The number of Irish residents travelling overseas during the first four months of 2009 has decreased by more than 10 per cent compared with the same period last year, according to new figures.

Ireland's Central Statistics Office (CSO) also revealed that inbound trips decreased by 6.3 per cent between January and April 2009, although the statistics did show a slight increase in the number of trips to Ireland in April due to the Easter weekend.

Despite an increase of nearly 22,000 visitors from Europe during the four-month period, Irish inbound tourism was affected by a decrease of nearly 137,000 British visitors, while the number of visitors from America and the rest of the world also fell.

Simon Nugent, the chief executive of the Irish Travel Agents' Association, told the Irish Times: "Given the change in the economy, the drop in numbers traveling overseas is not particularly surprising and if anything suggests more people are hanging on to their travel plans."

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