Canadian visitors get to see what Wild Atlantic Way offers
TO coincide with this week’s announcement of new flights from Canada to Shannon, Fáilte Ireland, in conjunction with Tourism Ireland, showcased the Wild Atlantic Way to a number of representatives from Air Canada along with a group of Canadian tour operators.
The tour operators, specialising in the corporate and leisure areas, included both those who currently sell Ireland in Canada, as well as new operators interested in programming Ireland.
Fáilte Ireland’s bespoke itinerary which encompassed Donegal, Sligo, Galway and Clare, was designed to give the group a taste of what an Irish holiday on the Wild Atlantic Way has to offer. The group were particularly interested in Ireland’s golf offering and had the opportunity to play golf at Enniscrone Golf Links, Sligo and the Trump International Golf Links, Clare, as well as visiting the Cliffs of Moher before departing via Shannon Airport.
Fáilte Ireland’s Head of Commercial Development, Paul Mockler, commented: “The Canadian market is very important for Ireland - in 2017, over 200,000 Canadian tourists visited Ireland, spending an estimated €180 million. We are not only seeking to capitalise on recent increased air access into Ireland, but, given that Canadians tend to travel between December to March on account of their harsh winters, we also have the opportunity to extend Ireland’s traditional tourism season by showcasing the breath of experiences available in Ireland outside of the summer months.”
Fáilte Ireland is committed to growing new trade opportunities and developing new business in the leisure market and in 2017, generated almost 100 new leads among overseas travel agents and large tour operators across the country.