Galway was on show last week at one of the largest travel trade fairs in the world, ITB in Berlin. Tourism companies from across Ireland – including Killary Fjord Boat Tours and Connemara Adventure Tours – joined Tourism Ireland at the fair, to grow our share of the important German travel market.
ITB (Internationale Tourismus-Börse ) is an important B2B event, which attracted around 100,000 visitors last year – including leading tour operators, travel agents, airlines, travel media and content creators, not just from Germany but from all over the world.
Germany is the third-largest market for tourism to the island of Ireland and the largest market from Mainland Europe. The island of Ireland welcomed more than 463,000 German tourists in 2023, who spent over €430 million and stayed 4 million nights (source: CSO, NISRA ).
Tourism Ireland hosted 28 tourism companies from Ireland on its stand – from premium hotels, whiskey distilleries and outdoor adventure providers to hidden gems of heritage.
The three-day event provided a valuable opportunity for the tourism companies from Ireland to meet, network, negotiate and conduct businesswith the international tour operators and travel agents in attendance.
Over the three days of the travel fair, hundreds of commercial meetings were conducted on the Ireland stand, which will, in turn, deliver overseas tourism business for Ireland worth millions in 2025 and beyond.
Speaking at ITB Berlin, Alice Mansergh, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, said: “We are delighted to be at ITB Berlin this week, one of the world’s leading travel trade fairs, joined by 28 tourism businesses from across Ireland. ITB provides an invaluable platform to showcase what Ireland has to offer and to strengthen relationships with influential international tour operators and travel agents.
“Germany is our largest tourism market in Mainland Europe – with German visitors contributing over €430 million in 2023 – and ITB plays a vital role in growing our share of this important market for tourism. This week we will be showcasing ease of access and great places to stay, as well as the rich culture, history and outdoor experiences that make our destination so appealing to German visitors.”
