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KERRY will have a strong presence at the CMT Fair, Europe’s largest consumer travel show, in Stuttgart, Germany next week (January 14-22). It is the first time that the tourist trade from all part of the county will be represented at the nine-day show and its part of the new aggressive marketing approach by the Destination Kerry Tourism Forum and Kerry County Council to attract even greater numbers of European visitors to the county. The travel fair is expected to attract 300,000 visitors.

The Ryanair flight from Frankfurt-Hahn to Kerry Airport has proved to be a major success for Kerry tourism and there will be additional direct flights from Germany to Shannon and Dublin during 2017.

Kerry Airport is currently pursuing new direct routes from Northern Germany to Kerry for 2018. The Destination Kerry stand will be part of the large Tourism Ireland display and be located next to the Star Wars exhibit which should attract a lot of interest. Tourism trade representatives from Killarney, Tralee, Dingle, Kenmare, Ballybunion, Castleisland, Ring of Kerry, North Kerry, Skelligs Coast, Valentia, and Kerry Airport will all be participating at different stages.

"The expansion of the continental European market is a key objective of the new Kerry County Tourism Strategy and Germany is the major player there," according to Joan McCarthy, Head of Tourism Development, Kerry County Council.

Germany is Ireland’s leading continental European market and has been growing steadily in recent years with 630,000 visiting in 2015, up 13% on the previous year. Tourism Ireland is projecting a further 7% increase this year.

“Forty-six per cent of all German visitors visit the South-West and Kerry is their preferred regional holiday destination. Kerry County Council recently hosted a visit by TUI, Germany’s largest tour operator, which is seeking to expand its Irish business,” said Joan McCarthy.

 
Above: Some of those who will be attending the travel show in Germany next week pictured at Kerry Airport; front, Pádraig Hanrahan (Ballybunion and Go Kerry), Vincent Kidd (Valentia); back, Triona Houlihan (Tralee Chamber Alliance), Celene Dureke (Tralee Chamber Alliance), Claudia Kohler (Kerry County Museum), John Griffin (Kerry County Council), Joan McCarthy (Kerry County Council) Basil Sheerin (Kerry Airport), Mary Hartnett (Killarney), Kieran Ruttledge (Tralee Chamber Alliance).