Tourism Ireland said it is to prioritise the high-spending North American market as it launched a marketing push in New York.
The event was attended by leading tour operators, travel agents and journalists from the tri-State area of the US northeast. Meanwhile, Fáilte Ireland announced plans to win €157m in business tourism for Ireland in 2017.
Businesses in the sector will be supported to convert a significant amount of international corporate, incentive and association conference business leads from a €330m pool of good possibilities identified by the tourism authority.
The Fáilte Ireland plans for the sector were delivered to key players in the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events) sector which took place at Dublin’s Royal Hospital Kilmainham. Attendees heard that the tourism authority will this year identify 550 leads for industry partners – a 10pc increase on 2016.
As one of the highest yield sectors in tourism, business tourism is growing year on year, Fáilte Ireland said, thanks to our competitive ranking in the international arena. Recent survey results have revised the value of each business tourism delegate upwards to €1,643 in 2016 (up from €1,500 in 2015 and €1,400 in 2014).
Last year, the Fáilte Ireland Business Tourism and Events supported and converted €151m worth of business for the current and future years – €10m above its 2016 target. In addition, the team supported a further €27.2m in business won for regional Ireland.
And Tourism Ireland aims to surpass the record-breaking performance of 2016 and to grow revenue from North American visitors by 9pc this year.
It said North America is a market which offers a strong return on investment, in terms of holiday visitors and expenditure. ‘Culturally curious’ and ‘social energiser’ audiences will be targeted, highlighting experiences like the Wild Atlantic Way, the Causeway Coastal Route, Ireland’s Ancient East, Belfast and Dublin.
Speaking at the launch in New York, Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, said: “In 2016, we welcomed a record 1.6m North American visitors to the island of Ireland. Looking to the year ahead, we are confident that our strategy – combined with more airline seats than ever before from the US, a strong dollar, as well as the strength and competitiveness of the vacation experience right around the island of Ireland – will deliver further growth. We look forward to welcoming more of our great friends from the United States this year and in the years to come.”
Alison Metcalfe, Tourism Ireland’s Head of North America, said: “We have a very clear focus for the year ahead and that is to deliver a +6% increase in visitor numbers and 9pc increase in revenue from North America. We will achieve this by working in close collaboration with our Irish and American tourism partners, rolling out an extensive programme of high impact campaigns and promotions which will target those consumers with greatest potential to travel to Ireland.”
