Restoring the Great Britain market to growth is a major priority for Tourism Restoring the Great Britain market to growth is a major priority for Tourism Ireland in 2011. Great Britain accounts for over 50% of all overseas visitors Ireland in 2011. Great Britain accounts for over 50% of all overseas visitors to the island of Ireland and 35% of overseas tourism revenue. The impact to the island of Ireland and 35% of overseas tourism revenue. The impact of the downturn on the Great Britain economy has not been uniform and of the downturn on the Great Britain economy has not been uniform and unfortunately the regions most severely affected are amongst those which unfortunately the regions most severely affected are amongst those which have traditionally represented our most important market segments. have traditionally represented our most important market segments.

Focus and f lexibility will be the hallmarks of our activity in Great Britain Focus and f lexibility will be the hallmarks of our activity in Great Britain for the coming year and we will focus on those regions and market segment for the coming year and we will focus on those regions and market segment most likely to deliver growth. Differentiation and valu e will continue to act most likely to deliver growth. Differentiation and valu e will continue to act as f ilters for our communication activities to ensure that we continue to as f ilters for our communication activities to ensure that we continue to change the perceptions in both areas. change the perceptions in both areas.

The Ireland message, that there’s never been a better time to visit with The Ireland message, that there’s never been a better time to visit with great valu e and terrif ic things to do and see, will be highly visible throughout great valu e and terrif ic things to do and see, will be highly visible throughout 2011 – as we promote city breaks, touring holidays, golf and business 2011 – as we promote city breaks, touring holidays, golf and business tourism – on TV, radio, online, as well as through an extensive publicity tourism – on TV, radio, online, as well as through an extensive publicity programme, through promotions and on socia l media.programme, through promotions and on socia l media.

“

The Great Britain (GB) Market

Sales Toolkit

London – March 2011London – March 2011

14

Sales Toolkit 15

Our priorities in 2011 will be: Our priorities in 2011 will be:

•• highlighting what makes the island of Ireland a fun and friendly place highlighting what makes the island of Ireland a fun and friendly place for holidays and short breaks and dialling up those aspects of culture and for holidays and short breaks and dialling up those aspects of culture and heritage that differentiate us from domestic destinations within Great Britain;heritage that differentiate us from domestic destinations within Great Britain;

•• promoting the great valu e on offer from industry partners here, such as promoting the great valu e on offer from industry partners here, such as accommodation providers, restaurants, activity operators, conference venues etc;accommodation providers, restaurants, activity operators, conference venues etc;

•• maintaining a year-round marketing presence on TV, radio, on popular travel maintaining a year-round marketing presence on TV, radio, on popular travel and lifestyle websites, in newspapers, magazines and on socia l media including and lifestyle websites, in newspapers, magazines and on socia l media including Facebook and Twitter.Facebook and Twitter.

Despite the challenges experienced in the Great Britain market in recent years, Despite the challenges experienced in the Great Britain market in recent years, we are conf ident that we can return the market to growth and make positive steps we are conf ident that we can return the market to growth and make positive steps towards this in 2011. towards this in 2011.

Interest in holidaying on the island of Ireland remains strong in GB; in fact, the Interest in holidaying on the island of Ireland remains strong in GB; in fact, the island of Ireland is seventh in order of preference for places GB holidaymakers island of Ireland is seventh in order of preference for places GB holidaymakers wish to visit – a good foundation on which to build for the future. We have also wish to visit – a good foundation on which to build for the future. We have also seen some improvement in GB visitors’ satisfaction with valu e for money from seen some improvement in GB visitors’ satisfaction with valu e for money from 41% in 2009 to 50% in 2010. This is an important step forward, as this is an area 41% in 2009 to 50% in 2010. This is an important step forward, as this is an area which had presented challenges in recent years.which had presented challenges in recent years.

With a focused, impactful and exciting marketing plan for 2011, focusing With a focused, impactful and exciting marketing plan for 2011, focusing on key messages via the most successful channels, coupled with the beginnings on key messages via the most successful channels, coupled with the beginnings of stabilisation in the market, our return to growth strategy will begin to yield of stabilisation in the market, our return to growth strategy will begin to yield positive results.positive results.

Vanessa Markey, Head of Great Britain

“

Step

1

Sales Toolkit16

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Why should I target the GB Market?

