Failte Ireland Tourism Matters December Edition 2012

The Path to GB announced pages 2–3

The Gathering Ireland 2013 pages 6 –7

Interview with Vivienne Jupp page 16

DECEMBER 2012

With a Shared Vision and a Focussed Approach, Tourism Can Grow Again AS THE year draws to a close, it is clear that the trading environment for Irish tourism remains challenging and it is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. Although tourism globally is predicted to continue growing, much of this growth will be concentrated in markets across the southern hemisphere and where Ireland does not as yet have a significant foothold in tourism and travel.

Forecasts for tourism across Western Europe, where Ireland draws 70% of its tourism business, are generally less favourable. This would suggest that for Ireland to recover from recent declines and return to longer-term tourism growth, a competitive strategy delivering market share gains will be critical to success.

Ireland is a small country, and yet in international terms many sectors of the Irish economy can punch above their weight. Tourism needs to make sure that it is among those sectors. To ensure we achieve this, the tourism sector needs to work closer together and with one voice.

Tourism is a diverse and multi-layered sector. It is an industry of 17,000 individual firms, the vast majority of which are micro-enterprises. These businesses cluster under a considerable number of trade associations and representative bodies. Regional tourism groups and local county affiliations regularly state their claim for attention. In the digital world, a variety of tourism websites and consumer comment add their contribution to this

vibrant narrative. At a national level, there are two tourism agencies.

Irish tourism therefore can on occasion present a fragmented picture to the wider world. However, on the other side such a picture can actually reflect a very helpful variety and diversity. Nevertheless, over the next three years, as it pursues the objectives of recovery and growth, Irish tourism must unite under a single and common sense of purpose. Everyone with a stake in the industry must buy into a shared vision for Irish tourism.

A shared vision in the tourism sector must also be matched by a clear focus on where we need to grow. Some core markets for Irish tourism have begun to recover after several very tough seasons and there are solid grounds to expect this recovery to continue over the mediumterm. At the same time, the two largest markets for Irish tourism, Britain and the domestic market are contracting in the face of persistent adverse economic conditions and consequent impact on disposable incomes.

This scenario poses very great challenges for the Irish tourism industry as a whole. The relatively high dependence on the domestic market by a great many tourism businesses represents a strategic weakness which must be successfully addressed as a priority by a deliberate shift in orientation towards greater reliance on in-bound tourism.

The continuing weakness of the British market is of equal concern. There is evidence to suggest that as British outbound tourism has declined in recent years, there has been a commensurate increase in domestic tourism within

The time to ‘gather’ approaches. Are you ready? Shaun Quinn, Fáilte Ireland Chief Executive (centre), Jim Miley, Project Director, The Gathering Ireland 2013 (far right) and John Concannon, Director of Market Development, Fáilte Ireland (far left) join forces to welcome visitors in 2013. Read more inside.

Britain. Recent research conducted within the British market would indicate that Ireland is well placed to compete with domestic British destinations (Scotland, Devon, Cornwall etc.) However, this in turn requires a radical transformation in terms of how the Irish tourism offering is packaged and marketed to specific targeted segments within the overall British market. Successfully targeting these segments will contribute to at least a partial recovery in Ireland’s market share over the medium-term.

In terms of getting back to sustainable levels of tourism growth, Ireland will most likely have to place a greater emphasis and investment in other core markets. Of these, Continental Europe (most notably Germany and France) and North America will be most important – in each Ireland has an established positive reputation and their domestic economic conditions are more likely to be conductive to growth.

Here too, tourism will have to invest significantly in identifying those segments of the overall market offering best prospects to Ireland, understanding precisely which tourism experiences to develop and working aggressively and efficiently within those channels of greatest potential to Ireland.

This recovery and growth will be hard won. Yet Irish tourism must begin to grow again in order to connect with a wider customer base, reinvest and refresh its product, and regain a compelling position in a crowded field of tourism destinations around the world.

Shaun Quinn CEO, Fáilte Ireland

Fáilte Ireland 88-95 Amiens Street Dublin 1 Email: laoise.bray@failteireland.ie View online at: www.failteireland.ie

2 TARGET GB

December 2012

GB Path to Growth The Tourism Recovery Taskforce has recently published a major new strategy, GB Path to Growth, aimed at revitalising the performance of the British market.

GB Path to Growth represents a fundamental shift in how Ireland will grow visitor numbers from Great Britain. Prepared by the Tourism Recovery Taskforce the report was written following an extensive review of the island of Ireland and its competitors’ performance in the British market. Leading tourism experts, Oxford Economics, have estimated that potential growth arising from this could be close to 5% per annum during the period 2013-2016, which would represent cumulative growth of almost 20%, or close to 200,000 additional annual GB visitors, which would exceed the general outlook for travel in Britain.

Before the group could design a solution that would help Ireland attract more holidaymakers from Great Britain, it first needed to get to grips with what issues are currently dis-incentivising them to come to Ireland.

Research into this found that some of the issues affecting Ireland’s performance in the GB market include a perception that Ireland lacks iconic experiences that would motivate British travellers to visit, holidaymakers themselves lack a familiarity with the geography of the island and some of them also believe that this destination is ‘olde worlde’ and unchanging, which therefore generates no urgency to visit Ireland.

Delivering for the new segments To deliver this for the GB market Ireland’s tourism agencies, and industry, need to take a much sharper focus on developing specific and compelling experiences that match the needs, interests and motivations of these three target segments.

We need to create iconic experiences which can only be had on the isle of Ireland and, from that come up with more compelling experiences which will match these core motivations. Addressing the market’s perception of value will also be important, and this can be achieved through communicating improved value and addressing the cost of mid-range food and drink in Ireland.

According to the report, a new communications strategy will also need to be developed with specific propositions and messaging tailored for each of these segments and it will be essential for us to be able to track and monitor the success of this new approach as it evolves.

Shaun Quinn, Chief Executive, Fáilte Ireland, was amongst those industry representatives on the Taskforce, and he emphasised – “To win back such a large market share we need new solutions, and this report, I feel, provides them to us. Fáilte Ireland’s plans for 2013 will be heavily laced with the actions of this report. We have already established an implementation group and we are looking

at how we can support and facilitate the industry to provide holistic experiences and event calendars for each of the segments outlined in the report.

There is certainly work in this report for everyone – if the goals of this report are to be realised all of Ireland’s tourism agencies will have a part to play in implementing this report if it is to be in any way effective.

Judging from the enthusiasm expressed at the launch of the report, I believe that this will be the case for all involved parties.”

Taking a collaborative approach: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadkar, Eamonn McKeon, CEO, ITIC, Vivienne Jupp, Chair of Tourism Recovery Taskforce and Shaun Quinn, Chief Executive, Fáilte Ireland welcome the GB Path to Growth

Plan of Action To remedy this, the report has highlighted three segments of British holidaymakers which currently offer Ireland the best prospects for attracting more visitors to our shores – social energisers (young, fun-loving urban adventurers); culturally curious (over 45’s who want to broaden their minds); and great escapers (younger couples who want to get away from it all).

To capitalise on these segments, the report illustrated that Ireland must be ready to provide the specific and compelling experiences that match the needs of these segments, pursue each of these segments with specific, targeted and captivating communications and measure success by tracking overall performance and segment performance.

Creating compelling destinations

A guide to who’s who in our new path to growth Segment

Looking for

Experienced Type

Social Energisers

Dan is a social energiser. He likes to holiday in groups or as couples.

Vibe of the city

Dan, his friends and colleagues, are looking for an exciting trip to a new and vibrant destination where they can be ‘at the heart of things’ day and night, get involved in extraordinary experiences and the unique atmosphere of their destination.

Culturally Curious

They are 55 years old, and are out to broaden their minds and expand their experience by exploring new landscapes, history and culture.

In order to create compelling destinations, GB Path to Growth identifies four different experience types that are highly motivating for GB consumers, and which Ireland can present to potential holidaymakers in a credible and engaging manner.

According to the report these new segments are seeking to experience the ‘vibe’ of the city they visit, and encounter fresh and exciting experiences. They are also looking to find out more about living historical sites, and have their senses awakened by landscapes and scenic beauty. They are also highly interested in getting active outdoors.

All of this, Ireland can deliver on.

John and Mary are culturally curious and travel as a couple or alone.

Living historical stories & awakening the senses

They want to be exposed to different ways of seeing the world and are looking to take part in inspiring experiences which are within easy reach of each other.

Great Escapers

The Wilsons and their young children are seeking a great escape. They are specifically interested in rural holidays and are on holiday to take time out, get physical with nature and reconnect with their partners.

They are looking to escape their day-to-day routine, reconnect and bond with each other and enjoy natural phenomena and unrivalled historical sites.

Living historical stories & getting active in nature

TARGET GB 3

December 2012

Getting active in Great Britain New toolkit puts insights into actions Responding to the recent report published by The Tourism Recovery Taskforce, GB Path to Growth, Fáilte Ireland has published a series of online tools aimed at helping tourism businesses carve out their very own path to growth in the British market.

This brand new kit of tools known at the Sales Connect, GB Toolkit aims to help Ireland’s tourism industry revilalise the performance of our most important source market, Great Britain, by putting the insights provided by GB Path to Growth into action with an extensive range of online tools and supports.

The tools included in Sales Connect, GB Toolkit are a combination of on and off-line supports that will help businesses reflect and respond to the market insights gathered by the group.

