Tourism Ireland’s ‘Senses of Ireland’ events have been taking place in Canada – in the cities of Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. ‘Senses of Ireland’ is a brand-new concept, designed to bring travel professionals and journalists in each of the Canadian cities on a unique sensory journey through the beautiful landscapes and rich culture of the island of Ireland.
Eight tourism partners from the island of Ireland travelled to Canada to join Tourism Ireland for ‘Senses of Ireland’. The cities they’ve been visiting – Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver – were specially selected as key cities which have the potential to drive holidaymaker business from Canada to Ireland.
Laureen Regan, Honorary Vice Consul for Ireland; Birgitta Hedin-Curtin, Burren Smokehouse; Nuala Mulqueeny, Aillwee Burren Experience; Angela Newman, Hysterical Histories Cork; Helen Murphy, Jameson Distillery Cork and Jameson Distillery Dublin; Ghillian Campbell, Visit Armagh; Sandra Moffatt, Tourism Ireland; Claire O’Kane, Taste Causeway; Lauren Lamonday, Tourism Ireland; Barry Murphy, The Gobbins; and Rónán Ó Dochartaigh, Oideas Gael, at Tourism Ireland’s Senses of Ireland event in Calgary.
The Canadian guests attending the ‘Senses of Ireland’ events were invited to explore various ‘sense stations’, designed to stimulate their senses. They had the opportunity to:
- Touch: immerse themselves in our traditions by interacting with the people and the products synonymous with the island of Ireland.
- Taste: savour the exquisite flavours of our food and drink, with whiskey and chocolate pairings from Jameson Distillery in Cork and Dublin, flavours of our coast with Mussenden Sea Salt and fresh apple tarts from the Orchard County prepared by Visit Armagh.
- See: experience breath-taking visuals that showcase the natural beauty of the island of Ireland through immersive, augmented reality technology – with VR headsets from Taste Causeway and The Gobbins.
- Hear: tune into the melodic tales of Ireland’s rich culture with Irish language lessons, music, dance and song, from Oideas Gael in Co Donegal and from Hysterical Histories Cork.
- Smell: breathe in the evocative scent of Irish turf, a fragrance that encapsulates the essence of Ireland, and see live demonstrations of smoking salmon, using a ‘mini smoker’ of smoked salmon from The Burren Smokehouse paired with Burren Gold Cheese from the Aillwee Caves.
Sandra Moffatt, Tourism Ireland’s Manager Canada, said: “Our ‘Senses of Ireland’ events are unlike any promotion we’ve undertaken before. Together with our tourism partners, our aim is to highlight some of the superb tourism offerings around the island of Ireland in a unique and immersive way. We want to really capture the attention of the tour operators and travel agents attending our ‘Senses of Ireland’ events this week, helping to secure a greater share of their business for the island of Ireland in 2024 and beyond.”
Canada is the tenth-largest market for overseas tourism to the island of Ireland. In 2019, we welcomed 248,000 visitors from Canada, whose visits delivered €209 million for the economy.
