NI firms join biggest sales mission in the Middle East

Tourism Ireland’s biggest ever sales mission to the Middle East is under way.
David Boyce, Tourism Ireland, Eoin McGrath, Hastings Hotels, Shehab Moosa, travel counsellors, Dubai, Mark Henry, Tourism Ireland, Minister Gordon Lyons, Vicki Green, Andras Hotels, Judy Hutton, Game of Thrones Studio Tour, Leigh Heggarty, Galgorm, Conor Carberry, Tourism NI and Eimear Lafferty, Titanic BelfastDavid Boyce, Tourism Ireland, Eoin McGrath, Hastings Hotels, Shehab Moosa, travel counsellors, Dubai, Mark Henry, Tourism Ireland, Minister Gordon Lyons, Vicki Green, Andras Hotels, Judy Hutton, Game of Thrones Studio Tour, Leigh Heggarty, Galgorm, Conor Carberry, Tourism NI and Eimear Lafferty, Titanic Belfast
David Boyce, Tourism Ireland, Eoin McGrath, Hastings Hotels, Shehab Moosa, travel counsellors, Dubai, Mark Henry, Tourism Ireland, Minister Gordon Lyons, Vicki Green, Andras Hotels, Judy Hutton, Game of Thrones Studio Tour, Leigh Heggarty, Galgorm, Conor Carberry, Tourism NI and Eimear Lafferty, Titanic Belfast

A record 17 tourism businesses from the island of Ireland, including five from Northern Ireland, are taking part in the targeted mission to Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Tourism Minister Gordon Lyons joined Tourism Ireland in Dubai.

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The progamme includes a series of workshops and networking events, with the tourism companies from the island of Ireland meeting, and doing business with, more than 200 tour operators and travel agents. The final workshop will involve meetings with luxury travel buyers from Saudi Arabia. The aim is to encourage the influential tour operators and travel agents in the Middle East to include the island of Ireland in their programmes for 2022 and beyond.

Shehab Moosa, travel counsellors, Dubai, Mark Henry, Tourism Ireland, Minister Gordon Lyons and Eimear Lafferty, Titanic Belfast in DubaiShehab Moosa, travel counsellors, Dubai, Mark Henry, Tourism Ireland, Minister Gordon Lyons and Eimear Lafferty, Titanic Belfast in Dubai
Shehab Moosa, travel counsellors, Dubai, Mark Henry, Tourism Ireland, Minister Gordon Lyons and Eimear Lafferty, Titanic Belfast in Dubai

Tourism Ireland’s message is that the island of Ireland is open for business again and we cannot wait to welcome back visitors from the Middle East.

Niall Gibbons, chief executive of Tourism Ireland, said: “Our sales mission gives our tourism partners an excellent platform to inform and influence the travel professionals they meet about what the island of Ireland has to offer and, importantly, to encourage them to include the destination in their 2022 programmes. We want to increase their awareness of the island of Ireland and secure a greater share of their valuable business. Our message this week – and that of our industry partners – is very simple: the island of Ireland is open for business again and we cannot wait to welcome back visitors from the Middle East.”

Tourism Ireland will undertake an extensive programme of promotional activity in the UAE throughout 2022. The organisation has strong partnerships with both Etihad Airways and Emirates, who maintained connectivity with Ireland during the pandemic.

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Tourism Ireland’s Green Button campaign is now under way and will run until the end of April on multiple channels reaching around 2 million potential holidaymakers in the UAE. The campaign delivers a clear ‘book now’ message and aims to single-mindedly drive visitor numbers and intention to book a trip here this year.

Tourism Ireland estimates that before Covid-19, in 2019, island of Ireland welcomed 75,000 visitors from the Middle East.

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