Irish people love foreign travel and record numbers are going abroad for holidays.
Cheap flights from Ireland and value for money have made continental European destinations very popular in recent years.
Figures released by the CSO (Central Statistics Office) show that for the first time, the number of Irish people heading abroad for holidays has passed the three million mark.
The tourism and hospitality sector at home are not experiencing the same levels of business. While the number of overseas visitors to Ireland rose by three per cent, the length of visits decreased significantly.
President of the Irish Hotels Federation says assistance is needed at State level to help business operators lower costs.
Alex Gibson who is head of the Department of Tourism at DIT (Dublin Institute of Technology) says a combination of increased disposable income and demand for foreign travel are behind the surge of Irish people holidaying abroad,
People are looking for more novelty, more variety.
Increasing similar numbers of tourists to Ireland is the challenge now facing the Irish tourism industry.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 26 April 2005. The reporter is Anne Marie Smyth.