Speaking about the toolkit Tracey Coughlan, Sector Liaison Manager, Fáilte Ireland said “GB Path to Growth represents a fundamental shift in how we can grow visitor numbers from Great Britain. It also signifies a new way of selling Ireland and consequently Fáilte Ireland felt that it was crucial that tourism enterprises across the country had access to the tools necessary to allow them to put the learnings and recommendations of the report into action.

“Ultimately, this toolkit is all about reflecting the change in how we think about marketing Ireland to the GB market – from not only selling products but to selling experiences. It’s time for the Irish tourism industry to put themselves in the shoes of a social energiser from Manchester, a culturally curious couple from Sussex or a young couple from Leeds seeking a Great Escape so that they know that Ireland is exactly what they are looking for.

“With the long-term in mind we have designed the toolkit so that it can be applicable and expandable to other markets as we obtain new insights on other target audiences.”

What’s in the Toolkit?

Developing an action-plan for targeting the British market takes time but it is essential to your business growth. To help tourism businesses do this we have developed a range of tools as part of Sales Connect – GB Toolkit.

Here is a quick overview of the toolkit to get into stride.

On your marks Start off by reading our guide ‘How you can win business in GB’, which has been created to provide the relevant knowledge required for tourism businesses to target and grow their business from Great Britain.

The toolkit is available now for anyone looking to take the time to enhance their GB consumer knowledge and develop their very own action plan.

Start growing your path to Britain today by logging onto www.failteireland.ie

Get set Once you know where you’re starting from you can move on to creating an action plan. Use our interactive workbook, ‘20 Simple Steps to Developing your GB Action Plan’, to help you quickly and efficiently create an action plan specific to your business.

Developing a competitive action plan will require spending some time researching the GB consumer so you have an understanding of the best segments for your business.

The workbook will prompt you to think about your activity in light of the latest insights into the GB market and as you type in your responses to a series of questions and prompts, you will actually create an individual action plan for your business.

To help you through the workbook we have also published a video tutorial, (available on our YouTube channel FáilteirelandTV), which will help you work your way through the workbook.

The guide will help you get inside the mind of the British consumer as they plan their holidays. It seeks to enable businesses to identify the target segments in Britain with the best potential for their business and learn the best methods for reaching their market.

Once you have the knowledge it’s time to find out how ready you are for Britain.

Find this out by using the market readiness assessment tool which is designed to provide you with a simple ‘health-check’ to help you assess just how ready your business is to start selling to Great Britain.

Keep an eye on our website, or sign up for our ezine to stay up to date with the Sales Connect Toolkits!

Based on all the latest insights into the British market, the GB Market Readiness Tool is an easy to use online method to measure just how compatible your business is with the British market. By answering a series of questions, you will ultimately receive a customised report on your business’ readiness as well as links to Fáilte Ireland supports tailored to meet any needs identified in your responses.

Before you go….

The workbook provides a wealth of information and useful tips on important areas to focus on when developing your plan.

It also poses questions which will get you thinking about the right approach to tailoring your on and off-line marketing efforts to appeal to the GB consumer.

To complement the launch of the Sales Connect GB service, Fáilte Ireland will also be providing a compelling mixture of further support and information both online and offline and a number of workshops are also being planned for the new year.

Keep an eye on www.failteireland.ie for further updates.

4 OVERSEAS MARKETING

December 2012

Setting out our stall for 2013 More than 500 members of the tourism industry from across the country engaged in up to 26,000 one-to-one meetings with 200 of the world’s top tour operators at Destination Ireland workshops which took place throughout September and October this year.

These meetings took place across five custom-made workshops, each of which offered Irish businesses the chance to pitch directly to some of the most influential overseas travel operators in our key markets.

These workshops, which are organised by Fáilte Ireland in conjunction with Tourism Ireland, brought operators from North America, Britain, Europe and the new and developing market sector to Ireland where they took part in custom-made itineraries which showcased some of the best of what Ireland has to offer their prospective customers, organised by Fáilte Ireland.

Speaking about these workshops and the impact they have, Ciara Sugure, Trade Marketing Manager, Fáilte Ireland emphasised – “These workshops are a fantastic opportunity for Irish businesses to sell

their business to some of the key drivers of overseas holidaymakers. It is also a fantastic opportunity for us to sell Ireland to these travelling operators and this year we have ensured that our itineraries are showcasing some of the very best Ireland has to offer.

“Each tour is designed specifically to match the requirements and interests of each particular market whether it be coach tour focused for the GB market or golf orientated for the US. “Businesses taking part in these workshops are the real winners as they are catching the operators just as they are getting ready to make their final decisions about what packages to offer their customers during 2013 and their sales pitch can mean not only more business for them, but more business for Ireland in 2013.”

The operators were also briefed on The Gathering Ireland 2013 during their time in Ireland, where they got a better understanding of the variety of events which will be on offer to visitors next year.

While they were here we asked some of our travelling operators for their top tips on how Irish businesses can attract their customers – find out what they said by logging onto our YouTube channel – www.youtube.com/failteirelandtv

Pictured at the UK Coach Tour Operators Workshop in Sligo were (l-r) Fiona O’ Donoghue, Carrigaline Court Hotel and Leisure Centre, Cork, Gillian Binchy, Trade Marketing Manager, Fáilte Ireland, Gretel O’Sullivan, Destination Killarney Group and Mark Moynihan, Radisson Hotel

The full Irish for international media fam, the group of global media enjoyed a sneak preview of what was in store for Open House 2012 before taking in performances at the Absolut Fringe Festival and Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival 2012.

Karin Schuster, Golf Online portal and Radhika Mehta, Freelance travel and golf writer enjoy the North West golf offering

International media take in Temple Bar during Dublin Festival Season

Six of America’s top Group Travel Producers, who set up programmes for group tours to Ireland, had the chance to sample Ireland’s tourism offering and get further insight into what The Gathering Ireland have organised for next year so that they can incorporate the events into their itineraries for next year.

Group Tours, Boston; Recess4grownups, Atlanta and the Travel Connection in Aurora, Illinois.

These group travel producers are among the biggest travel agents in the US and will be central to shaping the travel itineraries of travel operators across United States for the year ahead. Businesses who came included Far Horizons Travel, New Jersey; Outlook Travel in New York; Durgan Travel, and Cara

This customised trip is just one of a huge number of bespoke trips for international media designed to boost visitor numbers next year.

Getting a flavour for The Gathering Ireland 2013

A third press trip ‘International Media Masters 2012’ arrived in October and headed north to the wilds of Donegal where they will play a variety of links and parkland courses.

The group included top golf media from the United States, Germany, China, India, South Africa, Italy, Scotland and Wales.

Speaking about the return of investment these trips provide Ireland with, Gillian Binchy, Trade Marketing Manager, Fáilte Ireland emphasised –

With the support of Tourism Ireland, Fáilte Ireland, designed detailed itineraries for the producers showcasing key tourism products in the Limerick, Dublin, Kilkenny, Killarney, and Galway/Clare areas. Irish trade with a gathering connection also had the opportunity to present to the producers outlining the range of ‘gatherings’ taking place in 2013.

Three ‘super fams’ were also organised throughout September and October as part

of an international publicity push for Ireland.

The first of these big-impact media visits took place in September as the first group of media arrived just in time for the All Ireland Hurling Final today in Croke Park. This group of 14 international travel journalists came from the UK, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and Italy and took part in a ‘Get Sporty the Traditional Way’ media trip around Ireland.

Before heading to the hurling final the group visited Dingle and the Great Blasket Islands before trying their hands at road bowling in Ballincurrig in County Cork. The hurling final today is the highlight of their trip.

Dublin was the focus for a second ‘super fam’ which centred on culture as the group took in ‘Dublin Festival Season’. During their

“Hosting international media from our key markets is an investment. During 2011, these type of media tours generated broadcast and print coverage of Ireland all around the world – with an estimated advertising value of €270m.

“Already this year we have hosted 1,350 international media from 18 countries across the world. As part of this more than 500 bespoke itineraries have been developed along with a further 200 dedicated press trips. Investing in ensuring these trips provide the visiting media with more than they are looking for provides us with international advertising money cannot buy and we truly believe that all of this hard work goes a long way to encouraging overseas visitors to come to Ireland year after year.”

OVERSEAS MARKETING 5

December 2012

From Ireland with Love

Honeymoon in Ireland

Zhao Ruo Hong and Zhao Yan from Shanghai get a real taste for Ireland as they enjoy butter making

The couple who visited Dublin, Kerry, Limerick and Clare, made quite a stir here at home as their trip featured on RTE’s John Murray show as well as in the Irish Independent and the Irish Daily Mail.

Images of Ireland will grace the glossy pages of magazines in China as celebrity couple, Zhao Ruo Hong and Zhao Yan, chose Ireland for their honeymoon destination earlier this year.

Zhao Ruo Hong and Zhao Yan celebrated their honeymoon in Ireland

The Bride, Zhao Ruo Hong, is the Marketing and Sales Vice President of China’s first wedding website ‘The Knot’ which has over 32,000 followers as well as being a famous DJ with Shanghai Media Group (SMG) and the Groom, Zhao Yan, is a famous detective writer in China with 1.2 million followers in Sina Weibo.

