Irish delegation hopes to drum up tourism business from China

A major Irish tourism mission is hoping to bag business in China.

Tourism Ireland is leading the delegation over the next four days, as it seeks to establish relationships with Chinese tour providers and expand Ireland's share of the growing market there.

The 18 delegates will visit with tourism industry leaders and travel agents in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Tourism Ireland says it hopes this mission will go some way to increasing the Irish share of Chinese visitors here to 50,000 per year, over the coming four years. In total, almost three million Chinese tourists travel to Europe each year.

"Our sales mission is a key element of our promotional programme in China," said Niall Gibbons, Tourism Ireland's CEO.

"It will give our Irish tourism partners a platform to inform and influence the Chinese travel trade on all that Ireland has to offer and, importantly, encourage them to include Ireland in their 2015 brochures and programmes."