Tag Archives: Ireland

An overall 106 plus partners from the four European destinations with 13 partners from Tourism Ireland, 27 from Germany, 45 from Switzerland and 21 from Austria attended the event to meet with over 110 plus travel trade from the GCC countries. The summit is the most important year on year as GCC’s most preferred summer escapes would be the European destinations and these four nations have equally enjoyed the best summers post covid and expect for this summer to be a record season. Speaking with tourismbreakingnews, Yamina Sofo Director German National Tourist Office GCC shared, “We had nearly 250 participants this year for the Discover Europe Summit, 27 from partners from Germany, we have more than 100 buyers from all six GCC countries. We are so happy that they all came together to Dubai to discuss business, get updates and support each other. Europe is an all year around destination but especially from this region summer is very popular we have a strong nature and culture focus, so that’s where all of us Switzerland, Germany, Ireland and Austria are very strong.” Aisling Mc Dermott, Manager Middle East and Asia, Tourism Ireland reiterated, “this is Tourism Ireland’s second time participating in Discover Europe Travel Summit and this is a fantastic showcase of Europe and this is why Tourism Ireland participates in it. We host 100 buyers from the Middle East for two days, with 13 partners from the island of Ireland along with our suppliers and partners from Germany, Switzerland and Austria. This is a very exciting event for us because we really draw on the attraction of Europe and Ireland as a beautiful destination in Europe.” Matthias Albrecht Director GCC …

With borders open in full, GCC travellers are now ready to take the plunge and confident to explore the new post covid world especially as eid coupled with summer vacations sets in the region. Over the past few days the airline and hotel bookings have increased despite the fact that airline fares have increased a considerable amount. Our GCC line up of industry professionals share their observations. Mamoun Hmedan, Chief Commercial Officer and Managing Director, Middle East, North Africa (MENA) and India of Wego, “The demand for travel continues to see significant growth and recovery post COVID-19. With summer approaching, travelers began planning and booking their holidays, and we are witnessing an increase in bookings and demand for flights to and from the UAE. Travelers are also looking for new experiences and exploring places they haven’t visited before to make up for lost travel in the past two years due to the pandemic. And they are ready to spend more on leisure trips than before. Flight and hotel searches from the UAE during the month of June reached about 3 million, an increase of 77% over the same period last year. Despite the increase in airfares, we continue to see an increase in demand and people are booking longer stays. The airfares for the upcoming Eid Al Adha holiday have spiked for most destinations. If we look at the top destinations from the UAE during the Eid break, the average airfare to Egypt is $551 with an increase of 41% in comparison to the same period last year, the airfare to India is around $379 a rise of 114%, Jordan saw an increase of 45% with an average airfare of $689, …

The maiden virtual roadshow ‘Ireland meets the Middle East‘ concluded with great success over two days of very fruitful meetings and discussions. Over 350 agents from the Middle East attended the event and conducted over 600 meetings. The two days saw 28 partners from the island of Ireland meeting with agents from the Middle East and the interactive panel shared with its audience many opportunities to walk away with some great prizes by answering special quiz competitions and engagement with all the partners. Nasir Jamal Khan, CEO, Al Naboodah Travel shared, “It’s been very informative to attend ‘Ireland meets the Middle East’ first virtual annual trade event. It was impressive to see the island of Ireland offers something totally unique to the Middle East and have implemented all the newly required health and safety measure without compromising the holiday experience. As travelers would look for a safe and less crowded destination where they can be assured of a warm welcome, that destination would be Ireland. The virtual annual trade event was well organized by Tourism Ireland and TravTalk team.”  