Having now returned home, Zhao Ruo Hong and Zhao Yan will feature in national magazines across China, and will hopefully encourage honeymoon couples to take their holidays in Ireland. Ciara Sugrue, Head of International Publicity at Fáilte Ireland commented: “Fáilte Ireland, together with Tourism Ireland, assisted the couple with their itinerary and we hope the coverage in many of China’s celebrity magazines will maximise Ireland’s image as a honeymoon destination showcasing some of the best that Ireland has to offer. In what is a challenging year for Irish tourism, it is encouraging to see this positive publicity in the Chinese market. It is imperative that there is a strong message overseas that Ireland offers a high quality experience, excellent accommodation choice and great value for money.”

Providing a journey of excellence Up to 200 taxi drivers from Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Cork have been awarded certificates of customer excellence after completing a series of pilot workshops aimed at delivering service excellence to passengers.

The workshops, which were delivered

by Fáilte Ireland with the support of the National Transport Authority and took place throughout November looked at how taxi services influence the visitor experience and provided participants with best practice guidance on delivering a well-rounded customer experience to passengers.

Areas covered in the workshop included customer service, tourism knowledge and how to generate more business by gaining recommendations from customers.

Participants of the workshop were also informed about The Gathering Ireland which is set to deliver more visitors to Ireland next year as it kicks off this New Year’s Eve.

Taxi drivers who took part in the workshops can now proudly display their certificate in their vehicles letting customers know that they are committed to ensuring their trip will be more of an experience than a journey.

Speaking about this brand new series of workshops, Liam Campbell, Industry Services, Fáilte Ireland said “We are delighted that the event proved to be so popular amongst the industry and believe that it will go a long way in further enhancing the overall journey experience of visitors to Ireland. Next year is all about The Gathering Ireland and it is certainly heartening to see that this sector is eager to promote Ireland and willing to take part in delivering an excellent experience to their passengers, many of whom would be overseas visitors.”

Following the workshops a series of mystery passenger journeys based on the workshop criteria were conducted in each of the four cities culminating in a report from which the participants can learn from further.

Liam Campbell, Fáilte Ireland (front left) is pictured with participants from one of the Cork workshops.

6 THE GATHERING IRELAND

December 2012

The tourism potential of The Gathering Ireland to play in making The Gathering a longterm success for tourism “Away from the practical economic rationale, The Gathering has the potential to bring much needed positive international attention to Ireland, enabling Irish people at home and abroad to showcase all we, as a nation, have to offer.

That will be good for tourism and good for this country’s global image.

“While the initiative is a community driven initiative, it’s clear that tourism will be the most likely beneficiary in the long term. Aiming to bring in significantly more international visitors into Ireland next year, the tourism industry is being presented with a unique opportunity to sell Ireland on a much larger scale next year and it will be important for us to capitalise on it.

Picture shows from left champion jockey Ruby Walsh;Peter Kavanagh, Dublin City Hurricanes Baseball Team ; Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadkar; Eoin O’Sullivan, Drogheda Lightening American Football Team ;and former Rugby Player, Alan Quinlan at the announcement of The Gathering Ireland’s festivals and events line up.

AS WE went to press, details of hundreds of special festivals and events planned to celebrate the Gathering Ireland 2013 were announced. The events span a variety of fields including culture, sport, food, music and heritage and are expected to add approximately 80,000 additional overseas visitors to Ireland throughout the year along with the many more who will attend the 1,700 home-grown Gatherings in communities around the country.

Announcing the Gathering Festivals and Events line-up, Project Director Jim Miley said:

Christmas and the New Year – including many international media.

“A packed schedule of events is planned, and on New Year’s Eve audiences from at home and abroad will be introduced to The Gathering Ireland, as a stunning torch-lit procession travels through the city carrying the theme ‘The Journey Home’.”

Needless to say, The Gathering is the biggest initiative ever in tourism and, if successful, will support the revitalisation of our tourism industry – and all the jobs it sustains.

It will also provide us with a compelling vehicle to tap into the wider Irish diaspora and draw on their energy and resources to benefit this country and its economic recovery.

Shaun Quinn, Chief Executive, Fáilte Ireland emphasised the role the tourism industry has

“To do this, our tourism industry needs to put its best foot forward in 2013 and provide those who have come to ‘gather’ with an unparalleled visitor experience, which will encourage visitors to recommend Ireland as a premier destination and return again to Ireland.

“Furthermore, with its focus on the diaspora, this initiative will give us an opportunity to rekindle our links with the global Irish community abroad – hopefully building relationships and connections which will last well beyond 2013.”

The Gathering Ireland is certainly being driven at community level – this is evident from the high level of involvement seen at local and community level. Community groups have been established across the country and thousands also attended 18 plus community meetings earlier this year to learn more about The Gathering Ireland and how they can become part of it.

Already more than 1,700 ‘gatherings’ have been pledged on The Gathering Ireland’s website so there is much to attract visitors next year.

“Aside from the economic aims of the project, the Gathering is first and foremost an opportunity for us to celebrate the best of Ireland: our culture, our music, our sport, our heritage and our spirit. Individuals and communities throughout Ireland have taken the Gathering concept to heart and are busy planning their own gatherings and we’ve over 1700 local events confirmed to date.

These larger- scale special Gathering events will punctuate what is shaping up to be a really brilliant year for Ireland, offering further reasons for our friends and family overseas to come home and celebrate with us in 2013.”

The Gathering Ireland 2013 will officially commence at midnight this New Year’s Eve with a specially designed New Year’s Eve event in Dublin developed by Fáilte Ireland to capture the attention of the country – and indeed the world - as the year turns. Speaking about the festival which will kick off The Gathering, John Concannon, Director of Market Development explained – “The NYE Festival, a two day festival which we initiated last year with the support of Dublin City Council, is the perfect way to mark the beginning of the year-long event.

Almost half of those attending last year’s NYE festival came from overseas, and this year’s event is designed to leave a lasting impression on those who have come to Ireland for

The Gathering Ireland 2013 will kick off at midnight this New Year’s Eve at Fáilte Ireland’s NYE festival.

Supporting a lot of the great work taking place at community level, Fáilte Ireland has also ensured that Ireland has an action packed programme of events that visitors can enjoy next year.

John Concannon continued – “Our festivals programme for 2013 has been designed to complement what is being done by The Gathering Ireland. Fáilte Ireland will invest heavily in festivals and events taking place in every corner of Ireland next year. A new online database has also been developed to provide international tour operators and Irish tourism businesses with access to up-todate information on what events are taking place in 2013.”

Much of the activity planned for next year is really just a starting point. This calendar of events is providing tourism businesses with a unique platform they can use to attract international visitors to Ireland. With more on offer, there is certainly more to sell, but if we are to truly make the most of this opportunity it will be up to local businesses and ventures across Ireland to collaborate with these events to create packages and experiences which will attract visitors and create a unique opportunity.

All in all, The Gathering Ireland has certainly ignited a spark within the tourism sector.

There is a clear understanding that people coming to Ireland will not travel for one night and a collaborative spirit can be seen at local level with local communities and tourism businesses teaming together to create unforgettable experiences for those coming to Ireland next year.

While New Year’s Eve is nearly upon us, it is never too late to get involved in The Gathering Ireland. For tourism businesses in particular next year is not a year to sit on the side-lines.

We all have a role to play. Anyone interested in working with the initiative can read on to find out how they can get involved and play their part in re-igniting Ireland’s tourism industry.

THE GATHERING IRELAND 7

December 2012

2013 Special Gathering Festivals and Events – Some Highlights

How can you be part of it?

The Gathering Ireland is the biggest initiative ever in tourism and, if successful, will support the revitalisation of our tourism industry. It is also a significant opportunity for the tourism sector to play a leading part in our country’s economic recovery and underline the industry’s significant importance to the Irish economy.

Whether you are hosting your own gathering or not, there are lots of ways tourism businesses can get involved – be part of it!

Gather Well, firstly, you can organise your own Gathering in 2013 and plan an event that taps into your own networks overseas and invite them to Ireland to be part of it.

• Irish dancers the world over will be invited to the home of traditional Irish dancing for a 3 day festival celebration of Irish dance with workshops, master classes, nightly performances of Riverdance and events taking place in various venues around Dublin, culminating with a worldrecord attempt at the longest Riverdance performance along the banks of the River Liffey.

Morpeth, the well respected and much admired Chief Secretary of Ireland will go on public display for the first time ever as it undertakes an exhibition tour around Ireland in 2013. The Morpeth Roll exhibition will open in Dublin on St. Patrick’s Day and tour the country throughout the year with stops confirmed for Kilkenny, Clonmel, Derrynane, Westport and Belfast.

• Throughout 2013, South County Dublin will host ‘Meet to Compete’: 25 International sports tournaments across several sports including basketball, baseball, cricket and soccer, inviting teams from the USA, Canada, UK and Europe. Over 18,000 visitors are expected to attend the events from February to October 2013.

• A special Jazz Gathering at next year’s Guinness Cork Jazz Festival is expected to attract over 1,000 music students from around the world for a weekend of free jazz education, including free tuition from some of the most famous names in Jazz.

It also offers them the opportunity to perform and be involved in one of Europe’s top jazz festivals. The famous Berklee College is an example of the calibre of music schools which will be targeted.

• Over 50 overseas choirs are expected to attend a packed calendar of choral Gatherings next year with The Messiah Gathering in Dublin 12th- 15th April, Cork Choral Gathering 1st- 5th May, the Mayo Choral Gathering 23rd – 26th May. The inaugural ‘Limerick Sings’ will take place over the June Bank Holiday weekend.

From 9th- 18th August, the Kilkenny Arts Festival Choir will join forces with choirs from Kilkenny’s twin cities: Leicester (UK); Moret-Sur-Loing (France) and Xuzhou (China) for a gathering of voices. The Sligo International Choral Festival in November will round up a year of choral Gatherings.

