Michael Ring
Ceist:312 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation the tourist numbers for Mayo in each of the years from 1990 to date; and the figures for Westport for this period. [4345/00]
Written Answers. - Tourism Statistics.
Official tourism and travel statistics are published by the Central Statistics Office. The CSO does not compile statistics on a regional basis.
However, Bord Fáilte has recently begun publishing estimates of overseas visitors and associated revenue on a county basis. This data is available from Bord Fáilte and shows, in relation to Mayo, that in 1997 the county received 298,000 overseas visitors, generating an estimated £45 million, with revenue increasing to an estimated £50 million in 1998, notwithstanding a slight drop in visitor numbers to 288,000 in that year. Estimates for 1999 will not be available from the board until later in the year. Visitor numbers are not compiled on a town by town basis.