Swiss media in Boyne Valley visit
A group of journalists from some of Switzerland’s top magazines and online media are currently in Ireland as part of a familiarisation visit to the Boyne Valley. An itinerary was put together by Fáilte Ireland, with the group visiting some of Ireland’s ancient sites such as Kells High Cross, the Neolithic monuments of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth, the Bru Na Boinne Visitor Centre and a walking tour of Carlingford to cover its medieval history before taking in Loughcrew historic Gardens.
The group of Swiss journalists have an overall reach of 1.8 million readers and listeners. This year Fáilte Ireland is hosting an increased number of travelling international media to Ireland, with over 2000 global media expected to visit Ireland throughout 2013 and generate an estimated advertising value of approximately €350 million worth of coverage.
Olivia Duff of the Headfort Arms, and one of Fáilte Ireland’s food champions was also given the opportunity to meet with the group to showcase the Meath Food Trail. The trail gives visitors the opportunity to visit local producers with a wide range of produce and learn all about the production and indeed the producers themselves. Following the food trail the journalists returned to the Vanilla Pod restaurant at the Headfort Arms to sample the local produce. The ‘Meath Menu’ offers a selection of food provided by local suppliers along the trail.
Brenda King of Fáilte Ireland, who accompanied the group, commented: “With Food Tourism growing significantly over the last decade, many international destinations are now looking to this sector to gain a competitive edge. It’s a serious business as currently 35 per cent of visitor spend here is on food and drink. We can get ahead of the curve by ensuring that we offer visitors the best local and regional food. By showcasing local produce we can really evoke a unique sense of place, and promote Ireland as an unspoilt environment.”
With this in mind, these Swiss journalists can now return from their visit to the Boyne Valley, to spread the word and images on what Ireland can offer. By providing international journalists with a positive experience of their visit to Ireland, it is our hope that the coverage created will be a lasting experience and thus encourage visitors to return to Ireland and indeed the Boyne Valley in the future.'