It’s no secret Australians have long had an affinity for Ireland, and holidaying there. What is secret perhaps, are some of the destinations and attractions they can experience when they’re there, which are innumerable – even if Aussies are already exploring much of the country, and in great numbers.
With this in mind, Tourism Ireland brought its ‘Secrets of Ireland’ roadshow to Australia and New Zealand this week to strengthen the ties between Ireland and the Aussie travel trade, but more crucially to this mission, showcase the world of less visited experiences on offer in the Island of Ireland (as Tourism Ireland likes to call the country).
When it comes to where Australians are already going, there are no real surprises: gateway and capital city, Dublin, and the stunning west coast for starters.
“They’re travelling up and down the Wild Atlantic Way, which is the world’s longest defined coastal touring route,” Tourism Ireland Head of North America and Australia/New Zealand Alison Metcalfe tells Karryon in an interview on her visit to Sydney.
“And that’s really been a very successful one of our regional brands, because you’re touring for golf, for outdoor activity, visiting castles, great food. You’ve got everything there.”
But even on this popular route there are hidden gems to discover, coming back to Ireland’s aim of really dispersing tourism.
“We’re particularly trying to encourage more people to go north of Galway into the more northwesterly part of the route – the road less travelled,” Metcalfe says.
“And there’s work underway to connect, not so much physically, but through better signage and interpretation, that spectacular driving route with the Causeway Coastal route.” Which is home to Northern Ireland’s famous Giant’s Causeway, among other sites.
But there’s no shortage of lesser-known and new experiences for Aussies to discover in Ireland. So, travel professionals with Ireland-bound clients, take heed.
“People like to go to the Cliffs of Moher, but actually go a little bit further north and go to the Slieve League Cliffs,” Alison recommends.
“These are some of the highest sea cliffs in Ireland.” And you’ll have them more to yourself.
“Think about taking, if you’re interested in food, really great food tours, in Dublin, Belfast or Cork. Think about things like wild seaweed foraging in Sligo.”
“Think about some of those new local experiences. I was just with a group… for sheep-dog trials, for example.
“Just to see how those sheep farmers and shepherds connect with the land… it’s an incredible experience. They also just talk about life in the country.” Now, that’s immersive tourism.
Or for a unique, luxury experience, think about having a Bushmills whiskey, literally on the rocks on the Giants Causeway, almost on your own.
Want to learn how to make famous Irish brown bread or soda bread? Why not check out one of the many cookery schools like Tracy’s Farmhouse Kitchen outside Belfast or Ballymaloe Cookery School near Cork.
And then there’s sports tourism, especially around golf (Northern Ireland will host the Open Championships in 2025, while the Republic will host the Ryder Cup) and even surfing in Sligo – the water’s cold, but the experience of catching some waves with views of Benbulben mountain make it worth it. The list goes on.
“So just think about some of those more immersive experiences.”
Travel agent advice
Along with introducing their clients to these lower-profile attractions, what other advice does Metcalfe have for travel advisors looking to grow their bookings to Ireland?
“I would be encouraging agents to think about… Ireland has a lot more to offer than you actually think,” she says, despite the country’s size relative to Australia, for instance.
“Focus on many of those unique experiences before the client leaves – whether it’s food tours or cultural tours, it’s good for them, because obviously they can work with different operators here to do that. So it becomes an absolutely higher purchase.”
“But also, clients are looking for immersive experiences, so the more you can book in advance, the better. And it’s easy to book.
“But I would be encouraging them to look beyond just the major cities – that’s why we’re here – and look at the hidden gems and getting off the beaten track… whether it’s golf, whether it’s outdoor activities.”
And add to the “skeleton trip” of accommodation and transportation that agents’ clients might have booked, by looking at “the additional things they’re going to do when they’re in a city or they’re in a particular part of the country”.
They mightn’t know they could do a walking tour of Kilkenny or attend sheep-dog trials, she says.
“Don’t underestimate all the variety of things to do; don’t underestimate the amount of time that their clients need to really enjoy Ireland.”
And wherever they go, craic is guaranteed.
Aussies highly valued
According to Metcalfe, Australian travellers spent €210 million (around AU$340 million) last year, making it the seventh most important source market for Ireland by revenue.
Contributing to 2.1 million bed nights, they also stayed longer than any other market. And Ireland-bound travel is also growing from Australia and New Zealand, albeit by a modest 1.1 per cent year-on-year from January to September 2024.
Perhaps most surprisingly, Australia is the third most important overseas market for Northern Ireland in tourism revenue.
Roadshow shenanigans
The Secrets of Ireland Roadshow showcased the country’s regional brands, with 13 tourism operators in attendance. These included Activities Ireland, Irish National Stud and Gardens, Railtours Ireland, Irish Rugby Tours, County Kildare Fáilte, Titanic Belfast, Shenanigans Walks Kilkenny and multiple DMCs.
Among the attendees were representatives from Globus family of brands, Collette, Infinity Holidays, Albatross Tours, Expedia and Qatar Airways among others.
Along with traditional live Irish music (it wouldn’t be an Ireland event without that), guests were treated to an Irish dance performance and traditional Irish fare.
The events, which hit Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland, underlined Tourism Ireland’s commitment to Australia’s travel trade, which it deems highly valuable.
Along with the roadshow, Metcalfe flags Tourism Ireland’s engagement with the trade on things like cooperative marketing campaigns and webinars for travel advisors. It also invests “heavily” in B2B programs with tour operators and brand marketing.
“We realise it’s a big purchase, particularly from Australia – it doesn’t get any bigger, really. They are coming for longer,” Alison tells Karryon.
“We recognise that it’s likely to be combined with other parts of Europe, probably UK. So it’s a big expenditure.” And that places a lot of trust in advisors.