• Members of the tribes of Galway living in North America are invited to compete in an Oyster eating competition at next year’s Galway International Oyster and Seafood Festival.

• The GAA will host 3 international Football, Ladies Football and Camogie tournaments in 2013 over 3 days, with the finals being held in Croke Park on 27th July, while An Aer Lingus international hurling tournament will take place in Galway from 18th-21st September.

For more information on the full list of events organised, go to The GatheringIreland. com and see for yourself the wide array already organised.

Connect Alternatively, you can link in with your community and support the Gatherings that are taking place in your area.

(See www.thegatheringireland.com for details on the many gatherings already confirmed throughout Ireland).

Boost the experience Importantly, see what you can do to go the extra mile for your customers in 2013. This can include working with the other tourism providers in your area to create bigger and more memorable Gathering Ireland offers and experiences throughout the year.

Communicate Spread the word and make sure your clients, family and friends at home and abroad know that 2013 is the best time to visit Ireland.

Be prepared Be sure to compile a “Gathering Directory” for your area containing all the information available on tourist attractions, genealogical resources and contacts in the area, including local libraries and museums, heritage sites, local festivals and gatherings taking place as well as evening entertainment

Be Visible Embrace and use The Gathering Ireland 2013 brand and marketing materials available for you (available to download at www.brand.thegatheringireland.com).

• The ‘Morpeth Roll’, probably the longest farewell card in the world, signed by over 250,000 people in Ireland in 1841 at the request of Daniel O’Connell and presented to the outgoing Lord

Find out more– Visit www.thegatheringireland.com Today St. Patricks Day will invite 8,000 overseas visitors to take part in next years parade.

8 FOCUS ON ADVENTURE

December 2012

Locals input into the Wild Atlantic Way route

Investing in our tourism future Malahide Castle is the latest in a list of tourism projects which have been completed this year under Fáilte Ireland’s Tourism Capital Investment Programme.

Malahide Castle officially opened its doors to the public at the end of November after undergoing extensive development inside and outside the castle.

Paddy Matthews, Destination Development Fáilte Ireland, discusses the preferred route for the Wild Atlantic Way with Cllr Angela Murphy, Passage West Town Council; with Jim and Carmel Murphy, Passage West.

A series of public consultations and exhibitions have taken place across the country seeking local input into the development of Ireland’s first long distance driving route – The Wild Atlantic Way.

“Identifying the route is the second stage of this five stage plan. Once we have identified the spine of the route which will lead the visitor along the Atlantic coast, we will identify loops off the spine which will encourage visitors to circulate within the wider destinations along the west coast.

The Wild Atlantic Way is set to be Ireland’s first long-distance driving route for tourists, featuring a 1,400km driving route from Donegal to West Cork which will achieve greater visibility for the west coast of Ireland in overseas tourist markets. Throughout November and December tourism businesses and members of the local community have attended local meetings to give their input into a preferred route drafted in November.

“We expect the Wild Atlantic Way will be ready for launch in 2014 and the next two years will involve a lot of hard work - developing a series of world class viewing points along the west coast, erecting directional signs, developing loops and itineraries in each of the destinations through which the route passes and devising a comprehensive marketing strategy and campaign.

Speaking about the route, Paddy Matthews, Destination Development, Fáilte Ireland explained –

“Most importantly though, we will be working with the local tourism industry so that they are ready to capitalise on the opportunities that will be on offer as a result of the Wild Atlantic Way.”

“We are delighted to have such an extensive and enthusiastic input into the development of the route. The Wild Atlantic Way will open up the whole of the west coast to visitors. It will be a way to entice visitors off the beaten track and help them to discover new areas of the west coast.

Ireland’s first tourism town As we went to press, Portmagee, County Kerry, was announced as the first town to win the new Tourism Town award – a new awards scheme developed to

As part of the project a new visitor information and distribution hub was added to the castle creating a focal point for visitors to the castle. The ground floor of the castle was restored and the castle collection of furniture was improved. Expanding the potential of the castle, a new workshop and lecture space as well as a temporary exhibition space were also added.

The gardens were also developed to provide visitors with a botanic experience of international standard.

This project is just one of a number of projects funded under Fáilte Ireland’s Capital Investment Programme in 2012 which aims to attract and develop Ireland’s capability to deliver a high quality and memorable experience to both domestic and overseas visitors to Ireland.

This year already, more than €7m in capital projects have been opened to the public, with more to be completed in December 2012. Among the completed projects is the refurbishment of Athlone Castle, which is now making greater use of modern interpretive technologies to enhance the stories of the castle and the development of Tralee Lee Valley which utilises the rich natural heritage of the Tralee Bay area to create a unique visitor experience that engages the visitor at different levels.

Other projects opened this year include the newly refurbished and interpreted Fota House, Youghal Eco Boardwalk and improved marina facilities at Lough Key. Speaking about the Capital Programme, Director of Strategic Development for Fáilte Ireland, Aidan Pender emphasised – “Investment in the tourism experience Ireland delivers is imperative if we are to continue to position tourism as a key economic driver in Ireland. The on-going investment in Ireland’s tourism capital by the Irish Government, through Fáilte Ireland in the past few years has gone a long way to ensuring that we are fit and ready to respond to visitors needs as international economies recover from the global economic crisis.”

For further information on the proposed route go to www.failteireland.ie/ wildatlanticway Malahide Castle has just opened its doors after significantly improving its tourism offering.

support Irish towns to enhance the visitor’s experience of their local area.

This new award, which was developed by Fáilte Ireland, was being piloted this year as part of the 2012 Tidy Towns Competition.

Towns which finished among the top 100 towns in last year’s Tidy Towns Competition were invited and ten towns were shortlisted for the award at the Tidy Towns Awards which took place in the Helix in Dublin recently.

Portmagee beat off stiff competition from nine other towns that were shortlisted as the top ten tourism towns earlier this year.

As the overall winner Portmagee received a €10,000 grant towards developing itself as a tourism destination while the remaining shortlisted towns, who are spread out across the country, received a grant for €1,000.

The award focuses on how participating towns have developed their local area in a number of key tourism areas including the

town’s sense of place, local involvement in providing an authentic visitor experience, the tourism products available in the town and how the town develops and markets the area to potential visitors.

To be in with a chance to win applicants were required to submit a written application outlining why they should be considered a “tourism town”. Each town then underwent a mystery shopping experience, and were visited by external assessors who further explored the town’s application.

Speaking about the new award, Kevin Kidney, Destination Development, Fáilte Ireland emphasised – “We are delighted to announce the very first Tourism Town for Ireland. Portmagee clearly demonstrated that they focus on how their amenities impacts on the visitors experience and contributes greatly to the economic viability of a local area.

“Portmagee proved to independent assessors that it was committed to ensuring the town is equipped with plenty to see and do for visitors. Not only do the Tidy Towns group in Portmagee have two groups that focus purely on tourism and festivals, the local community have also demonstrated a tireless commitment to ensure the experience of visitors is met year round. The local Community hall is actively used in the promotion of tourism and the availability of local produce, promotional material and souvenirs can be seen throughout the town.”

“We would like to congratulate, not only the winner, but those towns which were shortlisted and those who partook in this first year. We will be calling for applications for 2013 early in the New Year and hope to see the enthusiasm demonstrated in this year’s applicants replicated in 2013.”

Watch out for the next edition of Tourism Matters where we will profile Portmagee.

SELLING DUBLIN 9

December 2012

A new force and face for Dublin

Fáilte Ireland has established a new task-force designed to chart a course for the marketing of Dublin over the next 5-7 years. Chaired

by Lucy McCaffrey, the Taskforce will comprise a Steering Group of key figures from public and private agencies, which will be assisted in its deliberations by a supporting working group.

Speaking about the establishment of the group, Keith McCormack, Director of Visit Dublin, Fáilte Ireland explained – “Dublin is one of Ireland’s leading tourist destinations and plays a pivotal role in the visitor experience. While the city is currently experiencing a recovery in tourism fortunes unlike any other Irish tourist destination, there are grounds for believing that Dublin could do much better.

“We have set up this group to put a more long term, coherent and appropriately funded marketing strategy in place for Dublin, by developing and implementing a plan for growth in 2013 and articulating a collaborative tourism strategy for the next 5-7 years.”

In the meantime, the Visit Dublin Unit have refreshed the Visit Dublin, Truly, Madly, Deeply identity has been refreshed positioning Dublin as a spontaneous, vibrant and fun destination. The new design reinforces these values and enables us to create effective targeted communication of all of Dublin’s unique selling points; the central message being that you can do in all in Dublin as there is a different experience to be had at every turn.

In line with the new identity, and following extensive input from a wide crosssection of Dublin’s tourism stakeholders on a digital asset review, the look and feel of our Visit Dublin homepage (www. visitdublin.com) has also been updated.

As part of this new clean design, what the consumer is looking for has been brought to the fore and the new homepage allows us to promote key messages and themes simultaneously and at different times of the year.

Speaking about the work of the newly established Visit Dublin Unit, Manager, Kiela Brodigan emphasised – “With more and more visitors using the internet to research short breaks it’s crucial that we have a clear and strong call to action when it comes to selling Dublin. Our ‘Truly, Madly, Deeply’ brand is five years old now, and with the establishment of the Visit Dublin Unit, this refresh is well-timed.

