Ireland is number three on Britons’ holiday list.
IRELAND has been named the third most popular holiday destination for people living in Britain.
Figures show nearly 4million people from Britain crossed the Irish Sea last year.
Only France and Spain welcomed more visitors from Britain.
An increase of 35,000 in the number of visits to Ireland saw it push America down to fourth place.
And Spain replaced France as the favourite port of call among British-based travellers.
The latest figures include an increase of 44,000 in the number of tourists travelling to the Republic from the North of Ireland.
The number of visits south of the border from the North of Ireland has steadily increased in the last few years.
Visitors from the North spent around E162million in the Republic in 2002 during stays of at least one night.
The favourable exchange rate between the pound and the euro is believed to have aided the growth in trips south.
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