Overseas Visitors Breaks One Million Mark In First Two Months

Over one million overseas visitors arrived in Ireland in the first two months of 2016, marking the first time the milestone figure has been broken as the country's tourism boom continues at pace.

According to Central Statistics Office statistics released this morning (30 March), in the three month period December 2015 to February 2016, the total number of trips to Ireland increased by 17% to 1,690,400 - an overall increase of 247,000 compared to the same period 12 months earlier.

Trips by residents of Great Britain increased by 21% to 838,800 while trips by residents of European countries other than Great Britain increased by 14.4% to 550,000.

Trips by residents of North America to Ireland increased by 13% to 199,100, while trips to Ireland from other areas increased by 8.8% to 102,600.

The total number of overseas trips made by Irish residents during the same period increased by 7.7% to 1,363,000.