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The The UKUK is the wo

rld’s 3rd largest 3rd larg

est

outbound travel

market

outbound travel

market after after

Germany and th

e US.

Germany and th

e US.

Most popular de

stinations:

Most popular de

stinations:

4. USA 4. USA

5. Greece5. Greece

6. Island of Ireland

1. Spain1. Spain

2. France

3. Italy6. Island

of6. Island

ofFranceFrance

3. Italy3. Italy

In research carried out

in GB, when people wer

e asked

what springs to mind ab

out Ireland, there was a

strong

association with Dublin

. For tourism businesses

outside

of Dublin, where there m

ight be less awareness

or a

vagueness about the ge

ography, places of inter

est,

activities available etc,

it’s important to show

the variety

of things to do in your

local area. The clever us

e of

maps which suggest lot

s of interesting things t

o do in

your local area rather t

han just a text descript

ion can be

effective on your websi

te / promotional mater

ial etc.

Although there is no ne

ed to translate text for

your

website, you should st

ill consider internation

alisation

of your website for cur

rency, imagery, search

engine

optimisation etc. Resea

rch has shown that the

cost

of living and euro prici

ng can create a signifi c

ant

stumbling block for GB

holidaymakers at the

point of

booking their holiday t

o Ireland, so bear these

points in

mind when tailoring yo

ur website to your pot

ential

GB customers.

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e woww

t t t

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use of

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aterial etc.

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Other interesting facts about the GB travel market:• 45-64 year olds with no dependent children represent one in four people and one in three trips abroad.• Someone turns 50 every 40 seconds in the UK.

• The South East is the most populous region of the country. This is also the region from which Ireland gets most of its holiday visits.• The minimum statutory holiday

entitlement is 28 days annually.• Travel and tourism products constitute around 50% of all online purchases in the UK.

• More money is spent on online advertising in the UK than on television advertising, radio advertising or print advertising.• Surfi ng the internet is now more popular than watching television.

Sales Toolkit

Questions to ask yourself:* What do these facts about the GB market

tell me about who I’m targeting?* How can I use them to help me increase

my GB business?* Look at Ireland through the eyes of the

GB holidaymaker – does my product

match what they are looking for?

Sales Toolkit

Step

1

17

What are the prospects for the GB Market?

Despite the general prediction of slow economic growth and low consumer confi dence, there are real opportunities for Irish tourism to regain its share of the GB market. The big negative of recent years has been the perception of poor value for money – especially the cost of those smaller items that come out of daily spending money – a cup of coffee, a drink etc. Accommodation and ‘things to do’ can offer fantastic value for money so we have two challenges; 1. to communicate that message and 2. for the Irish industry to deliver good value on those smaller items that stick

in someone’s mind as being expensive. We all remember if we paid €8 for a cappuccino in the main square in Florence rather than what the accommodation cost us. Our visitors are the same; if, collectively we can communicate and deliver value for money as well as the authentic, memorable, friendly welcome that we are renowned for, we will be well on the road to recapturing the important GB holiday market. Word of mouth will spread quickly – both in person and on the internet – so let’s view 2011 as the year when things are turned around – to all our benefi t.

18 Sales Toolkit

The GB Market to Ireland

Size and value of the GB market• Great Britain is the most important

source market for the island of Ireland, accounting for 52% of all visitors and 39% of holidaymakers in 2009.

• It accounts for 35% of all tourism revenue.

• It accounts for 33% of all accommodation bednights.

• 1.1 million British holidaymakers came here in 2009.

• They spend the highest proportion of their budget on food and drink.

• 22% of our GB holidaymakers are from the highest AB social class.

Where are they from and how do they get here?• 78% come by air and 22% by sea.

• British holidaymakers are as likely to bring a car as they are to hire one.

• Ease of access is rated as a particular advantage of holidaying here. This is seen as a particular advantage for ‘empty nesters’, for whom ease of travel is important (avoiding hassles in airports etc).

Where do they go?• The most popular regions for visiting are Dublin (52%), the southwest (20%), the west (14%), Northern Ireland (8%) and the south east (7%).

• Dublin accounts for one third (34%) of all British holidaymaker bednights, followed by the south west at 24% and the west at 19%.

How long do they stay?• The trend for shorter stays continues, with 7 out of 10 GB holidaymakers staying 5 nights or less. Overall, the average stay is 5 nights. Longer holidays are more likely in the June – August period.

