17 October 2016
By Bryan T. Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
Cork Convention Bureau joined Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland in Brussels, for a networking ‘Meet in Ireland’ event which was attended by conference buyers from top international associations.
The headquarters of more than 2,000 associations are in Brussels, making the city an important source of association conferences and business tourism for Ireland – so the event provided a valuable opportunity to showcase and sell Cork and Ireland to key decision-makers working in that area. ‘Meet in Ireland’ is the official MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and events) brand for the island of Ireland, which comprises three tourism authorities: Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Ireland and Tourism NI.
Danielle Neyts, Tourism Ireland Belgium, said: “Given that the headquarters of more than 2,000 associations are located in Brussels, it makes sense for us to proactively target this sector. These associations regularly hold conferences for thousands of delegates in different venues around the world, delivering significant economic benefits to the host country. Business tourism is an important, high yield sector and Tourism Ireland in Belgium has been working hard throughout 2016, to grow this type of tourism. This type of networking event is a wonderful opportunity to highlight our world-class business and conference facilities, as well as the great experiences delegates can enjoy in Ireland on the sidelines of their conference or meeting.”
Business tourism is the most lucrative form of tourism, with visitors travelling here for business purposes spending about 2.5 times more than the average visitor.
