Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald promotes Northern Ireland in Germany at major travel trade fair

Tourism Ireland creates platform for local tourism businesses to connect with international tour operators at Germany’s leading travel trade fair 

Ireland is on show this week at one of the largest travel trade fairs in the world, ITB in Berlin. Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald is lending her support to the tourism companies from Northern Ireland and across the island of Ireland who are joining Tourism Ireland at ITB, to grow our share of the important German travel market. 

ITB (Internationale Tourismus-Börse) is an important B2B event, which attracted around 100,000 visitors last year – including leading tour operators, travel agents, airlines, travel media and content creators, not just from Germany but from all over the world. Germany is the third-largest market for tourism to the island of Ireland and the largest market from Mainland Europe. The island of Ireland welcomed more than 463,000 German tourists in 2023, who spent over €430/£374 million and stayed 4 million nights (source: CSO, NISRA). 

Tourism Ireland is hosting 28 tourism companies from the island of Ireland on its stand, including 12 companies selling Northern Ireland – from premium hotels, whiskey distilleries and outdoor adventure providers to hidden gems of heritage. The three-day event provides a valuable opportunity for the tourism companies from Ireland to meet, network, negotiate and conduct business with the international tour operators and travel agents in attendance. Over the coming days, hundreds of commercial meetings will be conducted on the Ireland stand, which will, in turn, deliver overseas tourism business for the island of Ireland worth millions in 2025 and beyond.

Minister Archibald said:“Tourism to the north of Ireland represents revenue of more than £1.2 billion from overnight visitors, thanks to our fantastic and unique offering. My Department’s Tourism Vision and Action Plan sets out how we will grow that to £2 billion by 2035. This target is ambitious, but achievable, and it is vital that we continue to market Ireland, north and south, as a sustainable visitor destination to the whole world. 

“I am very pleased to support the 28 providers from the island, including 12 selling the north, at ITB Berlin, Europe’s largest international tourism trade expo. This is a fantastic platform for further raising awareness of the north as an attractive destination. It has been fascinating to engage directly with representatives from the various providers and I am confident they will see tangible benefit from their attendance at ITB Berlin.”

Speaking at ITB Berlin, Alice Mansergh, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, said: “We are delighted to be at ITB Berlin this week, one of the world’s leading travel trade fairs, joined by Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald and 28 tourism businesses from across the island of Ireland. ITB provides an invaluable platform to showcase what the island of Ireland has to offer and to strengthen relationships with influential international tour operators and travel agents.

“Germany is our largest tourism market in Mainland Europe – with German visitors contributing over €430/£374 million in 2023 – and ITB plays a vital role in growing our share of this important market for tourism. This week we will be showcasing ease of access and great places to stay, as well as the rich culture, history and outdoor experiences that make our destination so appealing to German visitors. We sincerely thank Minister Archibald for her support in helping us drive future tourism growth at this key event.”