Pouring It All Out

Tourism Ireland teamed up with Dublin’s Guinness Storehouse to provide travel trade types in Toronto with the latest news on what’s happening in Ireland this fall and winter, as well as offering those attending a chance to “pour the perfect pint” with the help of Eibhlin Roche and Aaron Ridgeway from the Guinness Storehouse.

Telling her audience that these were exciting times for Ireland, Alison Metcalfe, head of Tourism Ireland in North America, expanded on the theme of Ireland: Always in Season – a phrase that the travel trade (and consumers) are likely to hear a lot more about as the tourist board gears up to take advantage of the year-round air lift it has out of Canada to grow its business from this market significantly.

Metcalfe observed that Ireland is no longer a seasonal market. In 2014, it had a breakthrough year, with Aer Lingus, Air Canada rouge adding year-round air service; Transat continued to offer its programs to the Emerald Isle; and WestJet launched flights from Canada’s east coast.

Tourism Ireland’s North American boss said that between now and 2016, Ireland is targeting to grow its Canadian arrivals from the current 154,000 to 185,000 and she’s more than convinced that the destination has the year-round offerings that will ensure that it is successful in achieving that goal.

As for the Guinness Storehouse, Roche and Ridgeway provide those attending the Oct. 1, 2014 event a primer on Guinness’ history and how it is part of the heritage of both Dublin and of Ireland and gave everyone a chance to pour the “perfect pint.”

Stay tuned, you’re going to be hearing a lot more from Ireland in the next little while.

Seen in the photo, from l to r, are Tourism Ireland’s Tanya Warren; Guinness Storehouse’s Aaron Ridgeway and Eibhlin Roche; Tourism Ireland’s Alison Metcalfe, Helen Cole and Louise Beirne.

For more, go to http://www.tourismireland.com