Creating ‘Celtic Connections’ for Northern Ireland

Tourism Ireland launches 'Embrace a Giant Spirit' in Scotland

A delegation of tourism businesses from Northern Ireland is in Glasgow this week, taking part in Tourism Ireland’s first promotion of 2020 in Scotland – a B2B workshop and networking event with travel professionals from Scotland and the north of England.

Thirty tourism businesses from across Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland – including hotels, visitor attractions and regional tourism organisations – are meeting, and doing business with, influential Scottish tour operators and travel agents, as well local travel and lifestyle journalists.

Tourism Ireland also took the opportunity to unveil the new destination brand for Northern Ireland – Embrace a Giant Spirit – in Scotland yesterday (22 January). Tourism Ireland will be pulling out all the stops this year to highlight Northern Ireland, using this new brand to deliver ‘stand-out’ for Northern Ireland, in Scotland and elsewhere around the world.

“We’re delighted to unveil the new destination brand for Northern Ireland, Embrace a Giant Spirt, to the influential travel trade and media here in Scotland,’ said Julie Wakley, Tourism Ireland’s Head of Great Britain. “We are confident that this new brand will give Northern Ireland real ‘stand-out’ on the international stage and will deliver a significant boost to the tourism economy over the coming years. Our message is that there’s never been a better time to visit Northern Ireland.”

This year, Tourism Ireland is also rolling out a new ‘twinning’ initiative – which will see each overseas market ‘twinning with’ a specific region on the island of Ireland. Great Britain will twin with Londonderry and Donegal, so a strong delegation from the North West at the Glasgow workshop helped place a special focus on that area, including ease of access from Scotland.

Julie Wakley continued: “We’re really pleased that so many of our tourism partners from Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland, and particularly from the North West, have joined us in Glasgow this week, highlighting our tourism offering to the influential Scottish tour operators and travel agents in attendance. We’ve certainly seen the effects of the ongoing uncertainty around Brexit on travel, with holidaymakers booking later and reducing their holiday budgets – so our workshop is a really good opportunity to remind them why Northern Ireland is the ideal choice for a short break or holiday in 2020.”

Tourism Ireland’s workshop and networking event was timed to coincide with Celtic Connections, Scotland’s premier winter music festival, so it was also a good opportunity to highlight our music and culture, important components of the holiday experience in Northern Ireland, particularly for the ‘culturally curious’ audience.

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