Business visitors rise by 10%

THE numbers of business visitors to Ireland increased by 10% last year, as 29,000 overseas delegates pumped €36 million into the Irish economy, according to Fáilte Ireland.

For the first half of 2009, a further 71 conferences catered for 40,000 corporate visitors adding a further €52m in revenue.

The Fáilte Ireland report stands in stark contrast to the latest CSO figures, which reveal that overseas visits for holiday goers to Ireland fell by 18.4% in May compared with the same period last year.

Keith McCormack, head of business tourism with Fáilte Ireland said: “People are coming to Ireland because our conferencing and corporate facilities have greatly improved in recent years, with packages specifically tailored for the business tourism market.”

He pointed to the CCD (Convention Centre Dublin), which is due to open in September 2010, as a boost to Ireland as a as a world class conferencing destination.

The June Business Tourism Initiative survey also revealed that 95% of corporate visitors would recommend Dublin as a business tourism destination, with a satisfaction rating of 86%.

“Many businesses and associations plan their conferences years in advance, so this bodes well for the future,” Mr McCormack said.

Of the conference delegates who responded, 87% said that they were likely to recommend Ireland as a holiday destination and 76% said they would likely return to Ireland for a holiday in the future.

This June, Fáilte Ireland hosted four familiarisation trips for over 60 international companies from France, Denmark, Britain and the US east coast. Guests were given tours of suitable corporate venues and on trips to Trinity College, Castletown House in Kildare and the Old Jameson Distillery.

The Dublin Convention Bureau also organised a treasure hunt around Dublin city.

Of the 457 delegates questioned under the survey, 40% were from North America with an even split among the genders.