The number of international travellers arriving into Ireland jumped by more than 100 per cent in the weeks after travel restrictions were lifted, new figures show.
In August 2021, 821,700 passengers arrived in Ireland on overseas routes, a rise of 116 per cent compared with July.
In the same month, 781,000 passengers left Ireland on overseas routes, a rise of 82 per cent on the previous month.
Figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that overseas travel was considerably higher than in August 2020, when 362,600 passengers arrived and 328,200 passengers departed.
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The figures also show that overseas travel remains dramatically lower than pre-pandemic August 2019, when 2,256,500 passengers arrived, and 2,191,900 passengers departed.
Ireland’s restrictions on international travel were lifted on July 19, sparking a sharp rise in the number of people travelling in and out of the country.
Ireland implemented the EU Covid Certificate, allowing people who are fully vaccinated to travel freely.
In its air and sea travel statistics for August, the CSO revealed that of the 821,700 people arriving in Ireland, 87 per cent arrived by air and 12 per cent arrived by sea.
Of the 781,000 people departing Ireland, 86 per cent left by air and 13 per cent by sea.
Statistician Gregg Patrick said: “The Air and Sea Travel Statistics for August 2021 show a substantial rise in overseas travel compared to the preceding month.
Cross-channel routes
“The August 2021 statistics show that continental routes contributed most to the passenger traffic.
“Some 508,100 passengers arrived on continental routes and 452,800 passengers departed on continental routes.”
By way of contrast, 247,700 passengers arrived on cross-channel routes and 265,600 passengers departed on cross-channel routes.
Just 43,200 passengers arrived on transatlantic routes and 43,300 passengers departed on these routes.
Apart from Great Britain, which accounted for almost all cross-channel routes, the most important routing countries for overseas travel in August were Spain, with 132,100 arrivals and 121,200 departures, France at 57,100 arrivals and 52,900 departures, and Portugal, with 42,200 arrivals and 40,500 departures.
“When we look at the year-to-date picture (January-August 2021), the statistics show that 1,741,500 overseas passengers arrived in Ireland and 1,817,100 overseas passengers departed from Ireland,” Mr Patrick added.
“This compares to both 3.8 million arrivals and departures in the same period in 2020 and 13.8 million arrivals and 13.9 million departures in the same period in 2019.
“This illustrates the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on international travel to and from Ireland.”
