Tourism Ireland has set its sights on 2025 and beyond with a strong presence at WTM London 2024 – world’s largest travel fair, which is happening this week.
A total of 3,000 meetings over three days will be aimed at delivering overseas tourism business worth millions of euro to Ireland.
Tourism Ireland, together with around 75 tourism businesses from across the island of Ireland, is mounting a significant presence at WTM this week. WTM is the largest B2B event in the global travel and tourism calendar and heralds the beginning of Ireland’s promotional drive overseas for 2025.
The tourism businesses from Ireland – from diverse hotels, whiskey distillery experiences and activity providers, to visitor attractions and hidden gems of heritage – will engage in meetings with British and international tour operators to negotiate and exchange vital contracts for 2025 and beyond, and ultimately to bring valuable tourists to the island of Ireland.
Knowing that additional hotel space has been a big ask by international tour operators, Tourism Ireland will showcase diverse hotel groups at this year’s World Travel Market, with 2%-3% more rooms available this year.
Alice Mansergh, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, said: “Our presence at World Travel Market is extremely important to kick-start our promotional drive overseas for the year ahead. We are delighted to have around 75 tourism companies from across the island of Ireland joining us at this year’s WTM, with an estimated 3,000 commercial meetings with international tour operators set to take place. We facilitate connections between the world’s leading tour operators and local tourism businesses across the island of Ireland, helping to connect overseas visitors with fantastic experiences. We are targeting visitors who do more, see more, enjoy more – and therefore spend more – during their time in Ireland, to help tourism businesses across our island thrive.”
Ireland’s scenery is a major draw for overseas visitors, so the Ireland stand at this year’s World Travel Market include a spectacular installation featuring flora and other materials related to Ireland and consists entirely of Irish planting (gorse, heathers etc). The installation is designed by Worm, a floral design studio in East London which is owned by two Irish women (one is from Dublin and one is from Cork).
Tourism Ireland’s message at WTM is that the island of Ireland has so much to offer across regions and seasons. The organisation’s aim is to generate demand and target international visitors who do more, see more, enjoy more – and spend more – during their time in Ireland, to help tourism businesses thrive.
Tourism companies from the island of Ireland attending World Travel Market 2024 include:
- Abbey Group
- Andras Hotels
- AC Group
- Aer Lingus
- Ashling Hotel Dublin
- ATS Travel
- Carroll’s Tours
- Causeway Coastal Route
- Choice Hotel Group
- Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience
- Cronin Travel Group
- Dalata Hotel Group
- DoDublin Tours
- EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum
- Excursions Ireland
- Game of Thrones Studio Tour
- Guinness Storehouse
- Hastings Hotels
- Historic Royal Palaces – Hillsborough Castle and Gardens
- Holiday Ireland Tours
- Ireland Chauffeur Travel
- Irish Ferries
- J&K Coaches
- Killarney Hotels Collection
- Killarney Jaunting Cars
- Killary Fjord Boat Tours
- Kleemann Tours & Aspects of Ireland
- Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Garden
- Luxurious Ireland / Culture & Heritage Tours Ireland
- McConnell’s Distillery and Visitor Experience
- McGettigan Hotel Group / The Address Collective
- McKeever Hotels
- MHL Hotel Collection
- Moloney & Kelly DMC
- Mourne Mountains and Ring of Gullion
- National Museums NI
- O’Donoghue Ring Collection
- Original Irish Hotels
- Overland Ireland Tours
- Railtours Ireland First Class
- Shannon Heritage
- Stena Line
- Teeling Whiskey Distillery
- The Grace at Westport Estate
- The Harrison Chambers of Distinction
- The iNUA Hotel Collection
- The Talbot Collection
- Titanic Belfast
- Tour Partner Group
- Trigon Hotels
- Trinity Hotel Groups
- Visit Ards and North Down
- Visit Armagh
- Visit Belfast
- Visit Causeway Coast and Glens
- Visit Cork
- Visit Derry
- Visit Mid Ulster
- White’s Tours & Hotels
- Windmill Lane Recording Studios
