Visitors from the Republic spent a record three million nights in the north last year, Irish government data suggests

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Visitors from the Republic spent a record three million nights in the north last year, official statistics suggests.

New tourism data compiled by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) indicates trips, overnight stays and spending by visitors from the Republic increased by almost 50% in 2023.

The Irish government figures estimate 1.3 million trips were made north of the border last year, 46.4% more than the 897,000 in 2022.

The CSO estimates those trips involved three million nights spent in northern accommodation, which was almost one million more than in 2022.

Total spending by the visitors from the Republic increased 48% year-on-year to £268m in 2023.

The CSO data indicates that all types of trips grew sharply in 2023, including holiday trips, visiting friends and relatives, and business tourism.

"These results are exceptional, especially given the tough economic climate and the increased levels of competition from other destinations," said Tourism NI chief executive, John McGrillen.

"We are clearly reaping the rewards of additional investment in new visitor experiences in recent years, and increased marketing and promotion in the Republic of Ireland.

"Our research shows that every part of NI is benefiting from this investment and the very strong growth in visitor numbers and spend which has resulted from it.

"While there continue to be challenges for the industry, these results demonstrate tourism's growth potential as we look to the future."