Almost 7 Million Chinese to Read About Birr

A group of influential journalists from across China enjoyed a visit to Birr last week. Representing six leading Chinese newspapers and magazines, with a combined circulation of almost seven million readers, the journalists were invited here by Tourism Ireland in Beijing to research some of our top attractions for feature stories they are writing about holidays around the island of Ireland. One of the highlights of their visit was a visit to Birr Castle Demesne where they met with Lord Ross.

Susan Li, Tourism Ireland China, said: “Visits such as this, with the ensuing extensive coverage for Birr and the island of Ireland, are a fantastic way of raising the profile of this part of Ireland in China. With the Irish Government’s recently announced visa waiver scheme making it easier for tourists from emerging economies to visit Ireland, the time is right to step up our promotion in markets like China. The Asia-Pacific region offers exciting possibilities for tourism to the island of Ireland in the medium- to long-term. The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has forecast that the Asia-Pacific region will be one of the fastest-growing regions for outbound travel in the next ten years.

“While we are working hard in the traditional markets of Great Britain and the US, Tourism Ireland is also very active right now in markets like China to raise the profile of the island of Ireland as a premier holiday and business tourism destination. Fact-finding visits and press coverage like this are an invaluable part of that marketing effort”.