IRELAND – Tourism Ireland shared a billion euro revenue vision for the government from the development of the business tourism sector up to 2013.
Head of business and sports tourism at Tourism Ireland, David Boyce, told a press conference at EIBTM in Barcelona that both corporate and association meetings would be the focus for 2010, particularly in view of the new Dublin convention centre (CCD) coming on stream in the new year.
CCD international account manager, Julie O´Sullivan, said there were 30 events already contracted worth 200,000 delegate days to the centre.
The new venue will be able to accommodate up to 8,000 delegates over 22 meeting rooms and will offer 4,500sqm of exhibition space.
“It will also be the first carbon neutral ICC with zero impact on the environment,” according to Boyce.
“We will promote Dublin, Belfast and the south-west of Ireland as our three major business tourism hubs across Ireland,” he added, stressing that the UK was still by far the strongest country market for Ireland.
Other infrastructure projects coming on stream include the Aviva Stadium (formerly Landsdowne Road) which reopens in May, and a new terminal at Dublin airport opening in November 2010.
The Titanic Quarter, Belfast’s city centre project for 2012, meanwhile, will include major banqueting and meeting facilities.
Boyce admitted the recession had, nevertheless, impacted business in 2009, with a five per cent drop in business travelers from Britain. The more hardcore conference and meetings industry, as distinct from general business travelers, said Boyce, “remains strong”.