“These improvements will not only provide the building blocks on which we can develop our wider digital strategy for 2013, they will also allow us to incorporate many of the current and upcoming projects for Dublin such as the Dubline and Dublin Plus, which will encourage visitors to explore coastal Dublin, into our channel management strategy for Dublin.

But that’s not all…

Coming soon will be Visit Dublin’s new audio guide suite - iWalks, further evolution of visitdublin.com, version 3 of the highly successful Visit Dublin App, an enhanced social media programme, a new line-up for Dubin Pass 2013, and lots more.

Merrion Square – a model for tourism innovation Merrion Square has been brought to life this year as local groups from the area came together to build awareness of the rich history and heritage around the square.

Most recently Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadkar, officially opened a light installation illuminating the trees on Merrion Square which marks “Christmas on the Square”, an initiative denoting the official start to Christmas which is being supported by ESB.

This project came about through Fáilte Ireland’s Innovation Programme who, with the support of Temple Bar Cultural Trust, worked with 37 stakeholders in Merrion Square to unlock the tourism potential of the square.

Fáilte Ireland’s Director for Strategic Development, Aidan Pender, has said that the Merrion Square Innovation Project, and the lessons learnt from this project, are already providing Fáilte Ireland with a model for renewal which we can replicate in other parts of the city and, indeed, the country.

Merrion Square was chosen as a pilot to test how taking an ‘innovation approach’ could impact cultural tourism development in Ireland. The Square, which is home to national cultural institutions and bodies, is rich in tourism offering.

The project has created an exciting cultural and events programme for the rest of the year which is sure to position it as a “go-to” place for national and international culture seekers.

Minister Leo Varadkar (far left) and Mary King, Fáilte Ireland (far right) at the opening of Christmas on the Square.

Over the last months, houses, museums, and buildings on Merrion Square threw open their doors to give visitors the opportunity to see properties not often accessible to the public. A programme of events which included walking tours, mid-week lunchtime music performances and talks in key buildings has seen all institutions involved reporting increased footfall and positive feedback from visitors and Dubliners alike.

“The Merrion Square development represents a new approach by Fáilte Ireland where we work closely through a process of innovation and collaboration with stakeholders to develop a common vision.

When we think of development we usually think of bricks and mortar. However, the Merrion Square initiative has shown how renewal and development can take place through innovation and through finding new ways of working together, working smarter and working with a common purpose.

“Innovation in tourism is an elusive concept, with many people assuming it requires lab technicians and white coats.

This project has shown us that innovation, particularly for tourism, can be much more tangible. The events planned for Merrion Square this year have marked it as a ‘go-to’ place for local and overseas culture seekers showing us that innovation is as much about doing as it is about thinking.”

1 0 NEWS

New toolkit to benefit heritage and cultural attractions

December 2012

Bringing Ireland to life for visitors

TWo New tailor-made toolkits have been designed to support Ireland’s built heritage and cultural attractions to improve their appeal to domestic and overseas visitors. The kits have been created to help the attractions better understand what holidaymakers to Ireland are looking for and how they can attract more visitors to their sites.

Developed especially for people who own, manage, and work at Ireland’s heritage sites and cultural attractions the new toolkits provide a rationale for where these areas sit within the tourism industry, their value, and how they can attract culturally and heritage aware visitors.

Fáilte Ireland has also hosted workshops to outline how to use the toolkit to best effect and show businesses how they can build on the practical exercises included in the toolkit.

Speaking at the culture workshop held in Dublin last month, Maeve McKeever, Culture and Heritage Manager, Fáilte Ireland emphasised – “With so many visitors citing culture and heritage as the reason they choose Ireland as a destination (83%), it is essential that Fáilte Ireland support Ireland’s culture and heritage sectors to capitalise on the opportunities presented to them by overseas and domestic visitors.

“It is also important to note that it is not just these providers that will benefit from the effective use of the toolkits. If our sites and attractions are providing a high quality visitor experience, other tourism providers such as accommodation providers, restaurants and bars should also reap the rewards as visitors choose their area, extend their stay and spend more while they are here.”

You can download your copy of the toolkit today at www.failteireland.ie or contact helen.ohalloran@failteireland.ie to request a hard copy.

Left: Eamon McEneneany, Director of Waterford Museum of Treasures and Tara Kerry, Fáilte Ireland (centre) take in the culture of Waterford’s new Viking Triangle.

Right: Oisin Robbins during the Tribes Alive walking tour of Medieval Galway.

Ireland’s culture and heritage is consistently cited as one of the main motivators driving visitors to Ireland and their satisfaction levels with their experience when here are high. These visitors tend to be well-travelled, and so have high expectations that their experience will be both informative and engaging. While many will plan certain elements of their holiday well in advance and will have certain ‘highlights’ they want to cover, they will also enjoy spontaneous and lively engagement with local history and culture that they might come across around the country.

Animating our historic sites and public spaces through performance, theatre or re-enactments is one way that Ireland can appeal to these audiences. Bringing our culture and heritage to life for them in a fun and accessible way will not only make our attractions and the destinations in which they are set stand out from the crowd, they also make it even easier for our visitors to “soak up the atmosphere” and discover “wow” events and experiences with ease.

Fáilte Ireland’s Sharing Our Stories initiative aims to do just that, and following an expansion this year a number of new experiences have been developed for visitors across the country. Rory McCarthy, Destination Development Officer, explains this further – “Bringing the past to life so that it resonates with visitors and gets them thinking and talking about our heritage is a key priority for us, and part of the reason for undertaking this initiative. Well-planned, clearly thought out and engaging delivery of a story makes the visitors experience of “being there” richer and more relevant.

“It enlivens their visit and provokes their imagination and understanding, which in turn translates into high satisfaction and positive word of mouth referrals to potential visitors.”

Among the experiences, which have been supported under the Sharing our Stories initiative this year, were Tribes Alive living history tour in Galway city, live costumed re-enactors in The Viking Triangle in Waterford and a new audio tour of Bram Stoker in Dublin.

The Tribes Alive living history journey in Galway took participants on a journey back in time to visit nine of the city’s most historic landmarks using live performances. The tour operated twice a day for five weeks giving participants a new and exciting experience of the city’s public spaces, heritage and culture.

It wasn’t just the participants that benefitted from the tour. According to Fergal McGrath, FMG Management & Producer of Tribes Alive – “The tour was extremely well received and enjoyed by participants from home and abroad and hugely appreciated by local tourism providers, particularly businesses and retailers located along the tour’s route.

“Staff from the local Tourist Information Office as well as sales, marketing and reception staff from Galway hotels attended in the first week creating a hugely important network of support, established a superb template for ongoing and increased co-operation and provided an invaluable source of positive referrals and recommendations for the tour.”

Waterford Museum of Treasures brought the three historic attractions in Waterford’s newly revitalised cultural quarter, The Viking Triangle, to life as they led visitors through the beautifully restored Bishop’s Palace, to Christ Church Cathedral and through the brand new Medieval Museum.

Explaining how Waterford benefitted from this new approach, Eamonn McEneaney, Director Waterford Museum of Treasures explained –

“Visitors are tired of the traditional guided tour, particularly coach tour visitors who complain about being marched from one tour to the next. Our animated actor-led tour added a whole new dimension to the visitor experience and is more akin to theatre.

People felt a special connection with the re-enactors who brought the history to life.

“The tour completely transformed the visitor experience in the Viking Triangle, and such was its success that we have decided to continue with it on a permanent basis beyond the original eight week pilot scheme supported by Fáilte Ireland.

“Waterford Museum of Treasures is indebted to Fáilte Ireland for developing this scheme and transforming a very good product into an excellent visitor experience that is of the highest international standard.”

The world of Bram Stoker was also brought to life at Halloween when visitors were invited to step into Bram Stoker’s world with a gothic audio experience, created for the atmospheric surroundings of Marsh’s Library – one of the many hidden gems in Dublin Fáilte Ireland is seeking to bring to life, and a regular haunt of the writer in his Dublin days.

Through this animation programme the Performance Corporation used audio guides to blend sound and theatricality to produce a chilling encounter based on Stoker’s tale of terror.

You can also watch Tribes Alive in action at https://vimeo.com/52215547

Fáilte Ireland has also developed a Sharing our Stories toolkit, which is designed to be an on-going resource for tourism businesses interested in bringing their stories to life.

Download your copy today on www.failteireland.ie

ONLINE SUPPORTS 1 1

December 2012

More for you on FáilteIreland.ie

NEw categorY

In the last edition of Tourism Matters we introduced the newly reviewed Fáilte Ireland website – www.failteireland.ie, and since our last update we have continued to improve the format and enhance the content throughout the year.

So what’s new?

One of the most significant additions to the website is the addition of the new ‘In Your Sector’ section.

The ‘In Your Sector’ section is broken up into four main sectors; accommodation; activities; attractions & events; and tour operations & transport with each sector providing all the information relevant to that sector in one place.

Divided in 4 sectors: · · · ·

accommodation activities attractions & events tour operations & transport

Under each sector you can view the latest news, research, publications and training calendar relating to that sector.

A new page dedicated to supporting businesses to market their business online has also been developed, highlighting how you can promote your business by using social media, how you can help consumers find your website by using search engine optimisation and how you can use internet marketing tools to help you excel online.

This section also looks at how you can take steps to improve your website by using more dynamic content such as photos and other visual aids.

So what’s next?

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT

We are not stopping there. Over the coming months we will continue to improve the website as part of our commitment to enhance the quality and availability of information to Irish tourism businesses.

