€27.34m worth of business confirmed for Ireland over next five years
51 international events to take place between 2016 – 2019
More than 20,000 international business tourists to come to Ireland
The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Paschal Donohoe TD, and Fáilte Ireland today announced that more than 50 international events, totalling more than 20,000 international delegates and worth in excess of €27m to the Irish economy, has been won for Dublin/Ireland with the assistance of its Business Tourism Team so far this year. These events are scheduled to take place during 2016 – 2019 and are made up of international conferences, corporate meeting and incentive travel.
Amongst the business recently won for Dublin are:
- Social Media and Critical Care (SMACC) Conference – which will attract 2,000 delegates and take place in the CCD in June 2016;
- The Network for the Advancement of Transfusion Alternatives (NATA) Annual Symposium –- which will take place in the RDS next year bringing with it 700 delegates;
- International Air Transport Association (IATA) AGM which is also scheduled for June 2016 in the RDS attracting 1,200 delegates;
- 10th Congress of European Violence in Clinical Psychiatry, which will take place on 26 – 28 October 2017 at the Crowne Plaza, Santry catering for 550 delegates.
All of these events were won with the assistance of Fáilte Ireland’s Business Tourism Supports whereby assistance is given to Irish members of international groupings and local suppliers to bring their association’s conferences, corporate meetings and incentive travel to this country.
Welcoming today’s news, Minister Donohoe said: “This incredible amount of business won for Dublin over the next number of years proves that the city is still punching above its weight in terms of attracting international meetings and events. This is the kind of growth that contributes so much to the Irish economy and creates significant revenue and employment. Business tourism is an essential element of our tourism product. Attracting conferences and events presents us with a valuable opportunity to showcase all that we have to offer, encouraging delegates to return at a later date for repeat business or personal capacity as a tourist. Failte Ireland is to be commended for the work they have done and for the sheer volume of events they have secured for the coming years’.
Addressing the importance of such conference wins, Miriam Kennedy, Head of Business Tourism with Fáilte Ireland explained: “The average business traveller tends to spend two or three times as much as a holidaymaker, thereby making this sector a lucrative market to target. As well as providing an important revenue source for many hotels and venues in Dublin, and across Ireland who cater for such large events, this activity sustains and grows tourism businesses throughout the year and, particularly outside the summer season”.
Finally, Fáilte Ireland today announced that they have also recently revamped its Dublin Convention Bureau website which was designed to support people to drive business tourism to Ireland.
While the new Dublin Convention Bureau site still provides a comprehensive suite of supports and information on bringing business tourism to Dublin, its new responsive design means that all its content can be accessed easily on multiple devices – perfect for busy people on the go.
The newly updated site also hosts a number of new features including:
- a new live chat function which means you can access advice and support directly from the site;
- a range of planning toolkits;
- and a new blog which will focus on key business tourism themes – Dublin as a world class product, supports available, the appeal of Dublin, Dublin’s business reputation, unique experiences and some success stories.
The new site will also be marketed online to ensure it is easy to find and accessible to all the right people. Ms Kennedy continued: “While we are already ahead of target for 2015, it is important to us that we do not rest on our laurels but rather we continue to push the envelope making our supports as relevant and as easy to access as possible. With the redevelopment of the Dublin Convention Bureau site we really feel that anyone interested in bringing a conference, meeting or incentive group to Ireland can now access much of what they need at their fingertips”.
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