What age are they?While GB holidaymakers tend to be older, with 61% aged 35+ in 2009, there is a trend toward a younger profi le in recent years. The majority of the 35-54 year olds travel as a couple. Ireland has become more dependent on the older end of the market; the 55+ cohort now accounts for 1 in 3 holiday visits from Britain compared to 23% in 2000. Tourism Ireland plans to re energise the younger GB market in 2011 with a focus on city breaks and adventure activity holidays.

Is it their fi rst visit?Almost three out of every fi ve (57%) British holidaymakers are repeat visitors to Ireland, the highest of all of our source markets. Ireland has become more dependent on repeat visitors with the share and number of fi rst time visitors and holidaymakers in marked decline in recent years (from 42% in 2003 down to 35% in 2009). Tourism Ireland’s additional focus in 2011 on a younger market will seek to address this trend.

What do they do when they’re here?• Least likely market to engage in an

activity (refl ecting in part the high level of city breaks).

• The market most likely to just come to relax and get away from things,

Sales Toolkit 19

Ireland’s top fi ve advantages for GB holidaymakers. %Irish people 41The scenery 14Access/easy to get to 12English speaking 11Culture/history 9

• ‘Connections with locals’ is often cited as a key feature of a good holiday for GB holidaymakers. Markets (local markets, farmers markets etc) are seen as a familiar yet stimulating context for meeting the locals.

Value for money

41% of GB holidaymakers considered that they got good “all round value for money” from their holiday in Ireland in 2009. This increased to 50% in 2010.

Visitors from GB and Germany are most critical of high prices in Ireland (2 out of 5 Britons and 1 in 3 Germans).

Scores in the GB market for value for money/cost of living have moved negatively since 2005. In 2005, 10% expressed dissatisfaction; this had

increased to 32% in 2009.

In recent years the pricing of accommodation in Ireland is perceived as offering real value for money but food and drink are still perceived as being expensive by potential visitors.

In terms of image in the overseas markets this presents a challenge to the Irish tourism industry – to offer value and to communicate that value in all promotional offers.

they also have the greatest up-take on using spa facilities when here.

• Just over half of British holidaymakers engage in historical / cultural activities while here, compared to four out of fi ve French, German and US holidaymakers.

When do they visit?• The island of Ireland is a year roundholiday destination for GB holidaymakers, offering the best seasonal distribution with 43% arriving in the off season (October to April).

When do British holidaymakers visit Ireland? (2009)Jan – Mar 1 9 %Apr – Jun 2 7 %Jul – Sep 3 6 %Oct – Dec 17%

How do they rate their holiday here?• GB holidaymakers rate Irish people

as the top distinguishing factor when comparing Ireland to other holiday destinations.

• 76% of British holidaymakers would recommend Ireland for a holiday. Although high, this fi gure is 8-10% lower than for the other main markets of US, Germany and France. Of the 22% who would have some reservations in recommending Ireland, high prices were the main cause of hesitancy for 56%.

• In 2009, 64% of GB holidaymakers said that they would defi nitely visit Ireland again over the next few years. This is higher than for our other main overseas markets.

Step

1

20 Sales Toolkit

Access to Ireland from GB

Why is access so important?

• As an island, people can’t drive here, so air and ferry access are critical.

• With people taking shorter breaks, easy access into the regions is important for a regional spread of tourism.

• For those in the pre-family life stage, the availability of discounted fl ights can determine the choice of holiday destination.

• In summer 2010, there were 1,601 fl ights every week from GB to the island of Ireland. That was 223,143 inbound seats per week.

• Refl ecting the growth in short breaks, the trend has been towards increasing use of air access, now 78%. 22% of GB holidaymakers travel here by ferry (down from 38% in 2004.)

• Between 1999 and 2009 the percentage of GB holidaymakers who brought their car with them fell from 32% to 20% while the proportion who hired a car here increased from 11% to 16%. Over the same period the proportion who did not use a car rose from 54% to 65%.

• There is a growth in urban based holidays with less regional touring.

Sales Toolkit 21

Flight access from GB

Note: Flight and ferry schedules can change frequently. For up to date information see www.discoverireland.com/gb/ireland-plan-your-visit/getting-there/

Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the information at time of print. You are advised to confi rm detailsand check websites for changes to access routes.

