Kildare says 'Hola' to Spanish travel professionals visiting the county this week

By Kim O'Leary

A Spanish tour operator, Politours, and some of its top-producing travel agents, have been visiting Kildare this week – as guests of Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland.

One of the highlights from the visiting groups action-packed fact-finding visit included, the Newbridge Silverware Visitor Centre. Fact-finding visits like this are an important element of Tourism Ireland’s work with the travel trade in Spain, as the travel agents get to experience the high standard of our tourism offering and are better informed about the destination when advising their clients.

Spain is an important market for tourism to Ireland and travel by Spaniards to Ireland has grown significantly over the past 17 years – going from just 90,000 Spanish visitors in 2000 to a record 435,000 in 2017.

“Tourism Ireland was delighted to invite these Spanish travel agents to visit Kildare,” said Barbara Wood, Tourism Ireland’s Manager Spain. “They’ve been really impressed by the places they visited and, in particular, by our wonderful scenery and the friendliness of the people they’ve met. We believe it’s extremely important for travel professionals such as these to experience for themselves the high standard of our tourism offering and the many things to see and do here, so they are really enthusiastic about the destination and better equipped to advise their clients on their travel plans.”

PIC SHOWS: Spanish travel agents with Pura Gimenez, Tourism Ireland (right), during their visit to Ireland.