Overseas travel collapses by more than 95% in June
There was a massive collapse in international travel in the month of June, the latest Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures reveal.
The number of people arriving in Ireland and the number of people leaving fell sharply last month, both declining by more than 95%. This is in line with global travel trends caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
There were just 57,100 arrivals in June 2020 and 73,900 departures. In stark contrast, in June 2019, there were two million passengers in each direction.
Of those arriving in Ireland, more than half — some 32,300 — came from Great Britain, and 18,300 came from continental Europe. Some 3,800 came from North or South America, and 2,700 from other territories.
For those leaving Ireland, the largest number travelled to Great Britain, where 36,800 passengers went, Germany (6,600) and the Netherlands (6,200).
For the year to date, 3,186,700 people arrived in Ireland from overseas and 3,173,300 people departed.
This was a significant drop when compared to 2019, with arrivals decreasing by 65.9% and departures decreasing by 66.6% respectively.
Meanwhile, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has said the impact of Covid-19 on international travel and tourism is already three times worse than the 2009 global economic crisis.
The latest edition of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer shows that the near-complete lockdown imposed in response to the pandemic led to a 98% fall in international tourist numbers in May when compared to May 2019. It also shows a 56% year-on-year drop in tourist arrivals between January and May.
This translates into a fall of 300m tourists and US$320bn (€273bn) lost in international tourism receipts, which is more than three times the loss during the 2009 recession.
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said this dramatic fall in tourism places millions of livelihoods at risk.
"This latest data makes clear the importance of restarting tourism as soon as it is safe to do so.
"The dramatic fall in international tourism places many millions of livelihoods at risk, including in developing countries.
"Governments in every world region have a dual responsibility: to prioritise public health while also protecting jobs and businesses.
"They also need to maintain the spirit of cooperation and solidarity that has defined our response to this shared challenge."