Seventy Chinese travel professionals have been hearing about the new direct flight from Beijing to Dublin and the island of Ireland at a training seminar in Beijing organised by Tourism Ireland in conjunction with VisitScotland and Hainan Airlines.
Hainan Airlines will launch its new year-round flight from Beijing to Dublin on June 12. The flights will operate four times per week, with the service being be a direct, non-stop flight between Dublin and Beijing on two days, while the flights will operate with a stopover in Edinburgh on the other two days.
The objective of the seminar was to highlight the new ease of access between Beijing and Ireland to the travel agents, as well as the many things to see and do in Ireland for Chinese holidaymakers.
In 2017, Ireland welcomed an estimated 70,000 Chinese visitors to its shores and Tourism Ireland aims to grow Chinese visitor numbers to 175,000 per year, by 2025 (+150% on 2017).
James Kenny, Tourism Ireland’s Manager China, said, “We were delighted to partner with Hainan Airlines and VisitScotland to inform and enthuse key travel agents in Beijing about the new Hainan service and about the island of Ireland. During the workshop, they heard all about Dublin and Belfast, the Wild Atlantic Way, the Causeway Coastal Route and Ireland’s Ancient East, as well as filming locations used in Game of Thrones and Star Wars.
“China is the largest outbound travel market in the world and one that Tourism Ireland is committed to growing over the coming years. In 2017, we welcomed an estimated 70,000 Chinese visitors to the island of Ireland. The introduction of the new direct flight from Beijing next week is a major game-changer and offers a real opportunity for us to build on this number. We look forward to working with Hainan Airlines to maximise the promotion of, and drive demand for, this new service. We are confident that we are in a strong position to grow this emerging travel market in 2018 and over the coming years.”
© 2018 Hospitality Ireland – your source for the latest industry news. Article by Dave Simpson. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.
