Killarney's five-star Aghadoe Heights Hotel and Spa has become the first hotel in Co. Kerry to be awarded 'China Ready' accreditation by the Chinese Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI).
“Understanding our Chinese guests cultural needs is absolutely pivotal to their overall experience of Ireland,” said Aghadoe Heights general manger Niall Coffey.
Staff at Aghadoe Heights completed specialist training modules that covered areas such as Chinese tourist profiles, communication and language, sales and marketing, and product and service needs as well as information on the background of Chinese tourists coming to Ireland. A written test forms part of the individual certification process, which allowed the team to enhance their products and services to ensure that they meet the specific needs of the Chinese guest in all areas of hospitality.
Celebrating Success
Dr. Tony Lenehan, executive director of COTRI in Ireland, attended a small gathering to celebrate this achievement and to personally award each team member with their certificate. He was joined by IHF Kerry branch chairperson Niamh O’Shea and Marie Healy of Failte Ireland.
Commenting on the accomplishment, Coffey stated, “The team at the Aghadoe have worked so hard to achieve this special accreditation. We are proud to become the first hotel in Kerry to be ready to provide a special Irish Welcome to our Chinese guests. This also coincides perfectly with the EU-China Year of Tourism 2018 initiative, for which we are delighted to offer our support. Recent data released by Fáilte Ireland has shown us how important the Chinese tourism market has become and the potential for growth is significant.”
COTRI is an independent research institute for training, quality assessment, research and consulting on the Chinese outbound tourism market. The Chinese Tourist Welcome accreditation is the international certified travel service standard and platform recognised by the European Travel Commission and endorsed by the World Tourism and Travel Council.
© 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.
