Fáilte Ireland, the national tourism development authority, has unveiled its Corporate Strategy 2026–2029, setting out plans to grow Ireland’s share of the lucrative global meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) market. At a launch event in Dublin on 15 October, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke said the goal is to increase business-events revenue by 25 per cent within three years, with a particular focus on sustainable conferences and second-tier regional cities. Key measures include a €30 million fund to retrofit convention facilities with greener HVAC systems and hybrid-meeting technology, an expanded ‘Meet in Ireland’ bid-support programme and the creation of a new ambassador network to leverage diaspora academics for conference leads. The agency will also pilot a streamlined short-stay work-permission process for conference speakers from visa-required countries, developed in conjunction with the Department of Justice. For multinational corporations, the strategy promises more capacity for leadership meetings and product launches in Ireland, with new venue inventory expected in Galway and Limerick by 2028. Regional airports in Shannon and Cork are negotiating additional transatlantic services to support delegate traffic, while national carrier Aer Lingus has signalled interest in seasonal point-to-point links to the US Midwest. The initiative aligns with the Government’s wider ‘Global Ireland 2030’ agenda, which seeks to double Ireland’s cultural and economic footprint. Analysts at Tourism Economics estimate that every conference delegate spends €1,600 on average, roughly twice the leisure-tourist spend, making business events a high-value mobility segment. Companies planning meetings in Ireland should track forthcoming guidelines on the temporary-speaker permission and factor sustainability criteria—such as carbon-neutral venue certification—into venue selection to qualify for potential grant support.
Source: Fáilte Ireland
