Dublin is is Europe's fourth most popular European city after London, Paris and Rome according to Frank Magee, chief executive of Dublin Tourism.
Speaking at the fourth annual Dublin Tourism Enterprise Awards, which took place last night Magee said: 'In 2002 we had 4.3 million visitors to Dublin. As a result €12 billion was earned in Revenue earnings, which is a 6% increase on 2001.'
There are now over 40,000 people employed directly by tourism in Dublin and one in three jobs created in Dublin since 1998 has been in travel and tourism.
Meanwhile Magee welcomed the smoking ban and called on the tourism trade to 'get behind the initiative'.
Magee said the decision had been taken, and it was time for the industry to move on and be positive, pointing out that 70% of people did not smoke.
Asked about the effect on stag and hen parties, he said these accounted for less than 1% of all tourism in Dublin.
