Kerry tourist firms in Canadian drive

AS part of a targeted 2020 sales drive, Fáilte Ireland has hosted a custom-made workshop to provide Kerry tourism businesses with an opportunity to pitch directly to a group of Canadian tour operators.

The workshop, which was hosted by Fáilte Ireland, as the National Tourism Development Authority in conjunction with Tourism Ireland took place at The Johnstown Estate in Meath last Thursday.

Up to 810 one-to-one meetings took place between 55 Irish tourism representatives and business and Canadian tour providers.

The representatives from Kerry included Atlantic Irish Seaweed, Killarney Jaunting Cars, Tangney Tours, the Lake Hotel, Manor West Hotel Spa, Parknasilla Hotel, Rose Travel, Sneem Hotel, The Gleneagle Group.

The workshop event was designed to help tourism businesses improve performance in the face of increasing uncertainty and the potential impact of Britain’s proposed withdrawal from the EU by diversifying to other markets such as Canada.

Paul Mockler, Head of Commercial Development with Fáilte Ireland stressed the benefits for the Kerry tourism industry.

“This sales drive seeks to capitalise on increased air access into Ireland from Canada and to develop opportunities for long haul destinations to include Ireland as a holiday experience,” said Mr Mockler.

“In 2018, over 220,000 Canadian tourists visited Ireland spending an estimated €206m so the Canadian market is important for Ireland. We are also focussing on using Canadian’s tendency to travel south between December to March on account of their harsh winters to extend Ireland’s traditional tourism season,” he said.