Research from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency show a 12 per cent fall in the number of overseas visitors coming to Northern Ireland between January and September this year.

The estimated number of visitors on holiday in Northern Ireland decreased by 3 per cent and those visiting friends and relatives decreased by 14 per cent, compared with the same period in 2011. One million visitors stayed at least one night.

During January and September 2012, overseas visitors stayed an estimated six million nights, a decrease of 10 per cent on the previous year. They spent an estimated £268m, a decrease of 12 per cent.

Visitors from the UK are down 15 per cent and there is a fall of 20 per cent from the rest of Europe. However, the US market is more resilient, with visitors from North America up by 18 per cent. This rise is attributed in part by a strong marketing push to the US market.

Separate figures from the Republic of Ireland suggest that tourist visits have risen slightly – up 1.6 per cent - between August and October.

Again, the US market was significant, with Americans making 14.9 per cent more trips during this period than the year before. Visits from the UK were down by 4.5 per cent.