Members of the Boyne Valley tourism industry travelled to Germany last month to pitch directly to 12 of the largest tour operators in the market as part of the Failte Ireland Sales Connect programme. Fáilte Ireland has been working with local agency partners and Tourism Ireland to facilitate the promotion of the Boyne Valley in the German market along with securing real sales opportunities for 2013.
The Sales Calls included one to DerTour (one of the largest Tour Operators in Germany) and a presentation was made by Tony Brazil from Limerick Travel (the Irish ground handler for DerTour) to Boyne Valley trade members at a recent Boyne Valley networking event.

Fáilte Ireland’s Head of Operations for Dublin’s Doorstep, Kevin Moriarty says –

“We are delighted that as a result of these activities, a joint promotional plan is being undertaken with DerTour for the remainder of 2012 and into 2013 and the Boyne Valley, in particular Trim Castle with the Boyne Valley logo is being featured on the front cover of the DerTour brochure for 2013.”

240,000 of these brochures, which feature both Ireland & Great Britain, have been produced and are distributed to 14,000 Travel Agents throughout Germany and Austria. An information sheet on the area will be uploaded onto the DerTour information system which all of these Travel Agents can access and a series of joint promotional activity is being planned as part of the 2013 Sales Connect Plan.

Fáilte Ireland has been working closely with both the Louth & Meath Local Authorities on the Boyne Valley Tourism Initiative over the last number of years and the Sales Connect programme has given the tourism trade the opportunity to work directly with the travel trade in our main overseas markets.