18 November 2022
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
‘Drive’ to entice British tourists to Cork
Seven tourism businesses from Ireland – including Visit Cork and The iNUA Collection (based in Ballintemple) – joined Tourism Ireland at the Classic Motor Show in Birmingham recently.
The Classic Motor Show is an annual event which takes place over three days and attracts around 60,000 people, offering an excellent platform to spread the world about car touring holidays around Ireland among British car enthusiasts – and prospective holidaymakers.
TV presenter and classic car enthusiast Alex Riley joined Tourism Ireland on its stand on day one of the event, to share some of his favourite experiences of driving in Ireland during filming for the popular ITV4 TV series, The Car Years. Filming for season two of the series took place in Northern Ireland – along the Causeway Coastal Route and on the roads around the Mourne Mountains – and aired in 2021. This year, the Wild Atlantic Way provided the backdrop for season three, with driving routes such as the Ring of Kerry and the Conor Pass featuring.
Judith Cassidy, Tourism Ireland’s Acting Head of Great Britain, said: “The Classic Motor Show was an excellent opportunity to highlight our superb driving routes, including the Wild Atlantic Way, Causeway Coastal Route and Ireland’s Ancient East. Tourism Ireland is encouraging British travellers to come and discover Ireland by car. Visitors who use a car on holidays tend to stay longer, spend more and are more likely to visit more than one region. Our message is that Ireland is a great choice for a driving holiday.”
PIC SHOWS: Dave Ashcroft, P&O Ferries; Geraldine McCarthy, The iNua Collection; Caroline O’Reilly, Visit Cork; Caireen Burns, Visit Derry; Samantha McNulty, Harvey’s Point Hotel; and Brian Miley, The Gleneagle Group, on the Tourism Ireland stand at the Classic Motor Show in Birmingham.
PIC SHOWS: Maebh Rafferty, Tourism Ireland; and Martina O’Sullivan, Visit Cork, at the Classic Motor Show in Birmingham.
PIC SHOWS: Geraldine McCarthy, The iNua Collection; and TV presenter and classic car enthusiast Alex Riley, on the Tourism Ireland stand at the Classic Motor Show in Birmingham.