Belfa

st

GOIN

G TO

LEAVING FROM

Belfa

st In

tern

atio

nal

Cork

City

of D

erry

Done

gal

Dubl

inGa

lway

Kerry

Irela

nd W

est

Airp

ort,

Knoc

k

Shan

non

Slig

o W

ater

ford

Carriers

Aberdeen

Birmingham

Blackpool

Bristol

Cardiff

Doncaster

Dundee

East Midlands

East MidlandsNottingham

Edinburgh

Exeter

Gatwick

Glasgow Prestwick

Glasgow

Guernsey

Inverness

Isle of Man

Jersey

Leeds Bradford

Liverpool

London City

London Heathrow

London Stansted

Luton

Manchester

Newcastle

Newquay

Norwich

Plymouth

Southampton

Southend

Step

1

22 Sales Toolkit

What should I do now?

• Check out the fl ight schedule for your nearest airport/(s) to establish opportunities for you and partners in your area to promote in the source market. For example, the new Edinburgh to Ireland West Airport Knock and Edinburgh to Shannon routes present opportunities for the industry in the midwest, west and north west of Ireland.

• Check out the ferry schedules for your nearest ferry port.

• Create links on your website to your nearest airport/(s) and ferry port.

• Remember to tell your customers the journey times to your premises from different airports or ferry ports e.g. 2 hours from Dublin Airport, 20 minutes from Shannon Airport, 1 hour from Rosslare Port etc.

• If it’s easy to get to your property by train, remember to provide information on train services to your customers.

• Research in GB has shown that many potential holidaymakers think it might be diffi cult to travel from place to place in Ireland. This highlights the importance of showing your potential customers how easy it is both to (a) get to Ireland and (b) travel around when they’re here. Give details of airports, ferry service, motorways, rail services etc.

• Look at Ireland through the eyes of the GB holidaymaker and show them that travelling to Ireland is as convenient/more convenient than a staycation in GB.

Ferry Access from GB

GO

ING

TO

Larn

e

Dubl

in

Ross

lare

Cork

Dun

Laog

haire

Belfa

st

Bally

cast

le

OPERATORS

LEAVING FROM

Cairnryan

Troon

Liverpool

Fishguard

Holyhead

Isle of Man - Douglas

Liverpool (Birkenhead)

Pembroke

Swansea

Stranraer

Campbelltown

Isle of Man Steam Packet Company

Sales Toolkit 23

Airport websites

Dublin Airport www.dublinairport.com

Cork Airport www.corkairport.com

Shannon Airport www.shannonairport.com

Belfast City Airport www.belfastcityairport.com

Belfast International Airport www.belfastairport.com

Carrickfi nn Airport www.donegalairport.ie

City of Derry Airport www.cityofderryairport.com

Galway Airport www.galwayairport.com

Ireland West Airport, Knock www.irelandwestairport.com

Kerry Airport www.kerryairport.com

Waterford Airport www.waterfordairport.ie

Ferry port websites

Belfast www.belfast-harbour.co.uk/interactive-harbour

Ballycastle www.moyle-council.org

Cork www.portofcork.ie

Dublin Port www.dublinport.ie

Dun Laoghaire www.dlharbour.ie

Larne www.portofl arne.co.uk

Rosslare www.rosslare.ie

Step

1

24 Sales Toolkit

How do British Holidaymakers Plan and Purchase their Holiday?

From fi rst deciding where to go on holiday through to experiencing it at the chosen destination, there are 4 key stages:

INTERNET:

WORD OF MOUTH

GUIDE BOOKS

OTHER MARKETING INITIATIVES:

STAGE 1Information& Planning

STAGE 2Shopping

STAGE 3Purchasing/

Booking

STAGE 4Delivery of ‘Experience’

Direct / Indirect / Social (Web 2.0)/mobile

Advertising/

co-operative marketing/promotional literature

ONLINE TRAVEL AGENT /TRADITIONAL TRAVEL AGENT

DIRECT:

MOBILE:

KEY CHANNELS / INFLUENCES

Emerging

Online or offline

DIRECT:

MOBILE: Emerging

On the ground

The Buying Process

At the information and planning stages, which can take weeks, people are likely to visit a variety of websites including:

1. General search query websites suchas Google.

2. Destination marketing websites such as DiscoverIreland.com.

3. Online Travel Agent (OTA) sites such as Expedia.

4. Travel community sites such as TripAdvisor.

5. Metasearch sites such as kayak.co.uk and travelsupermarket.com which search multiple individual search engines/websites to make product and price comparisons.

