Tourism figures up 3.4% as Europeans turn west

More tourists came to Ireland this April, May and June than last year, thanks to a surge in visitors from mainland Europe. Transatlantic traffic also recovered in a further boost to the tourist trade.

Tourists brought more than €1.1bn into the country, while Irish people spent around €1bn abroad. The "net profit" from the industry amounted to €61m, according to figures from the Central Statistics Office.