The number of people travelling abroad for holidays continued to increase last year, with a 13 per cent growth in foreign holiday trips between July and September, when compared with the same period in 2006 . Alison Healyreports.
Spain and the UK accounted for most of the 1.8 million overseas holiday trips, according to the CSO figures. In total, almost 2.4 million business and holiday trips were made in this period.
The figures highlight the massive power of the internet and the dwindling role of travel agents in booking overseas trips. During the July-September period, 62 per cent of all trips were booked online, compared with one-quarter of trips booked by travel agents. The internet was also the method of booking for 20 per cent of all domestic trips taken.
The figures show people also spent 12 per cent more on international trips (almost €2.4 million), compared to the previous period.
Holiday trips accounted for 81 per cent of this expenditure - a 17 per cent increase on the same period in 2006. In contrast, business travel showed a 23 per cent decrease in spending.
The growth in the number of Spanish holiday homes may be reflected in the very high number of trips to Spain during this time. Some 582,000 (24 per cent) trips to Spain were made, compared with 493,000 trips to the UK (21 per cent) and 313,000 trips to France. The US accounted for eight per cent of overseas trips.
Spain also accounted for the most bed nights (26 per cent), followed by France (14 per cent), the US (12 per cent) and the UK (10 per cent).
The figures also show a 10 per cent increase in spending on domestic travel during the same period. Some €594.6 million was spent on trips at home between July and September. Holiday spending accounted for 77 per cent of all domestic travel expenditure - an increase of 13 per cent from the €409.1 million recorded in the same period in 2006.
The number of domestic trips increased by 6 per cent to almost 2.5 million, while the number of nights stayed grew by 7 per cent.
Holidays accounted for two-thirds of these domestic trips and 76 per cent of total nights. The southern and eastern regions benefited most from the increase in domestic travel, with a nine per cent rise in domestic trips. This was matched by a corresponding increase of 14 per cent in the number of nights stayed.
However, the Border, midlands and western regions recorded an 8 per cent drop in the number of bed nights from domestic travel during that time. The number of domestic trips to the Border, midland and western regions rose by 7,000 to 748,000 during that time.