PRACTICAL ADVICE i.e. how to improve your website

In the coming months you can expect to find even more up-to-date content on the site, along with a new video gallery introducing you to the range of videos we have on our YouTube channel – FáilteIrelandTV, and a catalogue of ‘how to guides’ gallery where you can easily browse through our extensive range of practical guides, read a short synopsis and quickly access top tips.

Check out the site today at www.failteireland.ie

Follow? Like?

Pin? – New ways to sell Ireland

Social media has developed a reputation of being useful for attracting customer attention and driving traffic to your website. More and more visitors choose their destination based on what our friends think and DiscoverIreland.ie has been developing its online presence since 2011, using social media to motivate the home holiday market to take more breaks in Ireland.

Already Discover Ireland have a presence on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter and since it has exploded onto the scene photo-sharing site Pinterest has become the latest addition to how we approach selling Ireland to an online audience.

Discover Ireland is regularly posting and interacting with the home holiday market through these platforms and are always looking for unique, interesting or little-known content to share about tourism experiences available in Ireland.

If you have something that could be shared, whether it’s an unusual story, or a brilliant photo or video, you can email us in details to diteam@failteireland.ie

1 2 RESEARCH

December 2012

Tourism - An Adventurous Business A group of top adventure providers represented “Team Ireland” at the annual Adventure Travel World Summit in Switzerland earlier this year.

The world summit is organised by the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) who are the global organisation for the sector with more than 750 members including tourism operators, businesses, destinations and media.

Now in its eighth year, the Adventure Travel World Summit has become the industry’s marquee event for networking, discussion and collaboration around best practices and global tourism issues affecting adventure travel.

Eleven Irish adventure providers travelled over with some of our Destination Development team in October to sell ‘Destination Ireland’ by regaling international

ATTA Summit

operators of the range of adventure tourism options available to visitors in Ireland.

Attending the event also allowed them to engage with leaders of the adventure travel community by attending seminars, learning about emerging adventure destination products, participating in business and professional development programmes and networking with experts from the global adventure tourism industry.

Ethna Murphy Destination Development Manager, Fáilte Ireland, was also invited to speak at the event about how tourism agencies can use digital storytelling as a way of promoting their destination.

Speaking about the opportunity to have Irish operators inputting to the trip, Ms Murphy stressed –

“Tourism authorities all over the world have increased their emphasis and level of importance on adventure tourism and bringing Irish businesses to events such as this goes a long way in showing all that we can offer our potential visitors.

“It is also important to remember that ‘adventure tourism’ covers a range of activities from walking all the way up to kite surfing and mountain climbing and Ireland is in a prime position to capitalise on this market.”

Following their return, the providers, along with Fáilte Ireland’s Destination Development team, are now working together to prepare a development plan that will help grow and develop Ireland’s adventure experience so that we can capitalise on this valuable sector.

Did You Know?

The overseas activity sector is worth over €800 million a year to Ireland Those who take part in activity pursuits when in Ireland spend on average 40% more than other visitors.

Who represented ‘Team Ireland’ · Ethna Murphy, Josephine O Driscoll & Deirdre Byrne Fáilte Ireland · Sinead Murray Tourism Ireland · Mona Purcell Killary Adventure Centre · Rob Rankin Vagabond Tours · Fergal Somers Ballyhoura Fáilte · Keith McDonnell Extreme Ireland · Cathy Wolfe Connemara Wild Escapes · Karen Harris Dunmore East Adventure Centre · Michael Crawley Mor Active · David O’Hara Stand Up Paddling

“Even now the adventure tourism market is trending upwards and it is imperative that Ireland is well represented at international events such as this.

· Jim Kennedy Atlantic Sea Kayaking · Kevin Murphy Bellavista Hotel · Mike Buckley Kerry Coaches

Following their trip Tourism Matters caught up with some of ‘Team Ireland’ to find out what they learned at the ATTA Summit, and how they plan to put it into action for 2013.

The seasoned operator

The expanding operator

The National operator

Jim Kennedy

Cathy Wolfe

Keith McDonnell

Atlantic Sea Kayaking, Cork 20 years in operation

Connemara Wild Escapes, Co. Galway 2 years in operation

Extreme Ireland 6 years in operation

A bit about the business

Jim Kennedy

Atlantic Sea Kayaking leads sea kayaking tours in Ireland, and abroad. 20 years in operation, it is a regular contributor to sea kayaking symposia around the globe, speaking in Scotland, USA, Jersey, Italy, and Japan.

Connemara Wild Escapes is a destination management tour operator company offering activity packages and bespoke safaris to the West of Ireland. Activities include walking, cycling, angling, adventure and leisure.

Extreme Ireland offers hand-picked guided tours across Ireland. They have a fleet of 13 coaches and 50 staff across the industry.

How the conference benefitted my destination / type of business Attending ATTA taught me the importance of taking a holistic approach to our destination. We need to keep parochial politics to the back and work together, put trust in each other and work towards a common goal.

Cathy Wolfe

We need to create a destination by clustering our offering and promoting what’s special to our area and always remember that the people, culture, heritage are Ireland’s real USPs and we need to sell them with confidence.

… for selling Ireland Inc and building adventure tourism in your destination

Next steps

I have already formed a network or forum with businesses in many villages in West Cork and reported my findings from the ATTA to them.

Keith McDonnell

Adventure tourism already exists in Cork, but in a very fragmented way. The conference has shown me that it is time to circle the wagons and display our offerings in a combined irresistible way. Ireland is on a world stage when it comes to providing adventure tourism, and we are well capable of playing a leading role.

As an expanding business we need to share our learnings from the conference with the destination and our trade partners in the region to guide the destination towards a common shared goal for the future.

Ireland has a great reputation abroad but we need to bring across our outdoor offering for the wider audience. As a destination we need to develop our story telling as this is an immediate selling point.

Expanding businesses also need to look at how they compare to the prices of the global market in order to sell effectively to the adventure travel markets.

As a national operator we need to look at diversifying our offerings, and work with many more agents worldwide to showcase our offerings and not depend on a website or brochures.

Top tips

… for growing business in 2013

• Incorporate The Gathering Ireland into packages for next year • Target trade in your selected international markets • We will step up our consumer selling drive to select markets

As a large company we experience similar issues to small companies but what remains important is the quality of the activity.

Adding a cultural aspect to our offering may give it a wider appeal.

Top tips

… for growing business in 2013

• Increase your online footprint

• Get feedback and input from the markets and tourism bodies

• Develop more partnerships with businesses across the region

• Continue working to perfect the destination model and start replicating to other destinations nationally.

• Expand your offerings and diversify your price plan • Tell your story using video and other visuals

FOCUS ON FOOD 1 3

December 2012

Taking a bite out of food tourism Ultimately Ireland should be distinguished by the availability, quality and value of its local and regional food experiences, each of which brings a unique sense of Irish culture and hospitality to those experiencing it.

John Mulcahy, Head of Food, Hospitality and Standards, Fáilte Ireland tells Tourism Matters how Ireland has been capitalising on this potential in 2012.

From Fáilte Ireland’s perspective, we are seeking to encourage and facilitate a groundup approach to achieve this goal and our strategic approach centres on four key areas - establishing an Irish cuisine, identifying our food champions, telling our proud food heritage stories and garnering the attention of international media.

This is not a new innovation – rather these areas have been confirmed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in its 2012 publication, ‘Food and the Tourism Experience’.

The focus on establishing Irish cuisine, identifying our food champions, and telling our proud food heritage stories, are all ways, in which Fáilte Ireland is attracting the attention of international media and ‘food influencers’ and generating the conversation around Ireland’s modern and confident cuisine.

Ireland already has much to offer the visitor in terms of our food offering but the potential to build on success to date is significant.

13

Achieving this means we must use our ingredients to create cuisine which will ignite a memorable visitor experience. Given the wealth of culinary talent within the country a nascent, ingredient-led Irish cuisine is already emerging and is being encouraged through existing awards and recognition systems.

It is also important to keep our eye on the next generation of emerging food talent who can act as food heroes at home, and food influencers abroad. Playing our part in this, we are working in collaboration with Euro-toques Ireland, to ensure the 2012 Young Chef finalists will not just contribute to the future development and promotion of Irish cuisine through the dishes they present in the competition, but they will also work as food ambassadors in 2013.

We cannot however, just rely on award winners to drive the food tourism revolution in Ireland. We need to encourage new, wider networks of food champions to drive this change in how we create food experiences in new and interesting ways.

Earlier this year, we sought out nominations for our fourteen emerging food champions, each of which have a resounding passion and belief in Irish food and, most importantly, a commitment and drive to actively influence and shape the future of Irish cuisine and food tourism in their region.

The group have just returned from a food tourism benchmarking journey to Prince Edward County in Canada where they visited and met with over 15 businesses owners including goat farmers, vegetable growers, estate managers, café owners and top class chefs who all have food tourism as an integral part of their business model.

Throughout the trip our new champions gathered insights into the importance of collaborating with other businesses within your region; developing food tourism as ‘experience led’ versus ‘product led’ and the impact of community pride and passion to the success of food tourism.

Food trends to watch in 2013

Martin Potts, Culinary Advisor, Fáilte Ireland, tells us about the top 13 trends emerging in the food industry for 2013.

1. Local produce It seems obvious, but whether it’s hyper-local, local, or within the island of Ireland, Irish ingredients will continue to focus heavily on every menu in the country in 2013.

