ITTN’s Julia Labedz attended a media lunch hosted by South African Tourism at SOLE Seafood & Grill in Dublin today, aimed at promoting tourism to South Africa and reaffirming the strong ties between Ireland and South Africa. The media was joined by H.E. Ms. Nicolette Schreiber, Ambassador of South Africa to Ireland.
The event opened with a warm welcome from Ambassador Schreiber, who reflected on her first experience with the Irish media at this same event but a year prior, and the ongoing personal and professional connections formed. She expressed gratitude to South African Tourism for continuing to prioritise Ireland, saying, “In the embassy, we are very small, but we try our best to promote tourism.” She also highlighted the embassy’s efforts in supporting South African wine exports to Ireland, and praised Charlene Hiscock for her work in promoting South African vineyards.
Rachel Lewis from South African Tourism followed with a speech outlining the growing momentum in Irish-South African relations and tourism links. She pointed to Ireland’s invitation to participate in the 2025 G20 Summit in South Africa, a first, as a strong symbol of diplomatic ties.
Lewis shared positive tourism trends, including a 21% increase in Irish arrivals to South Africa in November. She noted that Ireland is currently the largest overseas market not yet serviced by a direct flight to South Africa, a matter she and her team are actively advocating for. “We are pushing hard for a direct route,” she stated.
Recent media coverage was also acknowledged, such as RTÉ’s feature on Leo Varadkar and Tánaiste Micheál Martin’s travels in South Africa, Channel 4’s upcoming broadcast with South African-born “Dancing with the Stars” judge Oti Mabuse, additional television programming like the award-winning children’s documentary series JourneyCam International and High Road, Low Road.
Rachel Lewis also highlighted South Africa’s value for money, particularly in experiences ranging from high-end to budget-friendly. Examples included high tea at the Mount Nelson Hotel and the wine tram in Franschhoek, both showing how premium experiences remain affordable for Irish travellers.
The menu at SOLE was beautifully adapted to reflect South African influences, with attendees raving about just how delicious the meal was! Julia enjoyed burrata to start, followed by succulent monkfish and mousse for dessert.
Event logistics and public relations were supported by Alex and Ewelina from Black Diamond, South African Tourism’s Irish and UK PR agency. Attendees also left with fabulous and most importantly sustainable goodie bags, filled with everything South African like biltong, spices and sparkling wine.
ITTN’s Julia Labedz extends sincere thanks to South African Tourism, the Embassy of South Africa in Ireland, and all those involved in organising for this fabulous and informative event.
