16% Rise In Overseas Visitors To Ireland

Overseas visits to Ireland increased by 16% in the three months to April 2016, the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) have revealed.

The figures show that compared to the same period in 2015, during February to April 2016 overall visits to Ireland were up by 16% to 2.062 million visits; North America was up by 19.9%; visits from Mainland Europe were up by 13.3%; visits from the rest of the world increased by 1.5%; and Great Britain registered an increase of 18.6%.

Welcoming the figures, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross, said: "I am pleased that, in my first weeks as Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I can confirm that Irish tourism is on track for another excellent year. The figures are very encouraging as we enter the peak tourism season.

"Today's release shows that all of our main target overseas markets are performing well. I look forward to engaging with the tourism industry and the tourism agencies to ensure that this strong performance is maintained in the years ahead."

Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Patrick O'Donovan, also highlighted the significant contribution that tourism makes to job creation and regional economic development.

"Today's publication shows that the impressive growth in overseas visitors which culminated in a record year in 2015 is continuing in 2016," Minister O'Donovan said.

"The strong performance is also helping to grow employment in the tourism sector as evidenced by another release from the CSO last Tuesday. The Quarterly National Household Survey figures indicate that employment in the 'accommodation and food service activities'sector was 145,900 (seasonally adjusted) for the first quarter of 2016, compared with 135,400 in the same period last year, a rise of 7.8%. This is having real economic benefits for towns and villages right across the country."

(MH/CD)