Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

The Central Statistics Office publishes annual figures on the estimated total earnings from all visits to Ireland. These figures include a breakdown into the following categories for overseas travel routes: air cross-channel, sea cross-channel, continental and transatlantic. I propose to circulate in the Official Report a table showing the relevant figures for the years 2000-04.

The figures in the table exclude all fares received by Irish carriers. The table shows a total of €3.2 billion spent by overseas visitors in 2004, an increase of 22.4% on the figure of €2.6 billion in 2000. Over the same period the consumer price index increased by 16%. The all-items consumer price index is the official measure of inflation for Ireland. Based on changes in the CPI, the annual average increase was 16% between 2000 and 2004.

A separate analysis of travel to Ireland by "lower" or "higher" international fares and the resulting visitor expenditure is not possible. The figures given for each route exclude fares. A separate estimate of fares received by Irish carriers is given in Table 1 of the CSO annual release on tourism and travel. It is expected that tourism and travel estimates for the year 2005 will be published in spring 2006.

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