6. Links within social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

Sales Toolkit 25

Online shopping for holidays – some key facts• 65% of European travellers use websites

as their fi rst source in researching holidays.

• 48% visit more than fi ve websites.

• 59% research their holiday on an Online Travel Agent (OTA) website but actually make the purchase on the supplier’s own website.

• 60% of European travellers buy at least some component of their travel online compared to 80% in the US.

How do GB holidaymakers arrange their holiday to the island of Ireland?• GB holidaymakers to the island of

Ireland are very independent, with just 7% coming here on a package or inclusive holiday where an inclusive price for fares to/from Ireland and at least one other element, such as accommodation, car hire, etc. was paid fully or partly in advance.

• They are the least likely market to visit a tourist information offi ce when they’re here.

• 24% of young travellers use social networking sites to help plan holidays indicating the growing importance of this channel in infl uencing holiday planning.

Step

1

• In 2008, almost 80% of our visitors from the four main overseas markets purchased some element of their trip online with air or sea tickets the most common purchase followed by accommodation.

• Word of mouth is the most important infl uence on deciding where to holiday for all holidaymakers to Ireland. For GB holidaymakers it is most important for 43%, for US holidaymakers the fi gure is 54%, for France it is 56% and for Germany it is 52%.

• Once the decision on where to go is made, the internet is the most important source of information for planning the holiday. It is used by 63% of GB holidaymakers, 74% of US holidaymakers, 60% of French

holidaymakers and 65% of German holidaymakers.

• Guidebooks play a less important role in planning a holiday among our GB (28%) holidaymakers than for holidaymakers from the US (59%), France (48%) or Germany (59%). The most popular Ireland guidebooks in GB are:

1. Ireland AA Key Guide

2. Eyewitness Travel Guide: Ireland

3. Frommer’s Ireland 2010

4. Insight Guide – Ireland

5. Lonely Planet

6. The Rough Guide To Ireland

7. Timeout – Dublin

If the GB market is important for you, you should buy copies of these popular guide books to see if you are listed or featured. If the guidebooks are not stocked in your local book shop, they are available for purchase online. If you are listed, then keep in touch with the editor / publisher if you have news on any product developments, new services you offer GB visitors etc. If you’re not listed but you feel you have an interesting product that really appeals to GB holidaymakers, then contact the editor / publisher to provide information for possible inclusion in the guide when they are next updating it. Also invite the editor or researcher to visit you when they are in Ireland doing research for their next edition.

26 Sales Toolkit

Sources of information for British holidaymakers when choosing Ireland as a holiday destination

2006 2009

Internet 37% 54%

Word of mouth 38% 43%

Guide books 11% 19%

Other promo material 16% 16%

Advertising for Ireland 10% 12%Tip

Sales Toolkit 27

Two important segments for Tourism Ireland in the GB market are:1. Sightseers & Culture Seekers 2. Scenic Relaxers

A Sightseer & Culture Seeker (S&CS) is someone for whom “exploring a country’s sights and fi nding out about its culture” is the key motivator for going on holiday.

GB Sightseers and Culture Seekers

Who they are:

Living outside urban/metropolitan Britain.

Needs:

Visiting interesting historical landmarks in addition to museums and art galleries and they like mixing with locals.

Holiday Types:

Take one long holiday and they bring their own car or fl y and hire a car. They also take several city breaks. Travel throughout the island of Ireland and most likely to visit Dublin, the North, South & West.

Reaching them:

Avid viewers of BBC and Channel 4. Are likely readers of The Times, Telegraph & Guardian. Use brochures, travel agents and increasingly the internet.

Charles (51) and Penny (47)

are full time professionals from Oxford, looking forward to early retirement. They have one child at university and another on a gap year in South America.

They live in a comfortable stone house in Oxfordshire with a small garden where they love to relax in summer.

They enjoy bridge, gardening, visiting the theatre with friends and eating out. They take the odd city break each year and a main holiday in the summer.

Who does Tourism Ireland Target in the GB Market? Ste

p 1

The British Sightseer & Culture seeker...on the island of Ireland

Perceptions of Island of Ireland

The island is perceived as beautiful and welcoming and easily accessible for S&CS. High interest in visiting but they need convincing on how different an island of Ireland holiday is from a GB domestic holiday, and on the value for money that is on offer on the island.

