Tourism chiefs get Hooked on Co Wexford
TOURISM buyers from 23 countries visited County Wexford recently during a fact-finding tour across Ireland, ahead of attending Meitheal, Ireland’s largest tourism trade fair which took place in Citywest Hotel in Dublin in mid-April.
The visiting businesspeople and tour operators came from key markets including Great Britain, the USA and mainland Europe on the trip which was organised by Fáilte Ireland, in conjunction with Tourism Ireland.
During their tour of Wexford, the buyers enjoyed a visit to a number of Wexford’s iconic tourist attractions such as Hook Lighthouse, Loftus Hall, Dunbrody Famine Ship and the Irish National Heritage Park, enjoying great food along the way.
Bespoke itineraries for the fact-finding tours were designed by Fáilte Ireland to give the overseas buyers a first-hand experience of what their clients can expect to see and do while in Ireland with a key focus on the tourism development authority’s destination brands – Ireland’s Ancient East, the Wild Atlantic Way and Dublin.
Speaking about the importance of these trips, Fáilte Ireland’s Director of Marketing, Niall Tracey said: ‘With world-class scenery, hospitality, activities, attractions, culture, heritage and food, it is little wonder that tourists from every corner of the globe set their sights on Ireland. Driving growth in the regions through tourism is a key priority for us at Fáilte Ireland and through tailored trips like this one to Wexford, we can show top international buyers different parts of the country, all with their own unique flavour of Ireland. ‘This gives them firsthand experience of our cultural riches and tourism offerings, which they can then sell on to their customers around the world – ensuring Ireland is on everybody’s map and itinerary for 2019 and beyond,’ he said.