The amount of overseas arrivals to Ireland has risen five-fold in the month of July when compared with 12 months ago, although we are still behind the pre-pandemic numbers, according to the latest CSO figures.

Data shows that last month more than 1,965,400 passengers arrived in Ireland on overseas routes, a breakdown of 1,783,600 passengers by air and 181,800 by sea.

When comparing the figures with July 2021, a period when the country was still dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a five-fold increase, with 380,700 people arriving in the country 12 months ago.

Numbers for 2022, however, were 12% behind those of 2019 when 2,225,900 enter the country, with 2,017,700 flying in and 208,100 arriving by sea.

Commenting on the release, Gregg Patrick, a statistician with the CSO, said: "This is a very substantial increase on July 2021, when 380,700 overseas passengers arrived (and an even more substantial increase on July 2020, when just 227,300 overseas passengers arrived).

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"The recovery is seen in both modes of travel (air and sea), although the recovery in air travel is most pronounced (with a five-fold increase compared to July 2021).

"The recovery is also spread across all major routes, with transatlantic traffic up most in relative terms with eight transatlantic passengers arriving in July 2022 for every one in July 2021.

"Among the continental routes, Spanish routes were the busiest, with 277,200 passengers arriving on these routes, a more than six-fold increase compared to July 2021."

The largest number of arrivals from any one country came from Great Britain, with Mr. Patrick adding "in overall terms, Great Britain remained the most important departure country for overseas travellers to Ireland, with 661,200 passengers arriving on air and sea routes from Great Britain, compared to just 122,700 in July 2021."

NOTE: Tourism Statistics at air and sea ports were suspended in March 2020 and only testing has resumed since March 2022.

As a result, the details of travel to Ireland classified by country of residence, which were previously presented in the monthly Overseas Travel release, are not currently available. To help fill the data gap, the CSO is publishing an Air and Sea Travel Statistics release which reports on the numbers of overseas travellers arriving and departing Ireland classified by travel route.