French tour operators enjoying a visit to Dart Mountain Cheese, with owner Julie Hickey (front, third right); and Olivia Scullion, Tourism Ireland (left).
A group of leading French tour operators has been exploring Northern Ireland – as guests of Tourism Ireland and Tourism NI.
These tour operators are important partners for Tourism Ireland, as they bring valuable French tourists to the island of Ireland each year. Tourism Ireland aims to familiarise them with our superb tourism offering – including some of the many sustainable tourism experiences now available – given that this is a key time to influence the addition of new tourism products to their programmes for 2025 and beyond.
The group’s action-packed itinerary included a tour of the cheesemaking rooms at Dart Mountain Cheese in the Sperrin Mountains, a sheepdog demonstration at Glenshane Country Farm, lunch at Broughgammon Farm in Ballycastle and a visit to the Peacemakers Museum in Derry. The tour operators enjoyed a visit to Killeavy Castle Estate, a walking tour of Belfast with DC Tours, a visit to St George’s Market and the J&J McConnell’s Distillery and Visitor Experience. They also explored Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, The Gobbins and the Giant’s Causeway.
Ana Luis, Tourism Ireland’s Trade Partnership Manager France, said: “Working with the travel trade is an important element of Tourism Ireland’s promotional activity in France, so fact-finding visits for groups like this are really important. Seeing is believing – and our aim is to encourage them to extend the Northern Ireland content of their programmes, helping to secure a greater share of their business for the island of Ireland in 2025 and beyond.”