2. South American & Asian flavours and ingredients are popping up on menus and this is predicted to continue into 2013.

Brazilians, Indians and Chinese in particular have a growing wealthy travelling population and they are bringing their indigenous flavours to menus.

3. Artisan & micro-breweries will continue to emerge with new flavours and brands that will enhance the drinkers and diners options

Fáilte Ireland Food Champions Depart for Canada: back row Brid Torrades · Café Ista/Só, Sligo; Padraig Og Gallagher · Boxty House, Dublin; Therese McDermott · Waterford Festival of Food Ltd, Dungarvin; Colin Jephson · Ardkeen Quality Food Store, Waterford; Anthony Creswell · Ummera Smokehouse, Cork; Fergus O’Halloran · The Twelve Hotel, Barna; Ruth Healy · URRU, Bandon; Yvonne Carty · Hey Pesto!, Offaly; Caoimhe NiDhuibhinn · Fáilte Ireland. front row JP McMahon · EAT Galway; Helen McDaid & John Mulcahy · Fáilte Ireland; Olivia Duff · Headfort Arms Hotels, Kells, Co Meath.

Having returned from the benchmarking programme, the group are now working to develop networks and relationships with other industry members within their localities. It is envisioned that they will help to enhance regional knowledge of local foods and develop engaging food experiences to truly utilise Irish food tourism as a workable economic development strategy by working with local tourism and food providers.

For more information and insights into food tourism go to www.failteireland.ie/food

The group have convened recently to plan 2013 activity and in addition, the 150 nominees who did not go on the learning programme, will also act as a resource which will be consulted to explore how ways of empowering and supporting them in their localities.

Ireland has a rich food heritage but it is a story that is rarely told so a focus this year was to find ways to bring these stories to life.

Earlier this year a pilot project established to generate new ideas of ways in which we can involve the visitor saw four food festivals (Waterford, West Cork, Galway and Dingle) incorporate animation into their festival programming. The festivals food tales were told through drama, guided tours, promenade plays, demonstrations and storytelling giving visitors a flavour of Ireland’s food legacy.

6. Calorific values on menus With diners becoming more health conscious calorific values restaurants will start to adapt cooking styles, methods of preparation and recipe content.

on menus. Food and beer matching will also have a growing influence on menus with local beers and foods matched to enhance each other and to continually tantalize diner’s taste buds.

7. Kid’s menus Offering smaller adult portions will replace the bog standard chicken nuggets and chips. Parents are gaining an ever increasing knowledge of calorific values of foods and eateries will start to adapt to public demands.

4. Markets, street food & food trucks Watch out for this ever increasing phenomenon as traders come up with ways of keeping overheads low while offering great quality Irish produce to diners in ways which appeal to them as a value option for meals through-out the entire day.

8. Re-inventing comfort foods It’s a wellknown fact that in times of recession people want to eat familiar foods. Classical dishes with a modern twist will continue to focus on menus all over the country with chefs adding a new ingredient to a classic favourite to modernise and excite the palate.

5. In-house & home-made will be the key to menus this year. Customers now have a better understanding of what’s in foods every day and that knowledge drives them to want it made locally, rather than in a factory somewhere.

9. Artisan cocktails will feature more and more on drinks menus all over the country.

Local syrups, bitters and mixers being produced here in Ireland and modern bar tenders and mixing up a storm in the race to create the next big thing.

10. Nose to tail dining once again the recession has refocused people’s attention on cheaper or value cuts of meat and the added flavour obtained in foods by slow cookery methods. Chefs all over the island are developing dishes that are flavoursome and effectively costed to meet the bottom line of the business.

11. Fine dining is gone, for now. Brassiere style menus will continue to feature in 2013 in restaurants as people want to be able to dine out affordably and experience good quality food and service at a good price.

12. Funky new bar concepts New bars designed with modern décor and interactive entertainment are taking drinkers away from classic pubs as people are constantly looking for the next new thing.

13. Allergens on menus With 14 known allergens now on the on the EU list of allergens to be displayed on menus by December 2014 businesses across the nation will need to be more aware of menu content and staff training to adhere to the proposed legislation.

1 4 RESEARCH

December 2012

Reasons for tourism to ‘Like’ Social Media It has been credited with electing Presidents, overthrowing dictators, orchestrating riots and launching the careers of obscure Korean pop stars.

Whether or not it has done any of these things is open to question, but there can be little doubt that social media is a major source of information and communication for millions around the world. Recently, social media giant Facebook announced that it has 1 billion members on its network.

Meanwhile at a conference this summer Twitter’s CEO claimed that 400 million tweets are sent daily. Social media has also grown rapidly, with NM Incite estimating that the number of blogs on the internet has risen by 402% between 2006 and 2011, reaching a total of 181million blogs.

Obviously these figures represent an enormous number of people sharing a huge volume of information on a potentially global level. Furthermore, the use of social media has become an integral part of peoples’ day-to-day routines. According to Mintel, more than a fifth of Irish internet users ‘feel anxious’ about being ‘cut-off’ from technology. More colourfully, Harris Interactive claims that 40% of US internet users would rather have root canal treatment or spend a night in jail than give up their social networking profiles! It would seem therefore that social media, in whatever form, is here to stay.

While the social media ‘landscape’ is by its nature ever-changing, the research conducted by Fáilte Ireland and others points to social media as being an important factor in influencing consumers’ travel choices.

Growing Internet Penetration According to recent RedC/WIN study, in most of Ireland’s main markets more than 70% of the population have access to the internet, with Britain and Germany leading the way with 85% and 82% of the adult population. Internet penetration, however, is much lower in Italy (54%) and Spain (67%).

In Ireland, Fáilte Ireland’s own research found that 81% of Irish consumers had access to the internet by June 2012, putting the Irish amongst the most ‘connected’ of Europeans.

Behind these figures is a very important trend from the point of view of the tourism industry; namely that internet usage is no longer the sole preserve of the young.

Looking at the 2011 CSO data for Ireland for example, while 77% of under 30s use the internet, 43% of 45-59 year olds and 21% of over 60s. Another aspect of this trend is the extent to which the internet is being used as a means of entertainment as well as information gathering. According to Red C the average Irish internet user spent 2 hours, 44 minutes on the net each day, compared to 2 hours 49 minutes watching television in 2011.

As Figure 1 demonstrates, the increased comfort with using the internet has had an inevitable impact on how people plan and book holidays in Ireland. Over threequarters of overseas holidaymakers and almost two-thirds of Irish holidaymakers used the internet to plan their holiday/short

break in Ireland. The lower proportion of Irish holidaymakers using internet planning reflects their greater ‘local’ knowledge. In terms of booking, internet booking is very high for overseas visitors, driven primarily by online air & sea ticket purchases (97% of those booking online), though online accommodation booking is also popular.

The Differing Roles of Social Media The key innovation that social media websites have brought to the internet has been that they allow people to create and share their own (i.e. user generated) content.

Their ability to act as both information source and two-way communications platform (albeit with some moderation) sets social media sites apart from conventional websites. In this regard, it should be borne in mind that websites such as Tripadvisor are strictly speaking not social media sites, in that there are few if any opportunities for members to communicate with each other.

Nevertheless Fáilte Ireland’s qualitative research has consistently suggested that the user ratings generated by such websites are used by most demographic groups with access to the internet. Increasingly, however, more conventional websites like Tripadvisor

are establishing links with social media sites, so that what appears on one may well appear on the other.

While social media websites have a common ability to create and share user generated data, inevitably different consumers use different websites in different ways. The Harris Interactive survey, referred to above, also generated insights into how different social media sites are used. In particular, just because a site allows people to share content, doesn’t mean that they will use that function. For instance, as might be expected, most YouTube users (67%) tend to view content on the site rather than upload their own videos onto it. Meanwhile, though it is comparatively easy to put content up on LinkedIn and Twitter, again most members sites mainly use them to view content (68% and 53% respectively). With its greater emphasis on ‘friendship’, Facebook is more likely to have users who equally share and view content (46%).

According to Ipsos MRBI’s most recent Social Networking Survey, some 63% of Irish consumers are members of a social media site. As Figure 2 shows, Facebook is by far the most popular choice, with Twitter and

relative newcomer Google+ the next most popular options. Although not included in the Ipsos MRBI study, YouTube is also a very popular site with 68% of Irish internet users having used the site.

Different generations also use social media in different ways, though according to Mintel’s report on Irish social media use regardless of age group more than threequarters of people primarily use it as means of ‘keeping in touch with friends & family’.

As might expected the under 25s interact with social media more frequently and in more ways, being more likely use it to chat, play games, view videos and use applications.

Indeed 72% of under 25’s use social media just to ‘kill time’. Amongst older users there is a clear reluctance to go beyond the most basic functions, consequently after ‘keeping in touch’, the next most popular activities for the 25-54 year old are finding old friends, viewing posts and chatting. The over 55s seem to be more passive again.

Usage Before, During & After Holidays Fáilte Ireland’s qualitative research with Irish consumers points to these differences

Figure 1

Internet Usage for Planning/Booking Trips in Ireland Use for Planning/Booking Britain

planning booking

North America

planning booking

Continental Europe

planning booking

Domestic*

planning booking

Planning

Booking

Items Booked on Internet 78% 92%

Air/Sea Tickets

booking

97%

75% 71%

Accommodation

booking

67%

77% 83%

Car Hire

booking

25%

64% 46%

Other

3%

Source Fáilte Ireland/Millward Brown: Survey of Overseas Travellers 2011, *Fáilte Ireland/Ipsos MRBI 2012

RESEARCH 1 5

December 2012 having a bearing on how they are used in the context of holidays. As the most active social media users those who we describe as Young Singles/Pre-Family (i.e. under 35 with no children) are most likely to post holiday related updates and upload holiday photos on social media sites. At the same time they are also more likely to use reviews from Tripadvisor and other sites in their holiday decision-making, though they actually spend the least time on holiday planning.

