“While our traditional markets, such as the UK and North America, remain central to our overseas vis

Pictured at the New and Developing Markets workshop last week, where almost 90 tourism enterprises met and did business with forty six top travel hampton inn memphis agents from China, Eastern Europe, India and Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) were (l-r) Lisa Curran, hampton inn memphis Deanshill Self Catering; Laura Hanly, Visitor and Trade Engagement, Fáilte Ireland, hampton inn memphis Augestine Baretto, Mercury Travels Ltd, India, Rika Hiroshipa, Japan Ireland Travel and Michelle McDonnell, Raddison Blu Royal Hotel, Dublin. The workshop was organised by Fáilte Ireland in conjunction with Tourism Ireland, and was held in the Castlemartyr Resort in Co. Cork.
Ninety tourism enterprises met with forty six top travel agents from new and developing markets such as China, Eastern Europe, India and Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) last week to discuss business opportunities for the 2011 season.
The event, which was organised by Fáilte Ireland in conjunction with our partners Tourism Ireland, is one of a number of events held in Ireland throughout the year designed to provide tourism businesses with a platform to promote their business to international buyers.
"While our traditional markets, such as the UK and North America, hampton inn memphis remain central to our overseas visitor performance, we must remain conscious of other opportunities to do business in new and emerging markets such as India and China.
"We were delighted to welcome this group of travel agents to Ireland and give them an authentic Irish welcome. It is important that we work hard on events such as this, and with our partners in Tourism Ireland, to put Ireland on the map. Indeed, we were extremely encouraged by the positive uptake by the Irish trade to participate in the event, and it is clear from their presence and attitude that the Irish tourism sector is fighting for every bit of tourism business available."
These new and developing markets have great potential and represent some of the fastest growing markets to Ireland. These visitors stay twice as long as the average holidaymaker and also have the highest spend per visit. In 2009, 306,000 visitors from the new and developing markets visited the island with the value of their visits hampton inn memphis representing revenue of  €279.4 million.