More than 6.4m tourists expected in 2004

Tourism agencies are predicting a record number of visitors into the State this year.

Mr Shaun Quinn, chief executive Fáilte Ireland, said assuming there was no external disruption to international travel or deterioration in currency exchange rates "2004 should be a record year for Irish tourism".

Outlining their business plans for 2004, Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Ireland and Dublin Tourism today said their growth target was for a 4 per cent rise in visitors to about 6.4 million, a figure which would bring some €4.3 billion into the State.

The agencies also predicted that domestic tourism should rise. They expect more than three million holiday trips to be taken by Irish people within the State, spending an estimated €1.13 million in the process.

"The target is to grow the number of home holidays taken in the Republic to 4.3 million by 2012. This is very challenging for the Irish tourism industry, particularly in the context of an increasingly competitive and dynamic marketplace," said Mr Quinn.