Several businesses from across Galway gathered recently at a special networking event, organised by Fáilte Ireland, to discuss and explore ways to work together in order to promote the city and county as a tourist destination.
Delegates at the event, which was held in the Westwood House Hotel, heard Fáilte Ireland emphasise its commitment to promoting Galway as a tourist destination and to delivering additional supports during 2011 to those involved in Destination Galway.
Speaking at the event, Eva Dearie from Fáilte Ireland stressed: “The event is all about encouraging businesses to work together and to build knowledge about what we have to offer here in Galway. Understanding what our visitors want, being creative and innovative in meeting their needs and exceeding their expectations – this is what today is all about. This approach will help win new business and ultimately keep Galway ahead of our competitors.”
Among those who participated on Tuesday were approved accommodation providers, visitor attractions, activity providers, festivals, tour guides, tour operators, transport providers, and food and beverage operators.
Thanking all those who attended, Ms Dearie, who will oversee this initiative in Galway city, stressed the importance of maintaining Destination Galway’s great reputation for attracting domestic visitors to the West while at the same time focusing attention on key overseas markets such as Britain, North America, France and Germany.
“While the domestic market has performed well and is still very important, we must look further afield to boost the number of visitors coming to these shores. With research showing that visitors are looking for an experience – not just dinner, bed and breakfast – it is imperative that we have in place the offers to meet those needs. We need all those involved in tourism to collaboratively deliver innovative packages and bundled experiences that act as a catalyst to convince these visitors to stay in Galway City.
In 2011, Fáilte Ireland will deliver additional supports to those in Destination Galway on how to win this new business, while also working collaboratively with our colleagues in Tourism Ireland to deliver specific campaigns in the key markets highlighting the new offers from Galway city. Hopefully by the end of today, we will leave with more interaction between local providers and maybe even some new ideas.”