In a few hours, you could virtually meet the representatives of one of the most sought after destinations in the world; the island of Ireland with its scenic beauty and a luxurious holiday destination. Log in at 2pm UAE time on www.irelandmeetsthemiddleeast.com and connect with the Irish partners who will be able to update the latest on the destination.Siobhan Naughton – Trade Executive Middle East & Asia – Tourism Ireland shared, “Tourism Ireland is looking forward to hosting its first virtual roadshow in association with TravTalk Middle East for GCC travel trade across the region in March on the 8th and 9th March. Over the course of these two days travel trade will have the opportunity to have 1-2-1 meetings with 25 key Island of Ireland industry partners who will showcase the accommodation, attractions and activity offering across the Island. There will also be an opportunity to meet the team from Tourism Ireland who are based here in the region and to discuss how we can all work together to help to promote this exciting destination.Key GCC travel trade who are interested in educating themselves about the Island of Ireland and hearing about all it has to offer as a luxury destination. We are looking at UAE, Qatar, KSA,Kuwait and Turkey. This virtual roadshow will be a one stop shop for GCC travel trade to learn all that they need to know about the island of Ireland and to meet with key island of Ireland industry partners who can assist them with all of their programming needs. It is also a great opportunity to engage with the team from Tourism Ireland who are based here in the region and whose job …

A team of experts from Ireland will join you in the comfort of your office or home for a good session about the exciting destination today at 3pm UAE time. Siobhan Naughton, Marketing and Trade Executive, Tourism Ireland stated that in this special webinar exclusively for the travel trade from GCC and India will focus on many interesting factors with regard to the destination. Their proactive efforts over the past has gained them a place in the travel arena among some of the key players, however, their offerings are more unique with not just the beautiful outdoors but rich in history, culture and natural beauty in lavish environments. You can be transported to the lands of the kings and queens long ago with the many castles that are in the destination. She will be joined by some partners from the destination; Eimear Lafferty -Leisure Markets Manager – Northern Ireland willshare about the visitor attraction opened in 2012 with the great Titanic story as it unfolds. Joe Shannon   –   CEO – G Golf Ireland will be sharing some exclusive information for those “Golfers” who always look for a new area to play. Avril Collins – Marketing Manager – Ireland’s Blue Book which includes a romantic collection of over 50 Irish Country House Hotels, Manor Houses, Castles and Restaurants will have a lot to share about these interesting places. Lastly, Siobhan Byrne Learat – Founder & CEO – Adams and Butler – well versed in Arabic and Middle East culture will share some insight for the travellers in the Middle East conforming to their most important travel requirements.

The first in a series of two webinars was successfully concluded yesterday with many trade partners participating in a virtual adventure to Ireland. Four speakers comprising Siobhán Naughton, Marketing & Trade Executive Middle East & Asia Tourism Ireland, Gillian Costelloe, Business Development Manager & Creative Planner, Emerald VIP Services, Deirdre Purcell, Cluster Sales Director North America and Entertainment Markets, MHL Hotels, David Wardell, Tourism Development Manager, Irish National Stud and Gardens and Alison Johnston, Kildare Village presented some of the most interesting areas in Ireland to be visited by the GCC travellers. Naughton started off the session by introducing the destination, the key areas and activities much loved by the GCC travellers. She stated that since 2018, UAE nationals were given the opportunity to travel visa free to Ireland and at the same time the short stay visa waiver scheme allows GCC visitors who enter UK on the general C visit visa to also visit Ireland without an Irish visa and it is valid for a period of 90 days. Some of the key areas GCC visitors take an interest is luxury experience, city breaks, coastal touring routes, golf experience and screen tourism. At this point she mentioned how 80% of Game of thrones were filmed in Ireland as well some scenes from Star Wars. Costelloe shared the many services offered by Emerald VIP Services where one can tailor make their individual experiences, as they focus on bespoke services. She mentioned the strong leadership behind the organisation and how the traveller will be able to gain maximum advantage with its specialised unique experiences. She went on to mention the many luxury experiences and the exclusive properties that can be rented …

Hope you are ready to discover one of the most luxurious destinations with luscious greenery and luxurious in every way; Ireland. Today’s webinar will be for the travel trade in the GCC and you can join in from either in the comfort of your own home or in the office. Take a trip and be transported to one of the most beautiful landscapes that will give you a luxurious yet serene experience. At the end of the virtual event there will be a special certificate of attendance provided to all the agents that will attend the webinar. The main target will be GCC nationals and the luxury expat travellers. Siobhan Naughton, Marketing and Trade Executive, Middle East and Asia for Tourism Ireland and partners from the destination will share some interesting facts about the destination today at 3pm UAE time. Naughton stated, “this webinar will focus on luxury travel to the Island of Ireland and the safety measures that have been put in place to ensure a seamless customer experience when the time is right to travel to our beautiful island again. The different areas we will be focusing on will be Island of Ireland luxury product offering including key attraction and accommodation providers, screen tourism and coastal touring routes.Tourism Ireland along with our Island of Ireland industry partners will give travel trade from the GCC a luxury Island of Ireland product update and also showcase how GCC and expat travelers to the island of Ireland will continue to have a safe, memorable and seamless visit to our shores when the time is right.”

