Discovering Donegal! Pictured at the launch of the new Discover Ireland Autumn/Winter supplement, which features a number of Donegal’s top hotels and cottages were (l. to r.): Siobhan Barrett-Doherty, Station House Hotel, Letterkenny, Irene Melody, Westport Woods Hotel and Shaun Quinn, Chief Executive, Fáilte Ireland. [Photo: Derek Cullen, Fáilte Ireland]
A group of top UK coach and group tour operators have met to discuss business for the year ahead, with over eighty members of Ireland’s tourism industry, including members of Donegal’s product providers, for a one day Destination Ireland Workshop in the Sligo Park Hotel.
Fáilte Ireland, in conjunction with Tourism Ireland, organised the event in order to provide members of the Irish tourism industry with a platform to explore serious business opportunities for the 2013 season.
The all day workshop facilitated one-to-one meetings which offered significant benefits to both Irish industry representatives and overseas buyers, allowing participants to meet with many more buyers and suppliers at a lower cost than would be possible on an individual purchasing sales trip.
Speaking at the workshop, Fáilte Ireland’s Martina Bromley, Head of Operations for the North West said the meeting was hugely important to Donegal opertaors.
“Great Britain is our largest overseas market – representing half of all our overseas visitors. Given this fact, opportunities to engage directly and pitch to this market are incredibly important to the Donegal tourism providers attending here today.
“In particular, the coach tourism market from the UK is extremely appealing as it brings visitors into all regions of Ireland. Coach tourism can achieve a regional spread of visitors and distribute tourists’ spending power across all parts of the country. This is especially important for local businesses and jobs outside city destinations.
“Indeed, coach tourism also continues outside the high season and this spread of coach tourists throughout the year is critical to supporting our tourism businesses and providing them with a revenue stream beyond the peak months. So we wish all of our Donegal trade that are here today will ‘clinch deals’ with these very important coach tour operators and will reap the rewards in 2013.”
At the workshop all the visiting travel agents were briefed on The Gathering 2013 and how they can work next year’s festivities into their itineraries.
Fáilte Ireland also put together tailor-made tours for the travel agents while in Ireland to get out and about, to learn at first hand more about the country, and really get an authentic taste of what an Irish holiday can offer.
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