Tag Archives: Tourism Ireland

Emirates has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tourism Ireland to boost inbound tourism to Ireland through the airline’s global network of more than 140 destinations. The MoU with Tourism Ireland was signed today by David Boyce, Head of Emerging Markets, Middle East and Asia Tourism Ireland and Volker Greiner, Emirates Vice President North & Central Europe. Under the collaboration, Emirates and Tourism Ireland will seek to explore joint advertising campaigns to boost visitor traffic to Ireland from key strategic markets across the Emirates network including Australia, the UAE and New Zealand. “Through our new partnership with Tourism Ireland, we aim to play an active role in promoting tourism growth to the island of Ireland. With our strong network and track-record of working with partners through trade and consumer initiatives, we’re well placed to support Ireland’s tourism ambitions. Ireland is one of the most attractive gateways in our European network due to its cultural highlights and world-renowned heritage sites, and we will continue to offer seamless connectivity for travellers from across our network to visit the popular destination,” said Adnan Kazim, Emirates Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer. David Boyce, Tourism Ireland’s Head of Emerging Markets, said: “As an island destination, we know there’s a proven direct correlation between access and growth in visitor numbers. We look forward to continued close co-operation with Emirates, as we seek to maximise opportunities to grow tourism from the Middle East and beyond.” Since the inaugural Dublin-Dubai flight in January 2012, Emirates has carried more than 3 million passengers on what has grown to become one of the airline’s most successful routes. The airline currently serves the Irish capital with a double daily flight, utilising …

The first day of Tfest Dubai kicked off with Tourism Ireland showcasing their luxury offerings to the most influential buyers across the globe in Dubai. 14 iconic luxury island of Ireland industry partners joined in the event, including Adare Manor, Ashford Castle, Cashel Palace Hotel, Galgorm, Culloden Estate, Hayfield Manor, K Club, The Merrion Hotel, The Shelbourne Hotel, MHL Collection, Trump Hotel & Golf Resort Doonbeg, Irelands Blue Book, By Appointment DMC and Luxurious Ireland. As part of their afternoon Experiences on the Tourism Ireland stand in the Global Village they brought in their concept to life showcasing Ireland through unique experiences under the title – ‘Awakening your senses in Ireland’ and they brought in friends from Ireland who brought this to life. Speaking to Tourism breaking news Olivia Frawley – Executive Pan Market Luxury, Tourism Ireland shared,” we are very excited to be here at Tfest this year as we elevated our partnership with the event, as we felt that  it provided us a great opportunity to highlight the 14 wonderful partners we brought with us to Tfest with our luxury messaging and warm hospitality. We have a mixture of beautiful five star luxury hotels, DMCs, experiences and the most amazing is the fact that we have 14 of them and all situated in the same area, the global village and everyone is busy with their B2B meetings. We are showcasing our products ranging from castles to iconic city center hotels to luxurious hotels and properties in the countryside. What we love about Tfest that they provide us the opportunity for our partners and Tourism Ireland to really create relationships and that one on one time to network with …

Tourism Ireland will showcase their luxury offerings at TFest, the luxury B2B event to be held from 2nd to 6th October 2022 at the Atlantis the Palm. Olivia Frawley – Executive Pan Market Luxury, Tourism Ireland shared, “Tourism Ireland is excited to elevate our presence at TFest 2022 and partake as a Preferred Partner in the Global Village. As an organization we see the immense value in this unique tradeshow format which allows for relationships to be cultivated and enhanced through shared experiences and meetings.  After a difficult few years, the industry and Tourism Ireland realizes the importance of meeting in person and deepening existing relationships and growing the awareness of Ireland as a Luxury destination.” Frawley reiterated that they will be joined by 14 iconic luxury Island of Ireland industry partners. “These partners include: Adare Manor, Ashford Castle, Cashel Palace Hotel, Galgorm, Culloden Estate, Hayfield Manor, K Club, The Merrion Hotel, The Shelbourne Hotel, MHL Collection, Trump Hotel & Golf Resort Doonbeg, Irelands Blue Book, By Appointment DMC and Luxurious Ireland. As part of our afternoon Experiences on the Tourism Ireland stand in the Global Village we are excited to bring our concept to life as we are showcasing Ireland through unique experiences this year  – ‘Awakening your senses in Ireland’ and will be bringing friends from Ireland with us to bring this to life:” She mentioned some of the curated experiences available onsite at the event, not to be missed by the trade partners throughout the event. On Monday and Tuesday will be immersive taste and tour experiences, which would open the culinary sense of the word. She explains, “Have you ever wondered why you gravitate towards a …

