Ireland is set to relax COVID-19-related travel restrictions and welcome tourists from outside the European Union, including U.S. travelers, starting July 19, 2021. With this date just a few weeks away, TravelAge West partnered with Tourism Ireland to host a virtual event specifically geared toward equipping travel advisors to sell luxury trips to the Emerald Isle.
The Ireland Luxury Marketplace brought together advisors and suppliers from across the travel industry — from hotels to tour operators — for a day of webinars, roundtable discussions and networking appointments. More than 900 people registered for the event.
“My main goal [in attending] was to meet the best luxury travel suppliers within Ireland, so that I can provide vetted, highly customized itineraries for my clients,” said Paula McCarty, owner of Arizona-based agency Travel Smart with Paula.
Topics for the event’s interactive roundtable sessions included luxury accommodations and private rentals, artisan designers and traditions, sustainability, food experiences and ancestry-focused travel.
“The webinars provided key insights and practical information on various topics, from how to design a customized Ireland tour and a thorough review of some of the best luxury lodgings, including historic castles, to a full description of activities such as whisky tasting, horseback riding and genealogy tracing,” McCarty said. “The lodgings that were presented to us were nothing short of spectacular.”
The Ireland Luxury Marketplace also featured an informative live webinar with Alison Metcalfe, executive vice president of North America for Tourism Ireland, and Marc Kazlauskas, president of FROSCH.
The pair discussed a wide range of topics, but especially highlighted the “revenge travel” trend that has travelers spending more money, traveling for longer periods of time and generally planning bigger trips to make up for lost time.
“Revenge travel is real, and what that means in my mind, is where a client would ordinarily spend $25,000 a year on a vacation for two, now they’re spending $50,000 on a vacation for two or four,” said Kazlauskas. “There’s pent-up demand in terms of ‘I want to get out,’ but also in terms of ‘I want to do it right and I’ll spend for it.’”
Afternoon tea at Kilronan Castle was one of several luxury experiences highlighted during the Ireland Luxury Marketplace.
Credit: 2021 Failte IrelandMetcalfe also pointed to consumer sentiment research on another important factor for clients looking to get back into traveling.
“Americans are looking to travel to familiar destinations,” she said. “They’re looking to spend more time with their friends and family, and they want to do that in a safe and welcoming destination. I think Ireland fits the bill for those consumers, and if you’ve been before, what we want to get across is that Ireland has so many new experiences. It might be familiar, but it’s also exciting and new.”
With Ireland easing its COVID-19-related restrictions (vaccinated travelers will only have to present proof of vaccination to avoid quarantine, while unvaccinated travelers will have to pre-test, quarantine and get tested again), both Metcalfe and Kazlauskas expect a major spike in visitors this summer and beyond.
“Right now, travel is on fire, and any destination that’s open to Americans is going to see a surge,” Kazlauskas said. “We’re seeing it in Mexico, the Caribbean, Florida. We’re certainly seeing it in Hawaii, [and] I expect to see the same thing in Ireland.”
For that reason, Metcalfe and Kazlauskas recommend that advisors book their clients’ trips as soon as possible and make reservations for rental cars, as well as the key experiences that they’re interested in, including specific golf courses, restaurants and more that may have limited capacity.
“Pack your patience,” Kazlauskas advised travel agents to tell their clients, adding how important it is to set the proper expectations for clients to avoid disappointments.
His other suggestion for times like these?
“Don’t be afraid to charge for your experience, your service, your knowledge and your consultation because right now, it is everything,” Kazlauskas said. “[Travelers] need an agent more than ever, people are using agents more than ever and we have to prove our value and worth, which is what we’re doing now and will keep clients forever.”
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