17/07/2014

NI Visits Drop By 1%

The number of overnight trips to destinations in Northern Ireland by both residents and non-residents has dropped by 1% in the period April 2013 - March 2014, compared to the same period in the previous year.

The results come as the Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency (NISRA) publishes its latest Tourism Statistics Bulletin.

The drop was due to to a fall in the number of NI residents (-3%) and RoI visitors (-18%) taking overnight trips within NI, according to the report. There was an associated fall in expenditure by NI residents of £15m and a fall in Republic of Ireland visitors spend of £7m over the same period.

However, tourist expenditure during overnight trips increased over the same period by 4% when compared to 2012-13.

The estimated number of overnight visitors from outside Northern Ireland increased by 1% to 2.06m in the year to March 2014, compared with the same period in the previous year. The expenditure associated with these external trips increased by 9% over the same period.

The number of overnight trips to Northern Ireland destinations during the first quarter of this year showed a 2% increase (to 0.9m) on the same period in the previous year. Expenditure for these trips increased by 10%.

But when visits by NI residents are excluded, the estimated number of visitor trips decreased by 8%, despite an expenditure increase of 8%.

The decrease in external visitors in January to March 2014 was influenced by a fall in RoI visitors (-43%) but rises in both GB (+2%) and overseas (+11%) visitors, the report said.

(IT/JP)

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