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BE OUR GUEST GUIDE 2013 LAUNCHED
Ireland’s Largest Accommodation Guide - Special Edition for The Gathering
Monday 11th March 2013, Hotels and Guesthouses throughout the country joined together to launch the Be Our Guest Guide 2013 – “The Gathering” Special Edition as part of an international marketing drive by the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF). Now in its 26th edition, the Guide is renowned as Ireland’s largest and most definitive accommodation listing, featuring hundreds of premises across every county.
Sponsored by Diageo, the Guide provides visitors with detailed listings for each hotel and guesthouse, including property highlights, GPS navigation co-ordinates, details OS maps with references to hotel and guesthouse locations and a wealth of information on local attractions. Over 150,000 full-colour copies of the Guide with event listings for The Gathering are being distributed across 23 countries, acting as a key marketing vehicle in promoting Irish hotels and guesthouses both at home and abroad.
The Guide includes dedicated sections showcasing the tremendous range of leisure and business facilities provided by premises at the highest standards. These include 124 hotels and guesthouses offering Spa and Leisure breaks, 209 properties offering comprehensive Golfing arrangements, 179 premises catering for the needs of anglers and 199 properties offering Conference and Meeting facilities targeted at business tourism. Building on the exceptional value available in Irish hotels and guesthouses, the Guide includes vouchers offering guests significant discounts on bookings made directly with selected premises.
Commenting at the launch, Tim Fenn, Chief Executive of the IHF stated that Irish hotels and guesthouses are optimistic that The Gathering 2013 will provide a much welcome boost to tourism. According to a recent survey of hoteliers, throughout the country, over three quarters (76%) believe they will see an increase in business this year as a result of The Gathering while over half of those surveyed (53%) are already experiencing an increase in overall business levels compared with this time last year.
“The sector is now on a firmer footing following a number of pro-tourism initiatives by the Government such as the reduced tourism VAT rate, which has provided a key competitive advantage when marketing Ireland as a tourism destination,” adds Mr Fenn.
Ciaran Budds, National Sales Manager, On Trade with Diageo Ireland states: “We are delighted to be associated with the Be Our Guest Guide as part of a host of activities Diageo is involved in this year to encourage tourists to visit Ireland. The Guide is widely recognised as the ultimate accommodation listing for Irish hotels and guesthouses, making it a great fit for Guinness which has a strong heritage immediately synonymous with Irish tourism. We look forward to working with the hospitality sector over the coming months to promote the enormous range of scenic and cultural attractions on offer, including our visitor centre at the Guinness Storehouse and world leading pubs throughout the country.”
In the domestic market, the Be Our Guest Guide is distributed by Fáilte Ireland, Shannon Development and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board via their tourist information office network. The Guide is also available through the Guinness Storehouse, airports, car hire companies, the travel trade and Eason’s and other leading book stores, as well as in all the hotels and guesthouses featured in the Guide. In the overseas markets, Tourism Ireland distributes the Guide from all its offices to both consumers and travel trade in the UK, Continental Europe, North America and long haul markets.
ENDS
FOR INFORMATION:
Eoin Quinn / Siobhan Molloy Tel: 016760168
Weber Shandwick Mob: 087 233 2191 / 086 817 50 66