Local Minister of State, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran, was a keynote speaker at a Failte Ireland conference hosted to acknowledge the 40th anniversary of Ireland-China diplomatic relations.
Minister Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran T.D. opened the conference on behalf of the Irish Government at The King’s Inns in Dublin. The conference was attended by His Excellency Xiangdong He, Chinese Ambassador to Ireland, and a special delegation from China which included Government officials and travel buyers brought to Ireland by Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, along with Irish tourism industry body representatives and members of the Irish tourism industry.
In his address, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran T.D., Minister of State for the Office of Public Works and Flood Relief, noted the benefits which have accrued for both countries since diplomatic relations were initially formalised in 1979.
“Forty years is a significant milestone and the benefits of our close ties over the past four decades cannot be overstated. The Irish Government’s new five year multi-entry visa option for Chinese tourists coming to Ireland, along with direct flights between our two countries, will help to grow the number of Chinese visitors in Ireland. Improvements in connectivity will be key to bringing more Chinese visitors to Ireland. I want to commend the tourism agencies and the Chinese Embassy for organising today’s significant conference.”
The conference delved into a number of topics which included developing the visitor experience to meet the needs and expectations of new markets such as China, understanding how festivals and events can motivate visitors to travel and support business in the shoulder and off season and building strong and sustainable business relationships with China considering cultural differences in doing business, language barriers and servicing the cultural needs of Chinese travelers.
