Tourism Ireland’s ‘Flavours of Ireland’ event took place in London this week – connecting local tourism businesses from Northern Ireland, including Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, with leading global inbound tour operators who bring visitors at scale from around the world.
Now in its 23rd year, ‘Flavours’ is an annual Tourism Ireland event – where 20 tourism companies from Northern Ireland met and did business with around 60 global inbound tour operators, who are mainly based in London and who deliver business from all over the world, including from the United States, Mainland Europe, Asia, Australasia and Africa.
‘Flavours’ provides an excellent opportunity for the participating tourism providers from Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland to highlight and sell their tourism product, to build valuable relationships with the global inbound buyers in attendance and secure new business. The global operators are preparing to sign contracts for 2026 and beyond, so it’s a key time to influence the addition of new tourism products to their programmes that have the potential to deliver more regional and longer-stay business.
Global inbound tour operators deliver around 500,000 visitors to the island of Ireland each year. Around 660 commercial meetings were conducted at ‘Flavours’, which will, in turn, deliver business to Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland from around the world in 2026 and beyond.
Aisling McDermott, Tourism Ireland’s Head of Global Partnerships, said: “Our ‘Flavours of Ireland’ event plays a vital role in strengthening our presence in the global tourism marketplace. It’s an excellent platform to connect inspiring tourism businesses from across Northern Ireland with influential inbound tour operators who design and sell travel programmes around the world.
"Through hundreds of targeted commercial meetings, our industry partners had the opportunity to showcase the very best of what Northern Ireland has to offer – from world-class visitor attractions and hidden gems of heritage to premium hotels, walking tours, boat trips and whiskey distilleries. Events like ‘Flavours’ help ensure that Northern Ireland continues to feature prominently in global itineraries, driving more visitors, longer stays and greater regional spread in the years ahead.”
Tourism companies from Northern Ireland who participated in ‘Flavours of Ireland’ 2025:
- Ards and North Down Borough Council
- Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council
- Belleek Pottery Visitor Centre
- Bishop’s Gate Hotel
- Boatyard Distillery
- Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council
- City Hotel Derry
- Derrie Danders Walking and Audio Tours
- Hilton Belfast
- Hinch Distillery
- Holiday Inn Express Derry - Londonderry / Portrush Atlantic Hotel
- J&K Coaches Ltd
- Marine & Lawn Hotels & Resorts
- Mid and East Antrim
- Mid Ulster District Council
- Mourne Mountains and Ring of Gullion
- National Museums NI
- Stena Line
- Titanic Belfast
- Waterman House
Begona Navio, ASA Tours; Emer Mac Diarmada, Tourism Ireland; and Mark McGrann, Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council, at Tourism Ireland’s Flavours of Ireland 2025 in London. Pic – Malcolm McNally (no repro fee).