Overseas visitors coming to Ireland say they are getting better value for their money than they did three years ago.

The Fáilte Ireland visitor attitudes survey shows that tourists said Ireland has improved significantly in offering value for money.

Some 41 percent of overseas visitors in 2012 rated Ireland as ‘good to very good value’ for expenses. In comparison, only 17 percent of visitors considered Ireland as poor or very poor value, three years previously (2009), this figure was 41 percent.

Irish Americans were most enthusiastic about their trips to the Emerald Isle, with more than half (53 percent) saying their vacation exceeded expectations.

The survey also showed that the great majority of overseas holidaymakers would definitely recommend Ireland for a holiday to friends and family.

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadkar described the survey as “great news in the year of The Gathering.”

“We are inviting thousands of visitors to Ireland and we want them to have the best experience possible, to recommend Ireland to others and to return themselves.”

Other key findings of the survey include:

• The great majority of overseas holidaymakers would definitely recommend Ireland for a holiday to friends and family;

• For overseas visitors, our people and scenery remain our main competitive advantages compared to other destinations;;

• Most overseas holidaymakers say that the opportunity to engage with friendly hospitable people and enjoy beautiful scenery were important factors when considering Ireland for a holiday;

• The internet and word of mouth are the most frequently used sources of information which influence overseas holidaymakers’ choice to visit Ireland.

The survey was conducted with 1,578 overseas visitors to Ireland throughout 2012.