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Northern Ireland Tourism & Transport

NI20.1 Overnight Trips, Number of Nights and Expenditure (£)(1,2) of External Visitors in Northern Ireland, 2011-2016
 
 201120122013201420152016% Change
Overnight Trips1,931,6262,006,4362,089,2712,178,5202,301,4022,588,54812%
        
Number of Nights 9,991,9159,951,5859,816,90510,033,13310,680,18511,365,6236%
        
Expenditure (£)462,966,596485,300,827523,642,699507,291,498544,712,096613,552,95413%
(1) All surveys are based on sample surveys and therefore have an associated degree of sampling error. Information on confidence intervals where these are available and sample sizes are provided in the background notes.
(2) Figures derived from the Northern Ireland Passenger Survey (NIPS) conducted by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA), the Survey of Overseas Travellers (SOT) conducted on behalf of Fáilte Ireland, and the Household Travel Survey (HTS) conducted by Central Statistics Office (CSO).
Source: NISRA
NI20.2 Number of Overnight Trips(1,2) in Northern Ireland (external visitors) by Reason for Visit, 2011-2016
 
 201120122013201420152016% Change
Holiday531,344649,009638,760708,039729,876843,68716%
        
Visiting friends/relatives983,741930,8011,044,0741,085,8821,115,3171,306,64217%
        
Business304,871305,258321,995301,929356,662342,463-4%
        
Other111,670121,36784,44282,66999,54795,757-4%
        
Total Overnight Trips1,931,6262,006,4362,089,2712,178,5202,301,4022,588,54812%
(1) All surveys are based on sample surveys and therefore have an associated degree of sampling error. Information on confidence intervals where these are available and sample sizes are provided in the background notes.
(2) Figures derived from the Northern Ireland Passenger Survey (NIPS) conducted by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA), the Survey of Overseas Travellers (SOT) conducted on behalf of Fáilte Ireland, and the Household Travel Survey (HTS) conducted by Central Statistics Office (CSO).
Source: NISRA
NI20.3 Overnight trips taken by NI residents - All Destinations, 2011-2016
 
 201120122013201420152016% Change (2015-2016)
    
Overall Trips
Northern Ireland2,036,1362,018,0691,980,1702,334,6272,230,2161,984,392-11
Republic of Ireland1,419,8471,298,5171,571,5281,708,4231,491,6051,358,240-9
Great Britain 1,270,3231,300,4561,115,2071,097,145983,8351,069,344+9
Other Overseas 874,050794,904956,579996,3321,162,8841,339,408+15
Total 5,600,3555,411,9465,623,4836,136,5265,868,5405,751,385-2
        
       
Overall Nights       
Northern Ireland4,698,0823,906,1784,576,9305,049,2384,790,5843,814,196-20
Republic of Ireland3,611,7593,401,1673,665,0074,451,1983,958,2543,330,404-16
Great Britain 4,277,4665,262,5173,780,8703,964,8723,253,5063,941,893+21
Other Overseas 8,461,1236,718,2818,710,1468,537,90210,562,39013,324,607+26
Total 21,048,43019,288,14320,732,95322,003,21122,564,73424,411,099+8
        
Notes:
1) Great Britain (GB) includes the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man
2) Total may not sum due to rounding
3) The estimates may be subject to revision due to improvements to the survey/analysis methodology or the inclusion of data returned after the publication date.
Source: CHS NISRA
NI21.1 Motor Vehicles Registered for First Time in Northern Ireland by Body Type
 
Year
BODY TYPE20152016
Private Cars58,87458,523
Buses308200
Light Goods7,2787,891
Heavy Goods1,2271,465
Agricultural 1817930
Motorcycles 21,6541,865
Other371488
TOTAL70,52971,362
1Agricultural vehicles includes tractors.
2This category of vehicle body type also includes Mopeds and Scooters.
Source: Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) / UK Department for Transport
NI21.2 Motor Vehicles Registered for First Time by County of Residence of Licensed Owner (Northern Ireland)
 
Year
County20152016
Antrim30,52830,879
Armagh5,9646,230
Down19,48619,431
Fermanagh2,2802,182
Londonderry6,6756,952
Tyrone5,5965,688
Total70,52971,362
Source: Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) / Department for Transport
NI21.3 Number of road users killed or seriously injured in Northern Ireland by County, 2015-2016
 
  Killed*Seriously injured**KSIs
2015    
 Antrim26243269
 Armagh69197
 Down20197217
 Fermanagh62531
 Londonderry78693
 Tyrone96978
 N Ireland74711785
     
2016    
 Antrim18287305
 Armagh1099109
 Down15213228
 Fermanagh74552
 Londonderry9100109
 Tyrone98493
 N Ireland68828896
* The number of people who died within 30 days from injuries received in a collision on a public highway in Northern Ireland. Confirmed suicides and any person who dies from natural causes (eg. heart attack) which are not as a result of the collision are excluded.
** A serious injury is defined as an injury for which a person is detained in hospital as an ‘in-patient’, or any of the following injuries whether or not the person is detained in hospital: fractures, concussion, internal injuries, crushing’s, burns, severe cuts and lacerations or severe general shock requiring medical treatment.
Source: Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Road Traffic Casualty Statistics
NI21.4 Key indicators for transport of goods by road
 
Journeys1 within the island of Ireland by NI-registered HGVs200820092010201120122013201420152016
         
