered.
More Irish people made trips overseas, with second quarter figures showing that the total number of overseas trips by Irish residents increased by 5.9% to 1,771,000 compared with the same quarter last year.
The collected data shows that the total number of trips, comprising Irish trips overseas plus trips to Ireland by people living overseas, increased by 10.5% to 3,552,600 in the second quarter of this year.
Over the first half of this year visitor numbers have increased by almost 13% compared to the same period last year, although the 2010 figures were distorted by severe weather and volcanic ash disrupting flights.
Minister for Tourism Leo Varadkar said despite this the latest figures indicated that the tourism sector was showing signs of recovery.
“While the figures are a positive indication, we cannot afford to be complacent,” he said. “With continuing economic uncertainty in most of our key overseas markets, tourism agencies and the industry will continue to work together to restore sustainable growth to this vital sector.”
Fáilte Ireland said they were happy with the figures and that its own research indicated “an upward trend”, while Tourism Ireland chief executive Niall Gibbon said: “Anecdotal reports from our industry partners around the island of Ireland confirm a more positive picture overall than this time last year. However, we know that distribution of visitors is uneven, with some areas performing better than others.”
However, Paul Gallagher, president of the Irish Hotels Federation, said: “The figures for the third quarter will provide the first real insight as to whether there has been a sustained recovery in overseas markets. While Dublin has experienced an increase in tourism activity, other parts of the country continue to face significant challenges with domestic business down in the west, particularly in Claire, Limerick, Galway and Donegal.”
Some parts of the country have experienced a fall in tourism numbers. Donegal spokesperson for the Irish Hotels Federation, Micheal Naughton, said the poor weather had impacted on tourism numbers at coastal resorts in the county.
“The numbers are definitely down, it’s one of the worst summers ever in parts of the county,” he said. “Up here, we’re surrounded by beaches and look at the weather we’ve had,” he told the Donegal Democrat.
He added that even in areas where tourists are still visiting, such as towns like Letterkenny and Donegal, they were spending less money than expected.
