Tourism Northern Ireland Sales Platforms
Tourism Northern Ireland organise a number of platforms to provide NI industry with the opportunity to engage and connect with international buyers.
Attendance at these platforms can be very beneficial, particularly if you are just starting to look to market your product/experience internationally.
Meet the Buyer Workshop – April
Meet the Buyer is Tourism NI’s flagship travel trade event. It takes place annually and has grown substantially in recent years.
In 2020 due to Covid-19 the main event which was due to take place in March at the ICC Belfast, ran on a virtual platform with over one hundred tour operators from seventeen markets participating and one hundred and forty one Northern Ireland industry representatives taking part.
The event attracts a wide range of pre-qualified international buyers from NI’s core markets. Industry have the opportunity to meet with the buyers in a series of 1:1 appointments at a workshop, followed by a further networking evening event. A series or pre or post fam trips are also offered to the buyers, maximising the opportunity to showcase the destination to them during their stay. A half day mentoring session is also held a few weeks before the event for industry planning to attend for the first time, to ensure they are adequately prepared and equipped to get the most from their attendance at the workshop.
Here is how the 2023 event went:
Coach and Group Workshop - September
The Coach and Group Workshop takes place each year in September and is aimed specifically at the coach and group market from GB and ROI. The event attracts over 30 coach and group operators from these markets. It takes the format of an afternoon workshop followed by a networking dinner. The platform is suited to NI industry who are active in the coach and group sector. They will have the opportunity to present their products first-hand to the tour operators and to build new and existing relationships. The operators will also take part in a post workshop fam trip to experience the a range of local tourism product first hand and gain further insight into the destination.
ITOA Workshop – November
ITOA are Ireland’s Incoming Tour Operators Association, who represent 33 of the most prolific tour operators on the island of Ireland. Last year their members delivered 743,500 overseas visitors to Ireland including group tours, independent travelers, incentives and conferences with a spend of €595 million. This will be the third year the event has returned to Northern Ireland, providing industry with an opportunity to meet with some of Ireland’s largest and longest established Tour Operators, Handling Agents and DMC’s. The format of the event involves a networking lunch, afternoon workshop and networking dinner.