Belgian and Dutch tour operators discover the beauty of County Clare

Twelve tour operators from Belgium and the Netherlands have been visiting Clare and other parts of the country as guests of both Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland.

The visiting tour operators are important partners for Tourism Ireland, bringing valuable Belgian and Dutch visitors to the country each year, aiming to familiarise them with the superb tourism offering and to ensure that Ireland features prominently in their programmes for 2025 and beyond.

Tourism Ireland has a strong focus on driving more business to the regions of Ireland this year. Activity includes its ‘twinning’ initiative – with each overseas market ‘twinning’ with a specific part of Ireland, to accelerate the organisation’s focus on regional growth of tourism revenue.

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Belgium and the Netherlands are twinned with Clare and Galway – so the group’s action-packed itinerary places particular emphasis on both counties.

The tour operators’ itinerary included the Burren Farm Experience and a visit to the Cliffs of Moher.

Karen van der Horst, Tourism Ireland’s Manager for Northern Europe, said: “We’re delighted these influential Belgian and Dutch tour operators have taken the time to come and experience Ireland’s superb tourism offering – including our rich cultural and historical experiences – and see for themselves what Ireland has to offer their clients. It’s a great opportunity to familiarise them with the destination for consideration in their programmes for 2025 and beyond.”