Tourism Ireland has been promoting and selling Ireland to travel agents and buyers from China, Japan and South Korea at VisitBritain’s annual Destination Britain China and North East Asia event. The event – which took place this week in Sanya, in Hainan Province in southern China – involved one-to-one appointments with influential buyers.
PIC SHOWS: James Kenny (centre) and Steffi Zhang (right), both Tourism Ireland, meet with a Chinese buyer at Destination Britain China and North East Asia, in Sanya in southern China.
Travel agents continue to play an important role in China, with Chinese travellers preferring to use a travel agent for a number of reasons, including convenience, language barriers, visa preparation and knowledge gaps. Key messages at the event included Dublin and Belfast city tours, the Wild Atlantic Way and Causeway Coastal Route, as well filming locations used in Game of Thrones and Star Wars. Tourism Ireland also highlighted the convenience of the British Irish Visa Scheme, which allows Chinese nationals to visit both Ireland and the UK, including Northern Ireland, using a single visa.
According to Tourism Ireland, we welcomed an estimated 90,000 Chinese visitors to the island of Ireland in 2017; the organisation aims to grow Chinese visitor numbers to 175,000 per year, by 2025.
James Kenny, Tourism Ireland’s Manager China said: “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 around 90,000 Chinese visitors to the island of Ireland; Tourism Ireland aims to grow Chinese visitor numbers to 175,000 per year, by 2025.”
Tourism Ireland has a strong network in China, with offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Chengdu. The organisation’s activity in China involves establishing and building relationships with influential intermediaries, including the travel trade, airlines and media – highlighting our natural attractions, cities, castles and proximity to Britain.
Source:- Tourism Ireland
Tags: Tourism Ireland
