Mayo tourism companies attend world’s largest travel fair
A major tourism push for 2020 kicked off when 80 Irish tourism businesses – including Westport House and Hotel Westport – joined Tourism Ireland in London, at this year’s World Travel Market (WTM).
World Travel Market is the largest B2B event in the global travel and tourism calendar, with around 51,000 travel professionals from 182 countries and regions around the world attending, including 3,000 international travel media.
Given that recent research undertaken by Tourism Ireland confirms a heightened risk of consumers postponing holidays – due to the ongoing uncertainty over Brexit – World Travel Market has never been more important for Irish tourism than it was this year and the 80-strong delegation represented Ireland’s largest ever presence at the event.
Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Brendan Griffin TD also attended WTM.
Tourism Ireland will launch its full marketing programme for 2020 to the wider Irish industry early in December. In 2019, the organisation invested €45 million on promotions in Britain, North America, Mainland Europe and emerging tourism markets.
Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, said: “World Travel Market has perhaps never been more important for us than it was this year.
“So, the record number of Irish tourism companies attending this year was extremely welcome – particularly given the uncertainty around Brexit and the hugely competitive marketplace in which we’re operating. As our nearest neighbour, Britain remains an extremely important market for Irish tourism.
“We know that it’s a market with a strong affinity with Ireland and that British visitors are more likely to visit Ireland all year round and to travel more widely around our regions, including border areas, more than other visitors.”
* Pictured at the event were Julia Marten, The Travel Corporation; Biddy Hughes, Westport House; Eithne Cosgrove, Hotel Westport; Tourism Minister Brendan Griffin; and Joan O’Shaughnessy, Chair of Tourism Ireland, at World Travel Market in London.