Revenue from overseas visitors has increased 16%

The number of trips by people coming to visit Ireland rose by 20 per cent.

The spending of overseas tourists has increased 16 per cent for the first half of 2015 compared to last year, according to the Central Statistic office (CSO).

The CSO report  showed spending from overseas visitors, excluding fares, rose by €253 million during the first half of this year.

The biggest increase of spending came from visitors from North America, at 34 per cent. Next was Europe, up 15 per cent, and United Kingdom, up 8 per cent.

The number of people coming to Ireland to holiday also rose. This is year the amount is 12 per cent higher than the same period in 2014. In other words,  378,000 tourists visited the country so far.

The Guinness Storehouse, that tells visitors the story of the drinks company, still the most popular attraction in the country. 13 million people have visited the factory  since it opened in 2006.

• Flávia Lovisi