Top British tour operators discover Ireland’s Ancient East

Thirteen (13) coach and group tour operators from Great Britain are exploring Ireland’s Ancient East – as guests of Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland. They are here to attend a workshop in the Newpark Hotel in Kilkenny, where they’re meeting with local tourism enterprises to negotiate for their 2024 programmes.

The tour operators are also taking part in a fact-finding visit, to experience for themselves the high standard and variety of our tourism offering. Their action-packed programme includes Powerscourt Estate, Powerscourt Distillery, Beyond the Trees Avondale, a tour of Kilkenny with Kilkenny Road Train Tours, Mount Congreve House, a cruise on the River Suir, Dunbrody Famine Ship Experience, Newbridge Silverware Visitor Centre, Irish National Stud & Gardens, Lullymore Heritage & Discovery Park and Airfield Estate. 

Julie Wakley, Tourism Ireland’s Head of Great Britain, said: “Tourism Ireland was delighted to invite these leading British tour operators to visit Ireland’s Ancient East, so they could see and experience some of our many wonderful visitor attractions and to encourage them to extend the Ireland content of their existing programmes and itineraries, or to include Ireland for the first time in their 2024 programmes.

“Tourism Ireland is rolling out an extensive programme of promotional activity in Britain this autumn – highlighting compelling reasons to visit Ireland, as well as showing how easy it is to get here and the good value available from our industry partners. Our autumn campaign aims to take advantage of late booking trends, as there is still plenty of business to play for. One of our key objectives is to drive more business to our regions, right throughout the off-peak months.”

British coach and group tour operators with Caroline Mulligan, Tourism Ireland (second left), at Beyond the Trees Avondale.