Ireland took centre stage on the opening day of ITB Berlin, the world’s largest B2B travel trade show, with Tourism Ireland showcasing 21 small- and medium-sized tourism suppliers on 3 March 2026. The delegation — ranging from boutique whiskey distilleries and adventure-tour providers to Aer Lingus and premium hotel groups — is part of a wider Government push to deepen market diversification and lift Mainland-European visitor spend from €2 billion to €3 billion by 2031. Germany is already Ireland’s third-largest source market, delivering 480,000 visitors and €464 million in 2024. By hosting hundreds of pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings on the Ireland stand, Tourism Ireland aims to convert interest into concrete 2026-2027 booking commitments for regional attractions outside the classic Dublin-Galway-Killarney circuit. Director of Markets & Partnerships Siobhán McManamy told media that Ireland’s selling points this year include enhanced air connectivity, new luxury hotel inventory and expanded ‘greenways’ for cycling holidays. Selling the destination’s ease of access is a direct play to corporate-events planners, who are increasingly seeking sustainable European venues reachable by short-haul flights. For mobility and travel managers, the ITB presence signals continued capacity on routes such as Frankfurt–Dublin and Munich–Shannon, facilitating both leisure and bleisure itineraries for expatriate staff based on the continent. The event also provides Irish DMCs with channels to negotiate net rates with global TMCs, potentially lowering accommodation costs for inbound assignees attending training or onboarding sessions in Ireland. The participation aligns with the Government’s Action Plan on Market Diversification, which has unlocked additional marketing funds for Tourism Ireland in the DACH region. A unified German-Austrian-Swiss (DACH) approach, launched in January, is expected to produce synergistic campaigns around culture, gastronomy and remote-work ‘workcation’ packages — a trend that could attract longer-stay, higher-value visitors and accompanying family members.
Source: Tourism Ireland press release
