The Central Statistics office has released figures showing that almost 6.37 million people visited the state in 2003, a 5% increase on 2002.
The 2003 figures exceeded the record tourism figures enjoyed in 2000, a year that was followed by a tourism slump due to the foot and mouth crisis, the global economic slowdown and the attacks on the World Trade Centre.
Fifty-eight percent of tourists came from the UK, accounting for 40% of tourism revenues. Twenty-four percent came from other European countries, accounting for 28% of revenues.
Only fourteen percent of visitors came from the US and Canada, although these countries accounted for 25% of tourism revenues.
The figures also show that the number of Irish people travelling abroad continues to grow, from 3.78 million in 2000, to 4.63 million in 2002 and 4.93 million in 2003.
Irish people spent €58 million more on foreign travel than the €4,105 million that the country earned from tourism in 2003.
The average length of stay for visitors to Ireland in 2003 was 7.8 nights, which compares to the 9.3 nights for Irish residents going abroad.
