The number of visitors to Ireland showed a 2.2 per cent fall in the third quarter of 2002, according to figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) this morning.
There were 2,045,000 overseas visitors to Ireland in the third quarter of 2002 compared with 2,092,000 in the same period of 2001.
The number of overseas visitors on continental routes fell by 4.7 per cent; the number on transatlantic routes fell by 10.3 per cent on the same quarter in 2001.
The number of Irish going abroad between July and September 2002 was 1,554,000 - an increase of 8.4 per cent on the comparable period last year despite a substantial fall in the numbers of Irish people travelling to the United States.
Irish residents travelling on European routes increased by 17.5 per cent, but the number on Transatlantic routes fell by 10.3 per cent.
The expenditure figures for the period show a net outflow of €72 million. Earnings from visitors to Ireland accounted for €1,418 million; expenditure by Irish visitors abroad amounted to €1,490 million.
The average length of stay for visitors to Ireland during the period was 8.7 nights. This compares with 11.5 nights for Irish people going abroad.