Top Austrian travel journalists have been exploring County Westmeath during their visit to Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands, as guests of Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland.
The group – which includes representatives of a national newspaper and two regional newspapers in Austria – has a combined reach of more than 1.3 million readers.
The group’s action-packed itinerary included visits to Belvedere House, Gardens & Park, Kilbeggan Distillery Experience and Dead Centre Brewing, as well as a river cruise from Athlone to Clonmacnoise with Viking Tours Ireland. The journalists enjoyed lunch in Browne’s on the Green in Tyrrellspass and dinner in Thyme Restaurant in Athlone, while staying in the Sheraton Athlone Hotel.
“Tourism Ireland was delighted to invite these influential Austrian travel writers to Westmeath and Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands. The articles they write when they return home will be read by more than 1.3 million people – so their visit is a really good opportunity to showcase Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands to a wide audience of prospective Austrian visitors.
“Tourism Ireland undertakes a busy publicity programme around the world each year to raise the profile of the island of Ireland – and visits by influential travel writers like these are a key element of that programme," Aubrey Irwin, Tourism Ireland’s Manager for Austria and Switzerland, said .
In 2019, 81,000 visitors from Austria visited the island of Ireland, spending €71 million during their time here.
