- Tourism Ireland attends IFTM Top Résa in Paris
- 17 tourism enterprises from Ireland join
- Around 700 commercial meetings take place
- Oyster-shucking demonstration by Réalt na Mara Shellfish
- Strategy aims to grow Mainland European spend to €3bn by 2031
- KEY takeaways from IFTM 2026 in Paris
Tourism Ireland has been attending IFTM Top Résa in Paris, the leading B2B travel show in France. Together with 17 tourism enterprises from Ireland, Tourism Ireland is showcasing the diverse range of experiences on offer for French holidaymakers. The three-day event typically attracts more than 30,000 visitors with around 700 commercial meetings taking place on the Ireland stand.
Visitors to the Ireland stand had the opportunity to enjoy an oyster-shucking demonstration and sample oysters with Réalt na Mara Shellfish from County Kerry, a member of Good Food Ireland. Highlighting the island of Ireland as a destination with great food and drink that combines tradition with modern culinary excellence is a key focus for Tourism Ireland.
As a result of the Government’s Action Plan on Market Diversification, Tourism Ireland has increased resources for 2026 in Mainland Europe, enabling the organisation to run year-round promotional campaigns in the key markets of France and Germany. The strategy aims to grow spend from Mainland European visitors from €2bn to €3bn by 2031.
Barbara Wood, Tourism Ireland’s Manager for Southern Europe, shared: “Our presence at IFTM provides a valuable platform for our tourism partners from the island of Ireland to showcase their products and experiences to leading French travel professionals. It’s an important opportunity to secure inclusion in travel programmes for 2027 and beyond, with approximately 700 commercial meetings taking place on the Ireland stand this week. France is one of our top four source markets for tourism to the island of Ireland. Tourism Ireland’s objective is to attract the attention of the French tour operators, travel agents and media attending IFTM, winning late-season travel for 2026 and positioning us well for 2027 and beyond.”
