Ireland has an outstanding tourist offering and the sector is crucial to the economy. A number of organisations are responsible for attracting tourists. Failte Ireland supports the tourism industry and provides a range of practical business supports. Tourism Ireland promotes and markets Ireland abroad as an attractive destination.Tourism NI promotes tourism in Northern Ireland. Regional Convention Bureaus work in partnership with Meet in Ireland and the Inbound Tourism Operators Association Ireland to promote group tours, business tourism, events and conferences in their regions. Over one hundred Tourist Information Offices and Information Points are dotted around the country to provide local information.
Destination Management Companies are professional services companies that offer bespoke programmes to attract business and group travel in Ireland. Ireland is very popular for business incentive travel. They also organise corporate events and conferences as well as cultural, sporting, religious and one off tours for special interest groups. They ensure a seamless and exceptional travel experience and are a vital part of the tourism industry in Ireland.
Information on job opportunities in these organisations is available at Publicjobs.ie and here.
Is this Sector for me?
Working in tourism marketing calls for creativity, imagination and excellent communication and people skills. Other essential skills include research, planning and attention to detail. Advances in technology, smart tourism and data analytics are increasingly being used to gain insights into customer preferences and market trends, thus informing marketing campaigns.
It takes a whole team to create and launch a major marketing campaign such as the hugely successful Wild Atlantic Way which helped develop the brand as a must-see tourist destination for millions of visitors. As well as Marketing professionals, this includes Copy Writers and Concept Designers to name but a few.
This sector requires good time management skills, the ability to multitask and adapt to change in a fast paced environment, often working to deadlines. Business management,sales and marketing,events management and language skills are highly sought after. IT skills are a big plus.
Many roles in this sector offer flexible working hours and amazing opportunities to travel worldwide promoting Ireland overseas.
What roles can I choose?
Attracting tourists involves different marketing strategies to entice them to visit Ireland. Every business in the tourism sector is different and will employ a different approach depending on their target audience and budget. For example, Tourism Ireland has a global marketing campaign which incorporates social and in print media, their website Ireland.com, TV & video on demand. As part of their marketing plan they manage and operate a number of international tourism conferences and business events promotions. They arrange familiarisation visits for the media and travel trade. They organise special promotions around St Patrick’s day and events such as The Open and Ryder Cup golf tournaments which attract large numbers of tourists. Working in this sector you would be involved in many of these activities, with fantastic opportunities to travel through your work.
Some of the key roles in the tourism marketing sector include marketing manager, marketing executive/assistant, digital marketing executive, brand managementgraphic designer and marketing insight analyst.
Find out more about Millie’s role as an Events Intern in London and Jack’s experience as Business Tourism Intern which included a trip to Las Vegas. Read about the day to day work of a Senior Travel Advisor in a Tourist Information Centre, a Tourism Manager in Dublinia and a Tourism Officer with Failte Ireland.
There are a whole host of other creatives involved in the industry such as Travel Photographers,Travel Writers, Bloggers, Vloggers and Influencers.
Begin your career journey today
There are many different routes to join the fast paced tourism marketing sector. Any work experience will give you valuable customer service skills and an insight into the sector.
You may prefer to go to college where there are a wide range of courses.If you are unsure what area to specialise in, a broad based qualification in Hospitality Management is a good starting point. The Business Studies in International Hotel Management includes work placements in world class hotels. If you prefer to focus on tourism and business there are many FET courses with links to Tourism Management,Marketing and Event Management with Marketing. If you want a career change or to upskill check out the HDip in Tourism Marketing.
Working in the industry opens many doors and offers great potential to move into different sectors. As well as tourism marketing there are a plethora of career opportunities in hospitality and tourism.