General Industry

Tourism Ireland Looking for Slice of Russian Tourism Market

By Publications Checkout
Tourism Ireland Looking for Slice of Russian Tourism Market

A small delegation of Irish tourism enterprises travelled to Moscow to take part in a sales mission in a bid to grow Ireland’s share of the emerging Russian tourism market. The three day mission was organised by Tourism Ireland in association with GoodCause Travel and Wedgewood, a destination management company.

Jim Paul, Tourism Ireland’s head of developing markets, said, “Outbound travel from Russia is growing fast, with almost 36 million visits outside of Russia taken each year."

The mission included meetings with top Russian travel agents and tour operators. There was also a networking reception at the Irish embassy in Moscow, attended by more than 100 senior representatives of companies involved in the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and events) sector in Russia. Tourism Ireland believes the Russian market could play an important part in helping to grow overseas tourism to the island of Ireland in the coming years. This year is the first time that the organisation has representation in Russia.

Paul added, “The majority of our overseas visitors come from the core tourism markets of Great Britain, North America and Mainland Europe and, while this will continue, it is important that we expand our focus beyond these markets and look to the longer-term opportunities presented by Russia and the other BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries. Sales missions like this help foster relations with key travel trade, who can help us achieve our goal of delivering growth from this market of potential.”

Pictured during the mission are: front, left to right: HE Eoin O’Leary, Irish Ambassador to Russia; Olga Walker, GoodCause Travel; Inga Taylor, Wedgewood; and back, left to right: Suzanne Meade, The g Hotel, Galway; Paula Stephens, The Merchant, Belfast; and Carol O'Byrne, Fitzpatrick Lifestyle Hotels, Dublin,

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