Tourism Ireland sets sights on 2025 and beyond with strong presence at world’s largest travel fair 1

05 November 2024

3,000 meetings over three days at World Travel Market in London set to deliver overseas tourism business worth millions of euro 

Tourism Ireland, together with around 75 tourism businesses from across the island of Ireland, is mounting a significant presence at World Travel Market (WTM) in London this week. WTM is the largest B2B event in the global travel and tourism calendar and heralds the beginning of Ireland’s promotional drive overseas for 2025. 

Over the coming days, around 3,000 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 diverse hotels, whiskey distillery experiences and activity providers, to visitor attractions and hidden gems of heritage – will engage in meetings with British and international tour operators to negotiate and exchange vital contracts for 2025 and beyond, and ultimately to bring valuable tourists to the island of Ireland.

Knowing that additional hotel space has been a big ask by international tour operators, Tourism Ireland will showcase diverse hotel groups at this year’s World Travel Market, with 2-3% more rooms available this year.

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 the year ahead. 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 3,000 commercial meetings with international tour operators set to take place. We facilitate connections between the world’s leading tour operators and local tourism businesses across the island of Ireland, helping to connect overseas visitors with fantastic experiences. 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.”

Our scenery is a major draw for overseas visitors, so the Ireland stand at this year’s World Travel Market include a spectacular installation featuring flora and other materials related to Ireland and consists entirely of Irish planting (gorse, heathers etc). The installation is designed by Worm, a floral design studio in East London which is owned by two Irish women (one is from Dublin and one is from Cork).

Tourism Ireland’s message at WTM is that the island of Ireland has so much to offer across regions and seasons. The organisation’s aim is to generate demand and target international visitors who do more, see more, enjoy more – and spend more – during their time in Ireland, to help tourism businesses thrive.

Siobhan McManamy and Judith Cassidy, both Tourism Ireland; and David Cleary, EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, at World Travel Market in London.