Influential group tour operators visit the Royal County
Eight leading group tour operators from the United States and Canada have been visiting Meath and Ireland. They were here to attend a B2B networking event – organised by Fáilte Ireland – with Irish tourism enterprises, at Bellinter House near Navan, and to take part in a fact-finding visit, to find out about great places to visit and the accommodation on offer here.
The group visited Trim Castle, the Brú na Bóinne visitor centre, the Battle of the Boyne visitor centre at Oldbridge House, as well as the Slane Craft Collective at Newgrange Mall. They dined at Bellinter House and stayed in the Dunboyne Castle Hotel.
Alison Metcalfe, Tourism Ireland’s head of North America, said: “Tourism Ireland was delighted to invite these influential group tour operators to Meath and Ireland. Familiarisation visits such as these are extremely important, as the tour operators get to experience at first-hand the wealth of things to see and do here for American and Canadian holidaymakers. Our aim is to enthuse them about the destination, helping to ensure Meath and Ireland are ‘top of mind’ for them when putting together itineraries for their clients.”
2014 is set to be another record year for tourism from North America. According to the latest CSO figures, visitor numbers from the US and Canada have grown by +13.9% for January to September this year, an extra 130,000 visitors compared with the same nine-month period in 2013.
Picture shows: American and Canadian tour operators with Jean McCluskey, Tourism Ireland (fifth left), during their visit to Ireland.
