IRELAND: Increase In Visitors From North America In Latest Tourism Figures

There has been a rise of 19% in overseas visitors to Ireland in the first nine months of the year.

The largest increase in visitors was from North America, which went up by over 27%.

Figures from the CSO show an additional half a million tourists came here during the nine months, with revenue up 17.5%.

The total expenditure from visitors in the nine month period amounted to over €3.3bn.

Meanwhile, around 330,000 visitors stayed in AirBnB homes in Ireland over the last year, spending an average of €561.

A new report carried out between October 2014 and September 2015 suggests that AirBnB visits were worth €202m to the economy.

The number of hosts in Ireland has doubled every year since 2010, with the company now looking at tax incentives for users.

Patrick Robinson, Head of Public Policy for AirBnB in Europe, says the last few years have been hugely successful for the company.