Last week, Fáilte Ireland welcomed more than 400 incentive travel professionals from across the globe to Dublin for the SITE (Society of Incentive Travel Excellence) Global Conference 2022, according to a statement published on Fáilte Ireland's website.
Details
According to the statement published on Fáilte Ireland's website, the conference, which ran from Wednesday 20 April until Friday 22 April, is estimated to be worth €36 million to the Irish economy, and Fáilte Ireland was aiming to drive tourism recovery and future proof Ireland's market share of the incentive travel sector of business tourism by bringing the incentive travel delegates to Dublin.
Incentive travel makes up approximately 7% of the revenues that the average destination derives from the business events sector, with the percentage reaching as much as 20% for Ireland in some years, according to the statement published on Fáilte Ireland's website, which also said that, as part of the SITE conference, delegates partook in excursions to Howth and Airfield Estate and experienced gala dinners at Christ Church Cathedral, the Guinness Storehouse, Convention Centre Dublin and the Museum of Literature Ireland.
Statement By Fáilte Ireland CEO
The statement published on Fáilte Ireland's website included a statement by Fáilte Ireland CEO Paul Kelly that said, "We were pleased to welcome the SITE Global Conference delegation to Dublin this week to experience first-hand what makes Ireland a world-class destination for incentive travel. Winning in-demand conferences such as this sends a strong international message that Ireland offers high-quality, diverse tourism experiences. Globally, incentive travel generates an annual spend of more than $78 billion, and its regional spread and seasonality makes it a perfect target for a destination like Ireland."
Statement By President, SITE 2022
The statement published on Fáilte Ireland's website also included a statement by Kevin Edmunds, president, SITE 2022, that said, "SITE is delighted to be back in Ireland again with over 470 members and friends. There's always been a close relationship between Ireland and SITE going right back to the society's foundation in 1973 when Anne Wold Graham, an employee at the Irish Tourist Board in New York, became SITE's first president. In 1991 SITE brought over 400 incentive travel professionals to Dublin for our annual conference. Since then, Ireland has always featured strongly as a favourite destination for organisers of incentive travel programmes, thanks to the ease of doing business here, the great hotels and resorts, the uniqueness of the experiences available to incentive qualifiers and, of course, the wonderful support of Fáilte Ireland."
© 2022 Hospitality Ireland – your source for the latest industry news. Article by Dave Simpson. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.