Ireland has announced the adoption of the EU’s new Digital Covid Certificate. This will enable more seamless travel for tourists and will be extended to vaccinated visitors from outside of the EU, including the GCC countries, and will allow certain travellers to visit the island. Ireland will begin the scheme on 19 July, meaning that travellers with the approved vaccinations will then be able to visit Ireland without the need for a test or quarantining. Tourism Ireland and the tourism industry have been actively planning for the restart of international travel. The organisation is now ready to roll out a significant promotional kick-start campaign to entice and welcome back international visitors. The tourism industry has been preparing to ensure visitors will have a great holiday on the island of Ireland in 2021. The health and safety of all visitors will be a priority, but the island is sure to still bring a very warm Irish welcome and a great holiday experience. Approved vaccinations which will be accepted for travel to Ireland includes; •             2 doses of Pfizer-BioNtech Vaccine (regarded as fully vaccinated after 7 days since second dose) •             2 doses of Moderna Vaccine (regarded as fully vaccinated after 14 days since second dose) •             2 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca Vaccine (regarded as fully vaccinated after 15 days since second dose) •             1 dose of Johnson & Johnson/Janssen Vaccine (regarded as fully vaccinated after 14 days since second dose)  Travellers from the GCC will be able to travel to Ireland provided they have received the full course of any one of these approved vaccinations. These rules apply to Ireland only and excludes Northern Ireland which will be subject to the UK …

Tourism Ireland Virtual Roadshow was a great success when almost 350 agents met with 28 partners from the island of Ireland for two days of fruitful business meetings completing almost 600 over just a few hours. Aisling McDermott – Manager Middle East & Asia -Tourism Ireland, “I’m delighted with how our first virtual Ireland Meets the Middle East Roadshow went. The feedback from participating buyers and suppliers has been so positive and heart-warming. Tourism Ireland’s aim with this event was to further strengthen our relationships with Middle East travel buyers and to showcase the very best of the island of Ireland. I’m confident 2021 will see the restart of international travel and Tourism Ireland have been actively planning for this restart. We’ve been working hard on the ground to ensure we’re ready to welcome back visitors focusing on our luxury offerings, with more emphasis on the private experiences, personalised services, and outdoor activities. This roadshow gave buyers the opportunity to see that Ireland offers something totally unique for visitors from the Middle East while also reassuring them that we have implemented all the newly required health and safety measures, without compromising the holiday experience that makes Ireland so special. I so look forward to welcoming our visitors from the Middle East back to the island of Ireland.”

The first day of the maiden Tourism Ireland virtual roadshow concluded with over 250 buyers and 300 meetings across the Middle East with 28 partners from the island of Ireland. Niall Gibbons – Chief Executive – Tourism Ireland welcomed everyone to the event, “I’m delighted to welcome many friends and partners from all across the Middle East region and the island of Ireland to this our first virtual event, Ireland meets the Middle East 2021. Now as we all know the global travel and tourism landscape has been decimated by covid, but I’m confident that we will see a return, that’s why it’s so important to maintain and develop the relationships that we have seen blossom in the last decade with all our friends and partners in the Middle East, so I wish you well today and thank you for all your support. We have a great industry here at home, great connectivity to airlines like Emirates and Etihad, and we have our national day on 17th March and it has been terrific to see the support growth in the region by buildings lighting up green for our national day, also the UAE national colour too. So thanks again for your support, look forward to seeing you all in the real world very soon. I’ve enjoyed my many visits to the Middle East over the last 10 years and I look forward to seeing you again. Stay safe and well and thanks again for your support and good luck for today.”  

