Greenways, trails & Shannon flights for UAE

The announcement marks a significant shift in Ireland’s approach to the Gulf market, which Burke described as “our most important market in the Gulf region.”

“We had over the last number of years, particularly post-Covid, we haven’t had anyone on the ground here, so we’re coming back into the marketplace in a very strong way, and hopefully that will increase visitor numbers from the UAE,” the minister explained.

The UAE market is of particular importance to Ireland, with 31 weekly flights between the two countries and a thriving Irish community of 14,000 residents in the Emirates, many of whom work in healthcare, education, financial services, and technology.

Central to Ireland’s new strategy is promoting what Burke calls “less mature markets” – rural and regional destinations that offer authentic, sustainable tourism experiences away from traditional hotspots.

“We’re looking at growing our less mature markets by about 7 per cent per annum. We put in a lot of capital investment into those, and those offer a model of slower, sustainable tourism that people in the UAE may not have experienced in Ireland,” Burke said.

Key destinations being promoted include Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands in the Midlands region, featuring historic estates, lakes, trails, greenways and restored canals.

Ireland has set aggressive tourism targets under its newly launched plan, “A New Era for Irish Tourism,” unveiled last week.

The country aims to increase overseas visitor spending by 50 per cent over the next five years, reaching approximately €9 billion – representing 6 per cent annual growth. Tourism employment is projected to grow from 228,000 to 251,000 jobs by 2030.

“We’re really working on growing our revenue, our visitor numbers, and, most importantly, career pathways for people who are working in tourism,” Burke said.