The number of trips abroad from Ireland increased by 12 per cent in the three months to the end of June this year compared to the same period in 2006, new figures show.
Some 2,048,000 overseas trips were taken from Ireland in the three-month period. The increase coincides with some of the wettest weather on record for decades, which is believed to have driven many people to book trips away.
Figures published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) today show the number of overseas trips on Continental European routes was up by 20 per cent compared with the number of trips in quarter two last year.
On sea cross-channel routes, the number of trips increased by 10 per cent but there was a drop of 1 per cent in the number of air cross-channel routes in the quarter.
Overseas visits to Ireland in the second quarter were up by just 1 per cent to 2,138,000 compared with 2,112,000 in the same three months of 2006.
According to the CSO, the number of overseas visits by residents of other European countries grew by 4 per cent while the number of visits by residents of the USA and Canada grew by 2 per cent.
Overseas visits by residents of Britain fell by 1 per cent and those made by residents of other areas fell from 82,000 in quarter two 2006 to 81,000 in quarter two this year.
Figures show those visiting other countries from Ireland spent more than visitors to this country.
Earnings from visitors to Ireland amounted to €1.3 billion, while expenditure by those leaving Ireland was just under €1.5 billion.