Minister Peter Burke supports tourism industry at world’s largest travel fair

Tourism Ireland sets sights on 2026 with strong presence at World Travel Market in London 

3,600 meetings set to deliver overseas tourism business worth millions of euro 

Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke TD joins Tourism Ireland in London today (5th November), to promote the island of Ireland at the world’s largest travel fair, World Travel Market (WTM). 

As Tourism Ireland prepares for 2026, the organisation is mounting a significant presence at WTM this week – joined by around 75 tourism companies from right around the island of Ireland. WTM is the largest B2B event in the global travel and tourism calendar and marks the beginning of Ireland’s promotional drive overseas for 2026.

While taking place in London, WTM is an excellent opportunity to meet tour operators and travel trade from around the world, including those serving nascent markets like China, India and the Middle East, as well Great Britain, Mainland Europe and North America. 

Tourism Ireland helps over 750 SMEs through overseas events like WTM, where they connect with tour operators who bring visitors at scale. The business pipeline generated from global travel trade events in the first half of 2025 was estimated at €70 million. Over the coming days, around 3,600 commercial meetings will be conducted on the Ireland stand, delivering overseas tourism business for the island of Ireland worth millions of euro. The tourism businesses from Ireland – from premium hotels and resorts, whiskey distilleries and jaunting car tours to activity providers and hidden gems of heritage – will engage in meetings with international tour operators to negotiate and exchange vital contracts for 2026 and beyond, and ultimately to bring valuable tourists to our island. 

Minister Burke met with Lonely Planet at WTM, to mark the publication's naming of Tipperary as a top five global destination to visit in 2026.

Minister Peter Burke said:“I am delighted to join Tourism Ireland in London today at the world’s largest travel fair in the global travel and tourism calendar, World Travel Market, and to meet our tourism businesses from across the island of Ireland at the Ireland stand. SMEs are a cornerstone of the tourism sector and events such as this provide key opportunities to engage with overseas tour operators who have the potential to bring visitors at scale to our island and support businesses and communities across the regions.

“A key ambition of this Government is to grow Ireland’s tourism industry and I believe that by participating in events such as World Travel Market, we can continue to advance and deliver on this goal – increasing visitor numbers and strengthening our tourism offering. Our focus remains on promoting the island of Ireland internationally, providing visitors with strong and compelling reasons to choose Ireland as a destination.”

Alice Mansergh, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, said: “Our presence at World Travel Market is extremely important to kick-start our promotional drive overseas for 2026. We are delighted to have around 75 tourism companies from across the island of Ireland joining us at this year’s WTM, with an estimated 3,600 commercial meetings set to take place. World Travel Market presents a unique opportunity for the travel industry to meet, network, negotiate and contract business for 2026 and Tourism Ireland facilitates that connection. We are targeting visitors who do more, see more, enjoy more – and therefore spend more – during their time in Ireland, to help tourism businesses across our island thrive.”

2025 has been a year of change in tourism, but with opportunity ahead, including +12% growth in air connectivity to the island of Ireland this winter. Tourism Ireland’s message at WTM is that the island of Ireland has so much to offer across regions and seasons. The organisation’s focus remains on marketing the island effectively overseas, giving visitors compelling reasons to choose this destination.

Keith Myers, Talbot Collection; Tom Hall and Melissa Killian, both Lonely Planet; Peter Burke TD, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment; Alice Mansergh, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland; and Ethan Radtke, Lonely Planet, pictured at World Travel Market in London, celebrating the fact that Lonely Planet named Tipperary a top destination to visit in 2026.