Showcasing the island of Ireland in Austin, Texas

Tourism Ireland attends major US travel conference

Tourism Ireland is attending the USTOA (United States Tour Operators Association) Annual Conference & Marketplace in Austin, Texas, this week.

The conference is an important event in the annual travel calendar, bringing together leading American travel professionals with different destinations and suppliers from around the world – providing access to industry leaders and decision-makers from top US travel companies whose combined annual sales volume totals over $11 billion.

The event involves five busy days of one-to-one appointments and networking workshops – and is a valuable opportunity for Tourism Ireland to meet with influential American tour operators.

Given that tour operators, travel advisors and online travel agents continue to be an important booking channel for US holidaymakers, a key element of Tourism Ireland’s programme of activity involves working closely with the travel trade in the United States.

Alison Metcalfe, Tourism Ireland’s Head of North America, said: “Our presence at the USTOA Annual Conference & Marketplace is another excellent opportunity to meet and engage with influential US tour operators and travel agents, ensuring Ireland is ‘top of mind’ for them when programming and recommending destinations to their clients for 2023 and beyond. The event provides a great platform for us to spread the word about the many great things to see and do right around the island of Ireland.

“The United States remains an extremely important market for tourism to the island of Ireland. In 2019, we welcomed 1.7 million American visitors, whose visits delivered €1.6 billion for the economy.”

Paul McDonagh, Tourism Ireland; Bernard O'Reilly, Joe O'Reilly Ireland DMC; Siobhan Naughton, Tourism Ireland; Derry Cronin, Cronin's Coaches; and Jeffrey Yau, Tourism Ireland, at the USTOA Annual Conference & Marketplace in Austin, Texas.