Short City Breakers Longer Rural Holidays

Visitation In recent years short city breaks have become very important to this group.

The longer rural holiday has lost some popularity to the city break in recent years.

Holiday behaviour

Tend to stay 1-3 nights with about a fi fth extending to up to 5 nights. The city break is more appealing to the younger female S&CS and 50% are single and most do not have kids. They tend to stay in Dublin and over a third are here on a repeat visit. They tend to travel in couples or with a group of adults and visit year round. Hotels (mainly 3 star) most popular with this group.

This group tend to travel in the summer months and stay between 5 and 8 nights. The majority visit the West and the South West. They are older than the average S&CS to the island and two thirds are here on a repeat visit. They tend to be married and travel in a couple or with their family. They are highly likely to use a car on their trip. Hotels, guesthouses and rented all popular with this group.

How do I reach them?

As the island is so well known to GB holidaymakers a high proportion use the internet for choosing, planning and booking their holiday. Word of mouth is also key as almost everyone knows someone who has been to Ireland.

28 Sales Toolkit

How many in GB? 6.5 million

Heart of segment Exploration, engagement and authentic new experiences.

Who is the GB S&CS? ABC1 (56% AB), tend to be married, older 50+ Concentrated in London, the North West and the South West. Take many short breaks.What matters on holiday? Beautiful scenery, and having lots to see and do are key

considerations for S&CS, value for money and safety and security are important to the older S&Cs. While on holidays in general this group like to visit natural attractions and to experience local food, drink and cuisine. Exploring small towns and villages and visiting historic houses, castles and gardens is also important. Getting under the skin of a destination is really important to this group.

The British Sightseer and Culture Seeker (S & CS)...in Great Britain

The British Scenic Relaxer...on the island of Ireland

Perceptions of Island of Ireland

Ireland is perceived as beautiful and welcoming, and also, importantly, easy to get to at a reasonable price. Interest in the island is high but they need more convincing on some of the physical aspects of the island as a holiday destination (lots to see and do, uniqueness, value for money).

Short City Breakers Longer Rural Holidays

Visitation City Breaks very appealing to this group.

The longer rural holiday offering is more appealing to this group than to the S&CS.

Holiday behaviour

Majority stay 1-3 nights and while Dublin is the most popular destination they are more inclined to take a city break in a different destination, a very high proportion on a repeat visit and the city breakers tend to be under 55. There is a strong female bias and majority are married - just a quarter have dependent children. Hotels (mainly 3 star) are popular with this group.

More concentrated in the summer months and stay longer that the S&CS. South West and the West are the most popular regions. This group are loyal and 8 in 10 are here on a repeat visit. 3 out of 4 are 45+ and the majority are married with a signifi cant proportion having dependent kids. They travel mainly in a couple or with their family. 8 in 10 will also use a car and the majority will base themselves in one region outside Dublin. Rented accommodation suits the needs of this group well.

How do I reach them?

As the island is so well known to GB holidaymakers a high proportion use the Internet for choosing, planning and booking their holiday. Word of mouth is also key as almost everyone knows someone who has been to Ireland.

Sales Toolkit 29

A Scenic Relaxer (SR) is someone for whom “Relaxing and getting away from it all” is the key motivator for going on holiday, but not motivated by a sun holiday.

How many in GB? 4.5 million

Heart of segment Busy people who want an easy escape from everyday life.

Who is the GB S&CS? ABC1 C2 (higher proportion in the C1 category than S&CS), even gender split, even age split with a higher

proportion at the 30-50 age group. Concentrated in

London, the North West and the South West.

What matters on holiday? Relaxing and getting away from it all for an easy and

stress free experience are key holiday motivators as well as spending quality time with family or a partner. Value for money and safety & security are also key to this group.

The British Scenic Relaxer…in Great Britain

Step

1

Before you embark on selling your product overseas, it’s important to understand the match or fi t between it and the demands of the GB holidaymaker.

In broad terms, there is potential for every product in every market but ask yourself these questions to help determine which markets offer the best potential for your product and those in your local area;

• How good is access from the market to your product / your region?

• Is your product readily accessible to potential customers in the appropriate distribution channel (e.g. your relationships with tour operators, the quality of your website etc.)?

• How does this market perform for you at present / do you have an established track record in servicing it?

