Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Brendan Griffin joined Tourism Ireland and 70 tourism businesses from across the country at World Travel Market (WTM) in London on Tuesday November 6, heralding the beginning of Ireland’s international promotional drive for the 2019 season.
During the three-day travel fair, the Irish companies will engage in thousands of meetings with British and international tour operators to negotiate and exchange vital contracts for 2019. Ireland’s presence at World Travel Market is particularly important this year in the context of Brexit and its implications for Irish tourism in 2019 and beyond.
With around 182 countries and regions all vying for business at WTM, Tourism Ireland aims to stand out from the crowd and capture the attention of the global media and travel professionals in attendance. Working in partnership with Fáilte Ireland and industry partners, Tourism Ireland will highlight Ireland’s offerings for potential visitors around the world, including Ireland’s Ancient East and the Wild Atlantic Way.
Selling Tourism
Griffin commented, "I am delighted to be able to attend World Travel Market, which provides an excellent platform for Tourism Ireland, and the participating tourism enterprises, to highlight Ireland’s world-class tourism experience to international tour operators. It’s great to see so many tourism enterprises from all parts of Ireland conducting hundreds of business meetings and doing a great job of selling tourism to the global travel trade.
"While there are challenges for Irish tourism as a consequence of Brexit, I am confident that the tourism industry can adapt quickly to enable continued growth from international markets. Great Britain is, and will remain, a very important market for tourism to Ireland. The Irish government is committed to maintaining the strong business and cultural links that have existed between our two countries for centuries. I must commend Tourism Ireland, Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Northern Ireland and all our tourism partners for their concerted efforts to address the implications of Brexit and to keep the island of Ireland high on international travel wish lists."
© 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.
