Overseas visitors to Ireland increased by just over 8% for the period between March to May this year.

The latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show numbers were up overall by 132,000 with tourists from North America accounting for the largest increase at 12.6% to to 282,300.

Visitors from Europe saw a jump of 9.6% to 676,000. while the number of tourists coming to Ireland from the United Kingdom has increased by 5.6% to 726,300.

While the total number of overseas trips made by Irish residents during the period March to May fell by 0.3%.

The Tourism Minister says this represents a turnaround in the British market. Leo Varadkar also says this could mean a record year for tourists from the US.

Minister for State for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring added "Our main tourist season is now in full swing, and I would encourage everyone to take in one of the fun festivals and exciting events around the country. There’s something in every corner of Ireland".

Both Ministers cautioned against becoming complacent, stressing the need for the tourist industry to continue to offer good value for money so that a positive experience matches visitor expectations and sustains good tourism growth into the future.

While the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) has expressed concern over weakness in domestic tourism. It says despite the increase in overseas visitors, many hotels in rural areas continue to suffer from struggling domestic demand.

Michael Vaughan, President of the IHF, says the sharp contraction in consumer spending so far in 2013 is putting renewed pressure on hotels outside the main urban areas.

"Irish tourism is very dependent on the domestic market with holidaymakers from the island of Ireland making up 70% of overall business in the hotels sector. This is even more pronounced in rural areas, where business from the domestic economy can account for up to 85% of bednights – making the sector extremely sensitive to consumer demand at home" he said.