Irish travellers made 1.5 million trips abroad in the first three months of the year, figures from the Central Statistics Office revealed today.
The United Kingdom and Spain were by far the most popular destinations, accounting for half of all foreign travel. And as well as enjoying more holidays than ever, Irish travellers are also spending more.
According to the CSO, expenditure on international trips between January and March this year grew to €1.3 billion, an increase of 22 per cent on the same period last year.
The CSO's Household Travel Survey revealed that while the number of international trips increased by 22 per cent, the number of foreign business trips fell by 5 per cent. Holidays at home also remained popular, with more than 1.5 million trips in Ireland, an increase of 8 per cent.
The south west was the most popular region but unsurprisingly the largest amount of money was spent in Dublin. The CSO also reported that middle-aged people were enjoying the most trips away.
The 50 to 59 age group saw the largest percentage increase in both international and domestic trips, with 62 per cent more foreign and 83 per cent more holidays at home at the start of the year.
They also accounted for more than a quarter of trips abroad and just under a quarter of all trips at home. In contrast, those aged 30 to 39 took fewer trips both at home and abroad than any other age group.