New Central Statistics Office figures show a substantial decrease in overseas travel in September compared to the previous month as the travel industry continues to see a 'dramatic' impact from Covid-19.
The CSO's latest Air and Sea Travel Statistics show that 254,400 overseas passengers arrived in Ireland in September - down 29.8% on the August figure of 362,600.
A total of 236,700 overseas passengers left the country last month, a decrease of 27.9% on the figure of 328,200 in August.
The CSO said that September is the first month overseas travel has declined since April, when the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic was at its highest in Ireland.
It said the contrast with September of last year - when almost 1.9 million passengers arrived into Ireland and departed from the country - was even more stark.
Today's figures show that continental routes contributed most to the passenger traffic.
About 158,300 passengers arrived on continental routes and 129,300 passengers departed on continental routes, while 77,000 passengers arrived on cross-channel routes and 93,500 passengers departed on cross-channel routes.
Just 9,800 passengers arrived on transatlantic routes and 6,600 passengers departed these routes, the CSO said.
In the nine months from January to September, the CSO said that 4 million overseas passengers travelled to and from Ireland.
This compares to almost 16 million overseas passengers the same time last year, which the CSO said illustrates the "continuing and dramatic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on international travel to and from Ireland".