Tonnes carried2 (thousand)77,37765,29860,99457,99268,01658,91955,36353,55956,557
Tonne-kilometres3 (million)3,8733,5283,2873,5953,9873,5363,4663,3783,738
Vehicle kilometres (million)628559534540567512490456432
Average number4 of HGVs5      20,16420,06520,501
Laden6 journeys (thousand)7,2185,8565,8955,8126,1165,6344,5334,4143,332
1Figures for journeys by NI registered HGVs, where both the origin and destination are either in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland.
2Tonnes carried: the weight of goods carried, measured in tonnes.
3Tonne-kilometres: the weight of goods carried, multiplied by the distance hauled, measured in tonne kilometres.
4The number of HGVs taxed as 'goods vehicles' sourced from DfT Vehicle statistics table (VEH0521).
5A heavy goods vehicle (HGV) is defined as a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight (weight of vehicle plus carrying capacity) of over 3.5 tonnes.
6Laden: defined as carrying any non-zero amount of tonnes.
Source: Continuing Survey of Road Goods Transport Northern Ireland (CSRGT NI), DfT

NI registered HGVs carried 56.6 million tonnes of goods on 3.3 million laden journeys in Ireland in 2016 and the amount of freight activity, as measured by tonnes-kilometres, was 3.7 billion.

The average number of registered goods vehicles in Northern Ireland was an estimated 20,501 in 2016 and these vehicles travelled a total of 432 million kilometres.

NI21.5 Statistics of port traffic - number of vessel arrivals, tonnage of goods handled by type of cargo and area of trade
 
Category of traffic2010201120122013201420152016
NI Major Ports*      
       
Number of vessels by type
Tankers496579437474476543552
Roll-on/roll-off vessels8,5967,7177,2506,7806,7866,6516,550
Fully cellular container vessels323323300319459431357
Other dry cargo vessels2,1872,2242,3762,6292,4992,7012,791
Passenger vessels433856656875100
Other vessels621003114185358
Total number of vessels11,70710,98110,45010,28110,30610,45410,408
       
Tonnage of goods by type of cargo ('000)      
Roll-on/roll-off traffic10,99611,70811,03010,1299,75810,22411,442
Lift-on/lift-off traffic1,6931,8341,8871,8301,9761,9971,948
Liquid bulk3,2052,7772,9032,8962,7713,0142,959
Dry bulk5,8975,8506,8849,2999,5428,8449,002
Break bulk and all other goods518576522695778754834
Total tonnage of goods handled22,30922,74523,22624,84924,82524,83326,185
       
Tonnage of goods by area of trade ('000)      
Coastal trade253236122431653
European Union4,1344,0024,5755,1484,4744,5684,697
Great Britain & Northern Ireland15,81816,08615,76516,04616,16717,09618,237
Non-EU7981,1241,2991,6252,2251,7131,639
Other ports1,5321,5001,5511,9081,9181,4391,558
Total tonnage of goods handled22,30722,74423,22624,84924,82724,83226,184
*Includes Belfast, Kilroot Power Station Jetty, Larne, Londonderry and Warrenpoint.
Source: DfT Port Freight Statistics

In 2016, a total of 10,408 vessels arrived at Northern Irish ports, a marginal decrease of 0.4% on 2015.  Roll-on/roll-off vessels accounted for almost two thirds (63%) of total arrivals. 

Northern Irish ports handled 26.2 million tonnes of goods in 2016, an annual increase of 5%.  Great Britain and Northern Ireland remained the main areas of trade for Northern Irish sea ports, accounting for more than two thirds (70%) of all goods handled in 2016.

NI21.6 Key indicators for the three main airports
 
Category of traffic200820092010201120122013201420152016
         
Belfast International  
Passengers15,222,8394,536,4984,010,9724,101,9144,312,4414,022,4694,031,6854,389,8615,147,399
Freight (tonnes)236,11529,80429,71631,06229,09529,22830,07330,38932,300
Commercial flights353,63144,06039,23037,30839,12036,59634,79536,27338,104
          
George Best Belfast City         
Passengers12,570,7412,621,7332,740,3052,397,2702,246,2022,541,7222,555,1112,692,7132,662,954
Freight (tonnes)2168138155457581527491551476
Commercial flights340,20537,60438,70140,55635,92136,86536,05240,57141,546
         
City of Derry         
Passengers1438,996345,857338,505405,568398,209384,973350,257284,482290,671
Freight (tonnes)2000000000
Commercial flights35,8234,1853,8483,8393,1143,0112,5371,9271,856
1Scheduled and chartered terminal passenger traffic. Excludes air taxi operations.
2Freight figures only. Mail is not included.
3Air transport movements (landings and takeoffs).
Source: CAA Statistics

During 2016, 8.10 million terminal passengers passed through Northern Ireland airports, 10% higher than the 2015 figure (7.37 million).

32,776 tonnes of freight were handled at Northern Ireland airports in 2016, an increase of 6% from 2015 (30,940 tonnes).                                                                              

There were 81,506 air transport movements (landings and takeoffs) during 2016, an increase of 3% from the 2015 figure of 78,771.         

Between 2015 and 2016, air transport movements at Belfast International airport increased by 5%, George Best Belfast City airport increased by 2% and City of Derry airport decreased by 4%.

In 2016, Belfast International airport accounted for 47% of all air transport movements, George Best Belfast City airport 51% and City of Derry airport 2%.                   

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