11 August 2019
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Promoting the island of Ireland to influential North American travel professionals
Nine Irish tourism companies – including Inchydoney Lodge and Spa – joined Tourism Ireland in Florida recently for the annual Global Travel Marketplace (GTM).
GTM Florida is a three-day event, involving a programme of bespoke one-to-one appointments and networking sessions. Tourism Ireland’s sponsorship at GTM 2019 also includes a lunchtime presentation dedicated to the island of Ireland. The event offers an excellent opportunity for the Irish tourism enterprises to meet, and do business with, top-producing and influential travel advisors from North America – including representatives of travel consortia like Virtuoso, Signature and Amex – ensuring the island of Ireland is ‘top of mind’ for them when recommending destinations to their clients.
Ruth McCarthy, Inchydoney Island Lodge & Spa; Paul McDonagh, Tourism Ireland; Debbie Moran, Fáilte Ireland; Bekah Molony, Tourism Ireland; Ruth Vaughan, The Savoy Hotel Limerick; Hillarie McGuinness, Tourism Ireland; Lisa Marshall, Lough Eske Castle; presenter/MC Colin Hamill; Eimear Winters, Castle Leslie Estate; Siobhán O’Sullivan, Mount Juliet Estate; Michelle Maguire, Ireland’s Blue Book; Fiona Delahunty, Griffin Group; Tracey Flinter, Pearse Lyons Distillery; and Eamonn McEneaney, Waterford Treasures, at GTM in Florida.
“Our presence at this year’s GTM in Florida provides another excellent platform to highlight the many great things to see and do right around the island of Ireland to influential North American travel professionals,” said Alison Metcalfe, Tourism Ireland’s Head of North America. “Tourism Ireland has prioritised North America as a market which offers a strong return on investment, in terms of holiday visitors and expenditure. The most recent CSO figures, for January-June, indicate growth of +9.1% in arrivals from North America. Tourism Ireland is rolling out an extensive and targeted programme of promotions throughout 2019, to continue to grow visitor numbers from North America.”
Speaking of West Cork, if you are thinking of visiting West Cork, why not stay in the heart of Clonakilty in O’Donovan’s Hotel