• Can you capitalise on or respond to the trends / growth patterns / opportunities in the market?

How do I know if my product will appeal to the GB holidaymaker?

What Services or Products are Most Relevant to the GB Market?

There is widespread belief among the Irish tourism industry that the current demand for shorter breaks, city breaks, event tourism, activity and adventure holidays, and culturally motivated trips is likely to gain popularity over the next fi ve to ten years.

30 Sales Toolkit

The ITIC (Irish Tourist Industry Confederation) report, A Changed World for Irish Tourism, published in 2010, matches Ireland’s main tourism products with the markets that present the best potential.

Matching our products to the markets with the best potential

Activity

Culture/Heritage

CityBreaks

Touring

Business/Incentive

Activities/Adventure

Festivals/Events

Golf

Priority market 1

Priority market 2

Priority market 3

Sales Toolkit 31

Step

1

32 Sales Toolkit

The products with the most potential in the GB market are:

Culture and Heritage Golf

Festivals / eventsBusiness Tourism

Activities / Adventure Touring

Sales Toolkit 33

Company Name

Alba Travel & Events

Andrew's of Tideswell Ltd

Anglers/ Martin's World Holidays

Applesby Coach Holidays

Bakers Dolphin

Barrhead Travel Ltd

Best of Scotland Holidays

Booking.com

Bowens Travel

Boxwood Tours

Brightwater Holidays

Caledonian Travel

CIE Tours

Claddah Travel

Cresta Holidays

Crusader Holidays

Daley Irish Tours

David Palmer Coaches

David Urquhart Travel

Days Away

Dodds of Troon Ltd

Driveline Golf

Easy Breaks

Ebookers

Edwards Coach Holidays

Executive Golf & Leisure

Expedia

Glenton Holidays

Golf Par Excellence

Golf Ireland

Golfbreaks.com

Grand UK Holidays

Great Rail Journeys

Harrison Holidays

Harry Shaw Travel

HF Holidays

Hostelbookers.com

Hotel Connect

www.alba-travel.co.uk

www.andrews-of-tideswell.co.uk

www.anglersworld.tv www.irelandbreaks.co.uk

www.applebysholidays.com

www.bakersdolphin.com

www.barrheadtravel.co.uk

www.best-of-scotland.co.uk

www.booking.com

www.bowenstravel.com

www.boxwoodtours.co.uk

www.brightwaterholidays.com

www.caledoniantravel.com

www.cietours.com

www.claddahtravel.co.uk

and irishcitybreaks.co.uk

www.crestaholidays.co.uk

www.crusader-holidays.co.uk

www.daleyirishtours.com

www.davidpalmercoaches.co.uk

www.davidurquharttravel.co.uk

www.daysaway.co.uk

www.doddsoftroon.com

www.drivelinegolf.com

www.easy-breaks.com

www.ebookers.com

www.edwardscoaches.co.uk

www.execgolf-leisure.com

www.expedia.co.uk

www.glentonholidays.co.uk

www.golfparexcellence.com

www.golfireland.com

www.golfbreaks.com

www.grandukholidays.com

www.greatrail.com

www.harrisonholidays.co.uk

www.harryshaw.co.uk

www.hfholidays.co.uk

www.hostelbookers.com

www.hotelconnect.co.uk

Acco

m o

nly

Angl

ing

OtherCoac

hCr

uisin

gCu

lture

/Her

itage

Cycli

ngEq

uest

rian

Gard

ens

Golf

Mot

orin

gSe

lf-Ca

terin

gSe

nior

Citi

zens

Shor

t Bre

aks

Spa

Wal

king

Wat

ersp

orts

Telephone

01334 656 548

01298 871222

01246 221717

01507 357900

01934 415000

0141 222 2223

01333 360 395

020 3320 2609

01827 300 000

01341 241 717

01334 657 155

0141 226 4976

00 353 1 703 1888

0121 200 3320 or

0844 8733 5444

0844 800 7018

01255 425 453

01738 560435

01924 895 849

0844 87171717

01333 360600

01292 288100

08703301056

08430 502020

020 3320 3320

01443 202 048

01786 832244

0871 226 0808

08000 242 424

01737 21 18 18

0800 2797988

0845 675 6005

01603 619933

01904 521 936

01553 774634

024 7645 5544

0845 470 7558

0845 2308888

Website

Garden Tours

Special interest tours

Whiskey tours/Clan gatherings

Escorted Rail Holidays

GB Tour Operator / Travel Agent Programmes to Ireland Step

1

34 Sales Toolkit

www.hotelconnexions.com

