- Irish made 5m trips in the first eight months of 2016.
- 4.9pc up on 2015, heading for 7.3m for year
- Still short of 7.9m peak in 2008
Padraig Dalton, Director General of the CSO
Irish overseas trips have broken the 5m barrier for 2016 according to new statistics from the Central Statistics Office.
CSO statistics this week show Irish outbound travel up 4.9pc to 5,030k in the first eight months of the year, the first time since 2008 the 5m mark has been reached. June-August was up 1.8pc to 2,357,000. This follows increases of 7.7pc in 2015 and 1.1pc in 2014. Should current growth rates continue Irish people will make 7.3m international trips in 2016, still down on the 2008 peak of 7.9m.
Spain remains the most popular destination for overseas travel, followed by Portugal and then the USA.
Cormac Meehan, ITAA president, said: “Yesterday’s CSO statistics for overseas travel showed an extraordinary growth in the number of Irish travelling abroad.The last time we achieved such figures for overseas trips was in 2008. This is very positive news for the Irish travel industry and ITAA members who endeavour to offer quality and affordable deals to Irish holidaymakers through the ITAA website www.itaa.ie/offers and their own platforms.“For 2016, Spain has represented a safe and secure destination following months of unrest throughout Europe and beyond. It is fantastic to see travel agents, tour operators and suppliers working together to overcome the many challenges within the sector and ensure the growth of the Irish travel industry.”
Maria Sinnott
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