It is time to save the date once again to virtually discover one of the most lusciously green luxurious destinations; Ireland. Siobhan Naughton, Marketing and Trade Executive, Middle East and Asia for Tourism Ireland and partners from the destination will share some interesting facts about the destination on Wednesday November 18, 2020 at 11am UAE time. Naughton stated, “This webinar will focus on luxury travel to the Island of Ireland and the safety measures that have been put in place to ensure a seamless customer experience when the time is right to travel to our beautiful island again. The different areas we will be focusing on will be Island of Ireland luxury product offering including key attraction and accommodation providers, screen tourism and coastal touring routes.Tourism Ireland along with our Island of Ireland industry partners will give travel trade from the GCC a luxury Island of Ireland product update and also showcase how GCC and expat travellers to the island of Ireland will continue to have a safe, memorable and seamless visit to our shores when the time is right.” There will be two webinars and the first will be held on November 18 catering to the travel trade from the GCC and the second on December 7 which will cater to both GCC and India travel trade. You can join in from anywhere either in the comfort of your own home or even in the office. At the end of the virtual event there will be a special certificate of attendance provided to all the agents that will attend the webinar. The main target will be GCC nationals and the luxury expat travellers.

Travel from the UAE to the island of Ireland has seen strong growth from January 1st until June 30th, according to travel statistics released by dnata Travel. Compared to the same period (H1) in 2018, UAE locals and residents have been visiting Ireland in greater numbers, drawn to its diverse landscape full of lush greenery and vast natural beauty.  Over the first two quarters of the year, 58 per cent more bookings to Ireland were made through dnata Travel’s platforms, and room nights booked have also increased by 72 per cent. Antonio Fellino, Vice President of Retail and eCommerce for dnata Travel UAE, commented: “Trips to Ireland with dnata Travel offer UAE travellers unique opportunities including the chance to stay in a grand castle, or a small cottage at the heart of a colourful local village, or to explore rugged, scenic landscapes that follow in the footsteps of their favourite Game of Thrones characters.” Additional data indicates that sales of trips and accommodation to Ireland increased nearly two-fold during Eid Al Fitr alone, as compared to last year. This correlated to the travel provider noting that online searches for holidays to Ireland have seen a 675% augmentation in the first six months of this year. The most preferred destination for travellers from the UAE market was to Dublin, with 95 per cent of hotel bookings made through the dnata Travel platform favouring the capital city, followed by the cosmopolitan city of Cork. Visitors from the region have been found to reinforce their preference for luxury accommodation whilst abroad, as 47 per cent of hotels booked were for 5-star properties, followed by 4-star and 3-star hotels respectively. The ever-strengthening relationship between …

The Higher Organising Committee of IWAS World Games Sharjah 2019 confirmed that 1,462 participants from 50 countries are set to compete in the world’s largest wheelchair and amputee sports championship in Sharjah from February 10-16. Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member Ruler of Sharjah, the IWAS World Games has returned to the emirate for the second time after its successful debut in the city in 2011. The eighth edition of the world championship brings together seven games including archery, athletics, badminton, swimming, shooting, table tennis and wheelchair fencing. New details of the upcoming biennial sports championship were revealed at a press conference held recently at Sheraton Sharjah Beach Resort & Spa. Global athletes landing in Sharjah over the next few days are set to represent 50 competing nations confirmed by the Higher Organising Committee which include the UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Algeria, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, India, Sweden, Ukraine, Thailand, Turkey, Brazil, Portugal, Switzerland, Japan, Australia, Kenya, Russia, China, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Italy, South Africa, South Korea, Poland, Pakistan, Norway, Kenya, Latvia, Macau, Azerbaijan, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Serbia, France, Georgia, the UK, the US, Hong Kong, Greece, Czech Republic, Austria, Belarus and Comoros.