www.hoteldirect.co.uk

www.hrs.com

www.hotels.com

www.hotels4u.com

www.inthesaddle.com

www.irishferries.com

www.kingworldtravel.com

www.kingsanglingholidays.co.uk

www.kirkerholidays.com

www.lastminute.com

www.leger.co.uk

www.leisurelinkgolf.com

www.linksgolfstandrews.com

www.seeirelanddifferently.co.uk

www.nationalholidays.com

www.northbritishtours.com

www.ireland-oncourse.co.uk

www.opodo.co.uk

www.pabtours.com

www.parrys.info

www.rabbies.com

www.shearings.com/ireland

www.skillsholidays.co.uk

www.stenaline.co.uk

www.stewarttravel.co.uk

www.superbreak.com

www.takethefamily.com

www.tangney-tours.com

www.tayleurmayde.com

www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk

www.caravanclub.co.uk

www.thomsoncities.co.uk

www.titantravel.co.uk

www.ttfgolf.com

www.travelzoo.co.uk

www.whytes.co.uk

www.wilkinsongolf.com

Acco

m o

nly

Angl

ing

OtherCoac

hCr

uisin

gCu

lture

/Her

itage

Cycli

ngEq

uest

rian

Gard

ens

Golf

Mot

orin

gSe

lf-Ca

terin

gSe

nior

Citi

zens

Shor

t Bre

aks

Spa

Wal

king

Wat

ersp

orts

Telephone

01786 825407

0800 633 8000

0870 243 0003

020 3027 8146

0844 875 4401

01299 272997

08717 300 400

01292 287 755

01708 453 043

0207 5932288

0871 2225969

01709 839839/ 0844 6862424

01708 339300

01334 478 639

0844 804 0020

0844 4778000

01461 337 799

01372 451 910

0871 2770090

00 353 1 8733411

01922 414576

0131 226 3133

0844 2097158

0845 4502221

08445 768889

01292 476 721

0871 2213344

01732 886 666

0131 524 9554

024 76422024

01342 326 944

0844 871 0872

0800 988 5823

01334 460 789

01651 862211

01383 629940

Website

pilgrimages

Company Name

Hotel Connexions

Hotel Direct

Hotel Reservation Service (HRS)

Hotels.com

Hotels4u.com

In the Saddle

Irish Ferries Holidays

King World Travel

Kings Angling & Activity Holidays

Kirker Holidays

Lastminute.com

Leger Holidays

Leisure Link Golf Holidays Intl

Links Golf St Andrews

McKinlay Kidd Ltd

National Holidays

North British Tours

On Course Travel

Opodo

PAB

Parrys International Tours

Rabbie's Trail Burners Ltd

Shearings Holidays

Skills Holidays

Stena Line Holidays

Stewart Travel

Superbreak

Take the Family

Tangney Tours

Tayleur Mayde Golf Tours

The Camping & Caravanning Club

The Caravan Club

Thomson Cities and Short Breaks

Titan Travel Ltd

Travelling the Fairways

Travelzoo

Whytes Coaches Ltd

Wilkinson Golf & Leisure

All information correct at time of going to press but may be subject to future operator changes. See www.discoverireland.com/gb/ireland-plan-your-visit/tour-operators/.When phoning GB from Ireland, the code is: 00 + 44 + Area Code (drop the fi rst 0) + Tel number.

Sales Toolkit 35

Before you contact a GB tour operator to see if they are interested in working with you, you must do your research; Do they feature similar products to what you offer? Do they feature your area or region? Talk to Tourism Ireland in GB – they can help you with information such as who the main decision makers in the company are, how important Ireland is within their total product portfolio, how Ireland has been performing within that portfolio, the kind of products or services they are looking for, new market entrants etc.

You can save yourself a lot of legwork and costly mistakes by channelling your plans through Tourism Ireland in the market offi ce fi rst.By doing your research fi rst, you won’t waste your time or the tour operator’s time. Remember! If you are sending the tour operator an email there is every chance that they are receiving 100s more from the Irish trade, so do your research fi rst and make sure you tailor your approach to suit their needs.See page 106 for the 10 Steps to Working Successfully with Overseas Tour Operators.

Step

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