Kildare tourism businesses come together to collaborate ahead of 2027

Tourism and hospitality businesses from across County Kildare gathered at The Keadeen Hotel in Newbridge for a dedicated industry networking event focused on collaboration, strengthening connections and working together to sell Kildare as one destination.

The Kildare Tourism Industry Networking Event, delivered by Fáilte Ireland in partnership with Into Kildare and Kildare County Council, brought together businesses from across the county’s accommodation, hospitality, attractions, activities, food and beverage, visitor experience and Horse Country sectors.

The structured networking sessions put tourism businesses directly in front of one another, giving them an opportunity to learn more about the breadth of experiences available across the county and identify practical ways to collaborate, cross-sell and encourage visitors to see and do more during their time in Kildare.

The event also explored key tourism trends and changing visitor expectations, looking at how businesses can respond to opportunities within the sector and work collectively to create memorable visitor experiences.

With tourism continuing to be an important economic driver for County Kildare, speakers highlighted the role the industry plays in supporting local businesses, jobs and communities.

Rather than individual businesses competing for visitors, the focus was on how the industry can collectively encourage people to stay longer, explore further, spend locally and make lasting memories in County Kildare.

The event comes at an important time as Kildare prepares for an exceptionally busy 2027, with a calendar of major events presenting significant opportunities for tourism and hospitality businesses across the county.

County Kildare will host the Irish Open at The K Club in July, followed by the National Ploughing Championships in Rathangan in September, while Ireland will welcome an international audience for the Ryder Cup at Adare Manor.

Kildare will also continue to build its own calendar of major visitor events and experiences, including the St. Brigid, Spirit of Kildare Festival and Taste of Kildare.

Attendees heard from renowned travel writer and broadcaster Fionn Davenport, one of Ireland’s best-known voices in travel media. A longstanding Lonely Planet author, Fionn’s work has featured extensively in Irish and international publications.

The event also welcomed Eveanna Ryan, from Connacht Hospitality Group. With more than 20 years’ experience across the hospitality and tourism industry in Ireland and internationally, Eveanna shared her commercial and industry perspective with Kildare tourism businesses.

Both speakers explored opportunities and trends shaping tourism and hospitality and the importance of understanding what today’s visitor is looking for when developing and promoting a destination.

Collaboration Key to Selling Kildare

Chloe McGrory, Tourism Manager with Into Kildare, said: “The aim of this event was very practical, to bring Kildare tourism businesses together, get them talking and create real opportunities for collaboration.

“Visitors don’t see our businesses as competitors; they see Kildare as a destination and the overall experience we give them. Collaboration is key to how we sell the county. Our hotels should know our attractions, our attractions should know our restaurants, activities and experiences, and we should all be confident recommending what Kildare has to offer.

“As Fionn mentioned in his presentation, Kildare doesn’t need to shout louder, we need to speak with one voice. We have an incredible tourism offering and our message is clear: we want people to come to Kildare, experience the county and, most importantly, make memories here.

“2027 presents a huge opportunity for tourism in Kildare, but our focus is not simply on bringing someone into Kildare for an event. If somebody comes for the Irish Open, the Ploughing Championships or another major occasion, we want to give them reasons to stay an extra night, visit another attraction, book a local experience, enjoy our food offering and discover a part of Kildare they may never have experienced before.”

The event also provided an opportunity for Fáilte Ireland and Into Kildare to update attendees on tourism development, opportunities and trends, while facilitated networking encouraged businesses to discuss potential partnerships, packages, referrals and cross-promotion.

The partnership between Fáilte Ireland, Into Kildare and Kildare County Council will continue to focus on supporting the county’s tourism industry, strengthening collaboration and ensuring Kildare is well positioned to capitalise on the significant opportunities ahead in 2027 and beyond.