Description
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has confirmed that âTourism has been the worst affected of all major economic sectorsâ by Covid 19.
- How will this impact on the businesses and livelihoods of those involved in these sectors?
- What challenges will the wider tourism sector face?
- What are Irelandâs plans for recovery?
- What can we do to support the tourism industry?
These are just some of the questions that Niall Gibbons Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland and Niall O’Callaghan Managing Director of Shannon Heritage and current Chairman of AVEA â the National Association of Visitor Experiences and Attractions, will answer in this tourism-focused webinar, which will be of tremendous interest not just to those operating in the sector but to the community at large and to everyone who wants to be a tourist again.
Speakers
Niall Gibbons, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland. He oversees the marketing of the island across the world, leading a team of over 160 staff in 22 markets, whose work is underpinned by sustainable destination marketing principles. Over 11 million overseas visitors in 2019 contributed over âŹ5.8BN to the island economies and supported 325,000 jobs.âŻHe led Tourism Irelandâs expansion into new markets such as China and the Middle East and oversaw the organisationâs emergence as a leaderâŻinâŻdigital marketing and socialâŻmedia. He developed ground-breaking partnerships with LucasFilm and HBO which allowed Tourism Ireland to leverage the global success of Star Wars and Game of Thrones to showcase the island of Ireland overseas, in a new way. He led the development of Tourism Irelandâs Global Greening initiative, which has brought tourism to the heart of St Patrickâs Day celebrations across the world. The World Economic Forum has ranked Ireland 3rd in the world out of 136 countries for âeffectiveness of marketing and branding to attract touristsâ.
Niall is a business graduate of Trinity College, Dublin and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland. He sits on the Irish Governmentâs Export Trade Council, is a member of Culture Irelandâs Expert Advisory Committee and an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality in Ireland.
Niall OâCallaghan is the Managing Director of Shannon Heritage, Shannon Groupâs tourist attraction and experience company. He oversees the companyâs portfolio of day attractions, evening entertainment venues and retail outlets across 11 locations nationally, leading a team of 180 staff. Almost 1 million visitors were welcomed to Shannon Heritage attractions in 2019, including the flagship Bunratty Castle & Folk Park. He led Shannon Heritageâs expansion of the portfolio in Dublin and oversaw the organisationâs emergence as a leader in digital marketing and social media. He has reinvigorated Shannon Heritageâs reputation as early innovators with numerous firsts including customer service excellence, digital transformation and strategic partnerships.
Niall is a graduate of UL, with a Masterâs in Marketing from UCC, and is the current Chairman of AVEA â the national Association of Visitor Experiences and Attractions. He sits on the Irish Governmentâs Tourism Leadership Group, is a member of the Irish Tourism Industry Council as well as a number of local tourism committees and boards.