There were 5.7 million overseas trips to Ireland in the 10 months to the end of October of this year, an increase of 2.7% on 2003, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
The latest figures show there were 555,100 overseas trips to Ireland in October of this year compared with 542,300 in the same month last year, an increase of 2.4 per cent.
The number of trips to Ireland in October by residents of Great Britain fell by 3.2 per cent compared with the same month in 2003.
In the year to date to the end of October the number is down 1.5 per cent on the same period in 2003.
Trips to Ireland by residents of other European countries grew by 9.8 per cent to 127,600 on the corresponding October 2003 figure of 116,200.
Trips to Ireland by residents of North America in October increased by per cent when compared with October 2003.
There were 26,600 trips to Ireland by residents of other areas in October, an increase of 4,600 on the same month in 2003.
Irish residents made 507,600 overseas trips in October 2004, an increase of 17.5 per cent on the figure of 432,000 in October 2003.