Fáilte Ireland meet with tourism industry across Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands

Grainne O’Malley, Birr Castle; Olive Farrelly, Offaly Co Council; Tony Dawson, Fáilte Ireland and Gabi Hasselmann, County Arms Hotel. Pic: Gerard O’Loughlin

placeholder image — Grainne O’Malley, Birr Castle; Olive Farrelly, Offaly Co Council; Tony Dawson, Fáilte Ireland and Gabi Hasselmann, County Arms Hotel. Pic: Gerard O’Loughlin

NEARLY 80 tourism businesses (accommodation, attractions, and activity providers) from across the Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands region met recently for the first Fáilte Ireland in person networking event in the Sheraton Hotel, Athlone since the pandemic.

The purpose of the Fáilte Ireland event was for accommodation, attraction and activity providers in Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands to learn more about the breadth of experiences that are on offer in the region, as they work side by side to develop a strong cross-selling culture across the destination.

A number of ten-minute, one-to-one sessions took place so businesses could showcase their products and explore how they can develop future themed ‘bundle’ or experiences, to build on the experiences Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands offers, positioning it as a compelling holiday destination for Summer 2022 and beyond.

Speaking about the event, Paddy Mathews, Head of Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands at Fáilte Ireland, said: “As we begin to enter the busy summer season it is opportune to bring tourism businesses and local authorities together so they can learn what else is on their doorstep for visitors to enjoy. We are pleased to be working with so many businesses and local authorities today to build great itineraries and ‘bundle’ the regions tourism offerings to create more reasons for visitors to stay and enjoy the wonderful experiences available right across Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands.”