While the holiday choices of those with families generally tend to be determined by the needs of their children, social media sites can play a role along with review sites as they offer a means of communicating with similarly minded friends and relations.

However, these consumers plan early and will use multiple sources to ensure that facilities are appropriate, including directly contacting businesses. During and after holidays they may post updates or upload photos but they are less likely than the Young Singles/Prefamily cohort to do so. In part, this is due to privacy concerns, especially regarding their children.

Being less active on social media and on the internet generally, the Empty Nesters (i.e. over 50 with no dependent children) don’t really use social media to either plan or comment on holidays or short breaks. That being said, they are sufficiently comfortable with the internet to use review sites even though they may view them with some scepticism.

Meanwhile relatively static devices for accessing the internet (i.e. PCs & laptops) are giving way to more mobile devices like smartphones and tablet computers (i.e. ipads etc.). Indeed, Red C estimates that over 70% of the population will have smartphone by the end of 2012, with tablet ownership projected to reach 41%.

As a consequence, the instances of using social media ‘on the go’ is rising, with 12% of Facebook users already taking place via either a smartphone or tablet.

The consequences of these trends is the emergence of a generation of consumers who can comment and record everything they see, hear and feel during each day of their lives. Of course, not all of them will give such a 24/7 running commentary, but most will document the things they really like or really hate. In essence, this is a new variant of the sort of word of mouth which service industries like tourism have always depended on.

By engaging with social media, a tourism business not only gives its advocates or fans a new way of recommending it but allows for two way communication with its best customers. This is very different from conventional advertising. In fact, Mintel reports that 50% of Irish internet users pay no attention to social media advertising and 40% actually found it annoying.

Instead the research suggests that those communications which are seen to be genuine will have most effect. Consequently, businesses should demonstrate a respect for the opinions and privacy of their customers.

The comments of both fans and critics, meanwhile, will also provide good qualitative feedback on how the business is doing.

Fáilte Ireland frequently organise workshops to assist businesses with their internet and social media strategies. Details of these are available on www.failteireland.ie/Training-Workshops.

You can also view web check webinars which have already taken place at www.youtube.com/failteirelandtv Keep up to date with all the latest tourism research at www.failteireland.ie

Handled correctly, therefore, social media is another means by which tourism businesses can build on and maintain their good reputation.

Figure 2

Social Media Sites used by Irish Consumers Facebook

56%

Bebo

Twitter

22% Foursquare

Google+

16% None of these / None

10% 1%

Preparing for the Future The rapid growth in usage of social media and the intensity of its use by younger users means that tourism businesses cannot afford to ignore it. It is reasonable to assume that social media in whatever form will continue to be a part of the lives of these consumers and younger generations for years to come.

% of Adults

36%

Base All Adults 16+ (1,000), Source Ipsos MRBI, Quarterly Social Networking Survey, August 2012

Experts speak at Web Check Conference Our recent Web Check Digital Conference, which was held in Limerick in November, addressed the issue tourism businesses constantly struggle with – how to get ahead in the online marketplace and offered insights on new online trends.

Key players from within the online industry, including digital media experts as well as specialists in the area of online travel agents, presented and facilitated workshops to help attendees explore the prominence of customer reviews for tourism businesses and how they can effectively address the main issues associated with review platforms.

The conference also looked at some of the latest innovations taking place in digital marketing and how tourism businesses in Ireland can capitalise on them to attract more visitors, and the potential of China as a new tourism market for Ireland.

Speaking at the event, E-business Manager, Stephen Dudley explained that this conference is just one of a series of web supports available through Fáilte Ireland –

“This conference is just one of a number of initiatives we have introduced this year to support Ireland’s tourism industry to make the most of the sales channels available online. With more and more visitors researching and booking their holidays online it is crucial for Ireland to have a tourism presence online.

“As well as running the conference and a series of subsidised workshops throughout 2012 which look at the key areas businesses need support in, we have also recorded a series of webinars with online experts over the past number of months that address areas such as digital marketing, Google Adwords, mobile marketing and much more.”

You can access all recorded webinars on our YouTube channel – www.youtube. com/failteirelandtv and you can register interest in watching upcoming webinars live by contacting websupports@ failteireland.ie

Pictured at Fáilte Ireland’s Digital Conference in the Radisson Blu Hotel, Limerick were (l-r), Altaf Khan, The George Boutique Hotel, Limerick; Ciara Hanly, Limerick Strand Hotel; Frankie Sheehan, Front Row, Sports Management and Fáilte Ireland Authority Member with Dean Panter, Client Services Manager, Fáilte Ireland.

1 6 INTERVIEW

December 2012

Interview According to Jupp the reasons why this marketplace declined are many and complex. Our loss of competitiveness, the decline in the value of sterling, a lack of newness about the product and services we have to offer have all affected our reputation in the GB marketplace. This coupled with the general economic conditions in GB led to the declineSo when it comes to solving these issues it’s a shared solution that’s needed.

with Vivienne Jupp Chairman of CIE & Chair of Tourism Recovery Taskforce Previous Role Global Managing Director of Accenture

Education UCD Bachelor of Commerce and MA in Business Studies

Birthplace Dublin

Hobbies Travelling

The Tourism Recovery Taskforce (TRT) was formed in early 2011 to engineer a speedy return to growth in inbound tourism from Ireland’s top four source markets. The group have just published a new plan on how Ireland can reclaim some of its share of the British tourism market – GB Path to Growth.

Vivienne Jupp who chairs the group talks to Laoise Bray about the TRT’s first major body of work, and how this new plan to forge a new path to growing Ireland’s share of the Great British market brings with it a blueprint for other work.

When we first meet I ask Vivienne why the GB market was targeted by the TRT as important to the recovery of tourism.

“GB is critical” she replies. “Even in its reduced volume, it still remains our largest source market producing 45% of total visitors to Ireland and 35% of all overseas holidaymakers. You don’t give up easily on a market of that scale. You make sure you focus on it and try to reverse the trend that’s been happening which is exactly what the GB Path to Growth report is all about.”

The recommendations contained in the report are wide and varied.

They look at developing our tourism offering, attracting and targeting specific segments of the GB domestic marketplace where immediate opportunities for growth exist, and as such will affect every aspect of our tourism industry. So why is it so important to take a cross-industry approach?

So with our tourism industry hard at work implementing these recommendations, what will be the lasting legacy of the report – has the GB Path to Growth report introduced a new way in how we target our key markets?

Jupp responds –

“So to me, it absolutely makes sense that we took a cross-industry approach to come up with this shared solution.”

“I am very heartened by how the industry and the agencies have come together, and grown together, through this project. I would hope that everyone now understands that the industry’s problems are shared problems and working together to find a shared solution is best for the industry, and the economy, as a whole.

The TRT is made up of a cross-section of Ireland’s tourism industry and members of the tourism industry were out in force earlier this year to support the findings of the report when it was launched my Minister Varadkar. Jupp explains that she feels the challenge for the industry lies not in one single recommendation, but in implementing them all, and everyone has their part to play.

“The issues in the various markets will differ and the GB market had some unique aspects and context. That said, when we move to tackle other problems going forward and as we review other markets I believe that the experience of this collaborative approach, and the knowledge that they have gained from this piece of work, can and will be put to even better use in the future to grow the industry.”

“The big insights in the GB Path to Growth came from understanding the target marketplace that we need to go after, and also understanding that we need to win visitors from the domestic UK marketplace.

So what’s next for the TRT?

“Fáilte Ireland and the Northern Irish Tourist Board now have to work on developing the visitor experience being offered and Tourism Ireland need to look at getting the messages to the right people to motivate them to come to Ireland now.”

Work to empower tourism operators to do their part has already begun with the recent delivery of Fáilte Ireland’s Sales Connect GB Toolkit –

“The marketplace has changed quite a bit in the last number of years, in some ways permanently, and I think we need to re-examine the key markets, not just from a marketing standpoint but also from the aspect of product alignment and the industry’s ability to deliver the services and experience required to be successful.

“The TRT will be discussing this at our next meeting and if there is some work that will add value and help to turn the tourism industry around then yes we will take a look at it.”

FI/22247-12

She continues - “The work that the TRT has done, and the extensive research we carried out, tells us that we can reverse the current trend, we just have to be very scientific about the way we go about it. Ireland needs to focus

on the most fruitful market segments identified in GB Path to Growth and understand our competition and how to win share from these markets. If our tourism industry can do that, and follow the recommendations outlined in the report, I think we can begin to reverse the trend.”

“It’s not simply down to one party trying to resolve it. We need to focus on resolving all of the issues that exist around who we are targeting as well as the product and value we offer visitors.

We need to understand the problems which are varied, and the causes which are multi-disciplinary, and we all (members of the group) know that what we have identified through working together is the best way forward to achieve success.

“The toolkit that Fáilte Ireland has developed brings the individual operators through the various scenarios and helps them to consider what will be important to them when targeting GB. It brings the report to life in a way that is very helpful to the industry in terms of providing a clear roadmap which is very easy to understand. It’s exactly the sort of thing businesses will appreciate and use.”