Mossel Bay Tourism touch base with the Irish

Garden Route – Mossel Bay Tourism’s Marcia Holm has just returned from a marketing trip to Ireland – where, she says, she found “the people are not so concerned about the recession, and they’re still travelling.”  Ms Holm attended the 20th Holiday World Show in Dublin, at which 725 exhibitors from 151 countries attracted 50,000 members of the public and 2,200 members of the tourism trade.

“Although many hotels in Ireland are offering heavily discounted, free or ‘name your own price’ rates on blind auctions, the Irish are still travelling abroad – and Spain, France and North America remain their preferred destinations,” said Ms Holm.

“But even so, South Africa is still attractive for them, especially since adventure is their fastest-growing sector.

“Eco-tourism and responsible tourism are also very important to the Irish, who prefer to support establishments that subscribe to green philosophies,” she said.

In line with international trends, the Irish public is moving away from printed material when it comes to researching their holidays. “It’s all about the internet now, and web sites, online booking engines, blogs, Wikis, and podcasts have almost totally taken over,” said Ms. Holm.

Research in this market shows that 84% of Irish people travelled outside of Ireland at least once in the last three years – and that, in general, they travel 2.4 times a year.

In terms of travel arrangements, they prefer to choose their destinations first and then to research them on the internet, and are likely to book their travel packages between one week and five months before departure, with most travel taking place between July and September.

“This poses a challenge, as the Irish market shows a definite demand for cheap flights and value for money is important. Unfortunately, though, the cheaper flights are usually only available between October and March – which is counter-productive, because most people can only to take leave in June and July,” said Ms Holm.

“If we could convince the airlines to bring cheaper flights into our off-season – from May to August – I think we would see a real increase in visitor numbers during our quiet period.”

Ms Holm made a point of speaking to soccer supporters about the World Cup in 2010 and found that they’re still cautious in their approach. “They’ll only find out whether the Irish team will qualify for the event in May or June this year – and they’re not likely to make any buying decisions before that,” she said.

“Mossel Bay has all the ingredients the Irish want in a long-haul destination – our beaches, adventures, and good, value-for-money accommodation are particularly attractive, and our unique ability to offer sea-front accommodation to everyone, no matter what their budget may be, is seen a particular benefit,” said Ms. Holm.

“We don’t believe in the short-term solution of offering discounts and freebies. So, in pursuing the Irish market – as with all other markets – Mossel Bay Tourism will encourage our members to continue focussing on providing top-class, friendly, personal service and on making sure that their on-line information is comprehensive and up-to-date.”

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