Over 40 tour operators from around the world attended a tourism workshop in Titanic Belfast this morning. The workshop was organised by Tourism Ireland and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board.
Leading tour operators from seven countries such China, India, South Africa, Brazil, and Russia will meet with 90 representatives of the tourism industry from around Ireland, followed by an informal networking event at the Ulster Museum.
Now in its seventh year, the New Markets workshop aims to grow our share of travel business from new and emerging tourism markets. Many of the visiting tour operators have been travelling around Ireland, sampling what the destination has to offer potential tourists.
Jim Paul, Tourism Ireland’s head of Australia and developing markets, said: “Whilst the majority of our overseas visitors come from GB, North America and Mainland Europe, it is important that we expand our focus and look outside these markets for new opportunities. While visitor numbers from markets like China and India are small right now, when compared to our more established tourism markets, it is important to remember that visitors from long-haul markets spend more than the average visitor and typically stay longer than visitors from closer to home.
