Fáilte Ireland’s Dublin Convention Bureau will today (Thursday May 10) target significant new UK business in London - worth a potential €45 million - as it promotes Dublin and Ireland as a world-leading destination for conferences and meetings at its annual “Meet Dublin in London” event.
Top UK buyers will meet directly with 50 of Dublin’s leading hoteliers, business meeting venues and conference organisers to generate new business for the meetings, incentives, conference and events (MICE) sector in Dublin through a showcase of the world-class facilities the city can offer business delegates.
With visitor numbers from the UK to Ireland down by 5% following the Brexit referendum result, the “Meet Dublin in London” workshop event aims to leverage the strength of the lucrative business tourism sector in bringing delegates and new business from the UK market to Ireland.
This year’s “Meet Dublin in London” event, which has become a firm favourite in business tourism event bookers’ calendars, is drawing its largest UK attendance ever with almost 280 top UK meetings and events buyers.
The pitching will take place on the Silver Sturgeon boat located on The River Thames at an event created by Fáilte Ireland with host Baz Ashmawy.
Speaking ahead of the event in London about the importance of business tourism for the wider industry, Fáilte Ireland’s head of commercial development, Paul Mockler, said, “In the first quarter of this year alone, Fáilte Ireland has already secured €42 milliom worth of new global meetings and events, helping to drive growth and jobs across the country. Business tourism is the most lucrative form of tourism, with visitors travelling to Ireland for business purposes spending almost three times more than the average visitor. With the uncertainty caused by Brexit, it is more important than ever that we put our best foot forward in attracting our nearest overseas market to Ireland to ensure we maximize the potential of this sector."
© 2018 Hospitality Ireland – your source for the latest industry news. Article by Dave Simpson. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.
