Over 2,300,000 trips abroad were made in the third quarter of last year, an increase of 10 per cent on the previous year, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
Spain (24 per cent of all trips) and the United Kingdom (21 per cent) were the most popular destinations followed by France (13 per cent) and the United States (8 per cent).
The Household Travel Survey Q3 figures show that expenditure on these trips also increased by 12 per cent to €2.39 billion.
On the domestic front, total trips within Ireland increased by 6 per cent with bed nights also up by 7 per cent on 2006 figures. Almost €600 million - an increase of 10 per cent - was spent during these trips.
The number of trips taken in the Southern and Eastern region increased by 9 per cent to 1,700,000, while the Border, Midland and Western region recorded a very marginal increase in the number of trips to 748,000.
The figures also reveal that the internet is the method of booking for 20 per cent of all domestic trips.