New figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) shows a 20.9 per cent increase of passenger arrivals into Ireland, with more than 1,785,000 passengers arrived in Ireland on overseas routes in April 2023.

This figure is compared to 1,476,600 arrivals in April 2022. This is also an increase of 4.2 per cent in the pre-pandemic levels, when 1,712,900 passengers arrived overseas routes in April 2019.

This growth is even more substantial when compared with April 2021 when just 69,400 passengers travelled on these routes. The low figures in 2021 reflect on the travel restrictions that were in place during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Of those who arrived into the country, 1,676,600 passengers arrived by air and 108,300 by sea in the past month.

Majority of people who came into Ireland came from Britain, with 634,500 from Britain, an increase of 548,300 a year ago. Outside of Britain, the most popular destination Spanish routes remain the busiest, with 245,900 passengers arriving on these routes in April 2023, a 24.4 per cent increase compared with April 2022.