Leaders awarded for bringing International conferences to Kerry
FÁILTE Ireland has commended the efforts of its 1,000 strong team of Conference Ambassadors, including leading academics and industry experts, who have collectively brought over 1,500 international conferences worth €766.5m to Irish shores to date, with a further €130m worth of conferences to take place across the country from 2019-2026.
The national tourism development authority honoured its leading Conference Ambassadors at its recent award ceremony at Christ Church Cathedral, including two ambassadors who, alongside Kerry Convention Bureau, have brought major international conferences to the wider Kerry region. The recipients were nominated for an award by the Irish conference and meetings industry.
Hosted by Today FM radio presenters Dermot and Dave, the event acknowledged that Ambassadors Chris England and Maurice Galway had brought two significant international conferences to Kerry, worth over €1.3m:
Chris England - International Commission for Alpine Rescue Conference 2015
Maurice Galway - Animation Ireland’s International Conference 2015
Over 75 per cent of all international association conferences which come to Ireland do so at the direct invitation of a local Irish member or host, something Fáilte Ireland maximises through its Conference Ambassador Programme.
Speaking ahead of the award ceremony, Fáilte Ireland CEO, Paul Kelly emphasised:
“We know that tourism has had a record year with visitor numbers and revenue at all-time highs. The success of recent years is very much reflected in international business tourism, which last year alone was worth €760m to the Irish economy and supported over 20,000 jobs. Each international conference delegate that comes to Ireland is worth three times as much as the average leisure tourist, and that is why this sector is particularly important to the work that we do in Fáilte Ireland – so much so that we are increasing our investment in this sector by 12%.”
““The vast majority of international conferences in Ireland would not have been won without our Conference Ambassadors – and the success they have had since our initiative launched nine years ago has been phenomenal. Therefore, we are recognising them not only for their significant contribution to the local economy but also for the part they have played in building Ireland’s reputation as a compelling and attractive destination to do business. I’m particularly pleased to see such a regional spread of Ambassadors, including those from Kerry, who alongside Kerry Convention Bureau, have brought fantastic conferences to their region, helping to spur local employment and revenue. This sector is also incredibly important in terms of driving a more seasonal spread of visitors with conferences typically taking place in the shoulder and off-peak seasons.” he continued.