Figures released yesterday show that August trips overseas by Irish residents have continued to grow significantly, while growth in trips to Ireland from abroad is levelling off.
August 2007 saw 815,600 trips abroad by Irish residents, an increase of 86,100, or 11.8 per cent, over the same month last year.
The Central Statistics Office also documented an increase in overseas trips to Ireland, although growth was less dramatic. There were 962,700 overseas trips to Ireland in August 2007, compared with 928,800 in August last year, a growth of 3.6 per cent.
By comparison, growth in trips to Ireland from abroad in August 2005 to August 2006 was 5.7 per cent, and 6.8 per cent for August 2004 to 2005.
August trips to Ireland by residents of North America declined by 4,100, a figure Fine Gael tourism spokeswoman Olivia Mitchell considers worrisome.
"This fall-off in US visits gives increased urgency to the promised Shannon Marketing Initiative," she said in a statement. "A real effort to market Shannon airport to airlines and the region to potential tourists is vital if Ireland is not to lose out to other European destinations."
Some 49 per cent of overseas trips to Ireland in August were taken by residents of Great Britain; second place were US residents at 13 per cent.
Irish residents made 6,848,200 trips abroad during 2006. The figure for January to August of 2007 stands at 5,248,400.