Top Austrian travel journalists have been exploring Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands, as guests of Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland.
The group – which includes representatives of a national newspaper and two regional newspapers in Austria – has a combined reach of more than 1.3 million readers.
The group’s action-packed itinerary included visits to Belvedere House, Gardens & Park, Kilbeggan Distillery Experience, Dead Centre Brewing and a river cruise with Viking Tours Ireland to the monastic site of Clonmacnoise.
They also enjoyed a wild food foraging experience in Birr with Wild Food Mary, as well as guided tours of Birr Castle Demesne, the Irish Workhouse Centre, the National Famine Museum at Strokestown, the Arigna Mining Experience and the Shed Distillery.
They finished off their trip with a Moon River cruise along the River Shannon and a trip to Lough Key Forest and Activity Park.
Aubrey Irwin, Tourism Ireland’s Manager for Austria and Switzerland, said: “Tourism Ireland was delighted to invite these influential Austrian travel writers to Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands. The articles they write when they return home will be read by more than 1.3 million people – so their visit is a really good opportunity to showcase Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands to a wide audience of prospective Austrian visitors.
“Tourism Ireland undertakes a busy publicity programme around the world each year to raise the profile of the island of Ireland – and visits by influential travel writers like these are a key element of that programme.”
In 2019, Ireland welcomed 81,000 visitors from Austria to the island of Ireland, who spent €71m during their time here.
