IRISH RESIDENTS travelled more and spent more money abroad in the first three months of this year compared with the same period in 2007.
The latest figures from the Central Statistics Office show that the number of international trips was up by almost 14 per cent. Of the international trips, holiday trips showed the biggest rise, growing by almost 19 per cent. Holidaymakers also spent longer abroad, with the number of bed nights growing by almost 25 per cent.
Spending on these international trips increased by more than 17 per cent compared with the same period last year.
The increase in spending was greatest for holidaymakers whose expenditure increased by 21.4 per cent to €1,132 million.
The office noted that the Easter break occurred fully in the first three months of this year while most of the break fell outside that period in 2007 so this may have contributed to the increased travel.
Asia and the Middle East benefited greatly from this increased travel. Some 71 per cent more trips were taken to this region in the first three months of this year, bringing the total to 53,000 trips and the number of bed nights increased by almost 50 per cent.
Irish visitors spent some €135 million in the region - more than twice the figure spent in the early months of last year.
The figures do not elaborate on the number of visitors per country but tour operators have stepped up promotions of Middle Eastern destinations.Irish residents also travelled more at home in the first three months of this year but they spent €4 million less. However, most of the reduced spending was due to fewer business sector trips. The number of nights spent on business trips in Ireland fell by 10.7 per cent to 425,000, perhaps signalling an early tightening of corporate belts.
Holidaymakers' spending grew by 8.5 per cent to €181 million but this was offset by reduced spending on business trips and by those visiting friends and relatives. Some €41.7 million was spent on business trips in Ireland in the first three months of this year, compared with €53.1 million at the same time last year.
The greatest growth in domestic travel was in the holiday sector (15 per cent) and those visiting friends and relatives (23.4 per cent). The number of holiday nights here grew by just under 20 per cent to 2.3 million.
€135mThe amount spent by Irish tourists in Asia and the Middle East during the first three months of the year
