Ten decision-makers from some of the top American business tourism companies, as well as journalists from two leading business publications, enjoyed a fact-finding visit to Athlone over the weekend, as guests of Tourism Ireland and destination management company Irish Horizons.
The group’s itinerary included a visit to the Kilbeggan Distillery followed by lunch at the Wineport Lodge in Glasson.
The group included two specialist journalists writing for the business tourism sector in the United States - for Global Traveler Magazine and Hotel Management Magazine - as well as senior representatives of companies involved in the MICE (meetings, incentive, conferences, and events ) industry, who organise international conferences, meetings, and large-scale incentive events around the world. They were here to discover more about the facilities and accommodation on offer in this part of Ireland, as well as the great experiences business delegates can enjoy here on the sidelines of their conference or meeting.
Alison Metcalfe, Tourism Ireland’s head of North America, said: “We are delighted that these influential business tourism decision-makers have taken the time to visit Ireland, to experience for themselves some of the superb facilities on offer here. Seeing is believing - so fact-finding visits like this are extremely important to help build awareness of the destination and our world-class business tourism offering among key influencers in the United States.