Ireland attributed for their special relationship with people by welcoming them with their warm friendliness could once again be enjoyed online on 8th and 9th March 2021, when they present their first virtual roadshow with 28 partners from the island of Ireland. Two of the partners share their thoughts about the event. Liz Godfrey – Assistant Director of Sales – Adare Manor, “With temperature screening in place, care packets in all rooms, both employees and guests wearing masks and maintaining 2-meter social distancing we can ensure the safety of every guest. The Middle East is an important market and we are working with travel agents and tour operators in the Middle East to increase awareness of our products through various marketing activities. Our USP is we are Ireland’s leading 5 star Castle Property, proximity to AdareVillage  on 847 acres lots of open spaces, lots of outdoor activities on the property; an award-winning property & Ryder Cup venue 2027.” Mark O’Dwyer – Managing Director and Founder -Secret Ireland Escapes, “Our private day-tour experiences take clients off the beaten track and away from the crowds in private locations.  Only our guests have access to these locations so we are in complete control of all health and hygiene standards and all of our experiences are private, located in the amazing scenery of rural Ireland and the Lakelands region. The Middle East is a key target market for our business model as we are aware of the importance of premium service and standards at all times.  This coupled with all of our experiences being exclusive to our guests allows for an extra level of privacy and being truly authentic. We value the support and …

It is time to keep two days free to discover and connect with 28 Irish partners as Tourism Ireland present their maiden virtual roadshow on 8th and 9th March 2021 from 2pm to 6pm UAE time. Ruth Vaughan – Sales Manager – The Savoy Hotel, an esteemed event partner shared about their participation. “The Savoy Hotel has been recently refurbished and boasts 107 guest rooms with a choice of Deluxe, Executive & Junior Suites. Comfort & safety of our guests is paramount and we have been awarded The Failte Ireland Covid 19, Safety Charter. We are privately owned & managers with a small personable team, and are flexible and adaptable and understand guests’ needs & requirements. The Middle East market is an up & coming market for us. We participated in the Tourism Ireland Trade Mission 2019 and also hosted agents from the Middle East in 2020. We are ideally located in the heart of the city centre within easy access to Shannon International Airport making us the ideal destination to explore The Wild Atlantic Way. We work closely with Tourism Ireland and participated in the Tourism Ireland Trade Mission 2019 and also hosted agents from the Middle East in 2020. We work with DMC’s and locally-based Secret Ireland to create unique bespoke experiences.”

Ireland tourism is setting their groundwork in place to educate the Middle East travel fraternity on their varied offerings from lush beauty coupled with luxurious lifestyle for the discerning traveller as they meet them virtually on March 8-9, 2021 from 2 to 6 pm UAE time. Two days of networking with the trade will provide a plethora of information as there will be 28 partners from the island of Ireland that will discuss with the travel fraternity in the Middle East. David Boyce – Head of New & Emerging Markets – Tourism Ireland shared, “We are actively planning for the restart and it is a three-phased plan which will happen when the time is right, the idea is that we are keeping Ireland top of mind for the travellers at the moment, we will also present the potential traveller with some great opportunities to purchase again when the time is right and deliver a very clear message to create a demand for holidays across the island of Ireland. We would have liked to be with the audience in person as we know that’s not possible but we have been organizing and running a few virtual roadshows end of last year and early this year. It is a one stop shop for buyers in the Middle East to learn all they need to know about the island of Ireland and to meet with key island of Ireland suppliers who can assist them to get the very best programmes their clients need. The roadshow will support tourism recovery and this is both here in the Middle East and in Ireland. It is a great opportunity to engage with the team from Tourism …

Mark your calendars for two days of networking with key partners from 2 – 6 pm UAE time on 8th & 9th March 2021 on Tourism Ireland virtual show. One of the esteemed partners shared what is to be expected at the event. Eoin McGrath – Sales Manager -Hastings Hotels said, “Our demand in 2020, which was short-lived, initiated our plans to reconfigure room categories, to accommodate multi-generational families, a trend which we already see an increase in inquiries for late 2021.  The Middle Eastern market continues to be an emerging market for not only our hotels but Northern Ireland. I usually am in the USA every month for 5-7 days, however, in 2019 and planned for 2020, I had scheduled several visits to the Middle East to further cement relationships created by attending shows in Dubai, Turkey, and Qatar.  I regularly participate in Tourism Ireland-led activities for the Middle East, lately, virtually. I communicate both by telephone and email, on a regular basis with clients that I have met along the way through various programmes.”