Drop in visitor numbers but UK figures up

THE number of visitors to the country saw a surprising drop last month, at the height of the tourist season.

Last month saw 1,155,100 arrivals in July – a drop of 5,400, or 0.5%, compared to 12 months earlier.

However, the number of Irish people travelling abroad is booming, as it increased by 63,500 – or 7% – to 968,900.

Despite the Brexit chaos and the fall in sterling, the number of visitors from Ireland’s biggest market, Britain, was up slightly by 2,200 to 355,500, although it is still down on its pre-Brexit vote level of 359,900 in July 2016.

Tourism Ireland chief Niall Gibbons said: ‘Brexit certainly remains a very real and ongoing challenge, giving rise to consumer concern.’

The discontinuation of Norwegian Airlines flights from North America to Ireland and the suspension of some Chinese flights are also areas of concern for Irish tourism.