Fáilte Ireland promotes conference facilities outside Dublin in business tourism initiative

Conference facilities in regions outside of Dublin will be promoted by Fáilte Ireland as it aims to attract business tourism worth €58m.

Business and event venues in Cork, Kerry, Galway and the Shannon region will be showcased today at the annual Meet Dublin event in London.

According to Fáilte Ireland, business visitors are valued at three times that of a leisure visitor, as they aim to win conferences worth €31m this year, a 15% increase on last year.

Currently, Business Tourism is worth at least €760m to the Irish economy and supports 22,000 jobs

Paul Mockler, Fáilte Ireland's Head of Commercial Development, said it is targeting an additional 50% growth for this sector by 2025.

He said: "Last year was a record year for tourism with the sector generating €7.8bn in revenue and supporting 260,000 jobs.

"Business Tourism is fundamental for the growth of the tourism sector as a whole, particularly in supporting a longer season for many businesses, as conference delegates typically arrive outside the summer months.”