Ireland’s Castlemartyr Resort completes CTW Chinese Tourist Welcome Training

The luxury 5 star Castlemartyr Spa & Golf Resort situated in Co. Cork has become the latest prominent Irish business to see its staff complete COTRI’s CTW Chinese Tourist Welcome Training programme.

The training was delivered by official COTRI Country Partner for Ireland the Centre for Competitiveness as part of Fáilte Ireland’s wider national strategy for preparing businesses for welcoming Chinese visitors, a policy that has become increasingly important in light of the two new direct flights to Dublin from China that launched this summer.

Brendan Comerford, General Manager of Castlemartyr Resort explained: “The expectation is that increased air access will bring an additional 40,000 Chinese visitors to Ireland during 2018 and we are perfectly positioned to capitalise on that significant increase here at Castlemartyr Resort. With our strong connection with China through our owners already we are delighted to be the first hotel in Cork to receive the accreditation and look forward to welcoming more visitors this year and in the years to come.”

Developing our staffs’ knowledge of Chinese tourism motivations, expectations and needs and learning how each of these can be met with a very special welcome has been invaluable, as has being given the knowledge, insights and skills for our sales and marketing team to enter the Chinese market and win business there.”

With Ireland having welcomed approximately 70,000 Chinese visitors in 2017, the national marketing body Tourism Ireland is aiming to grow this figure by 150% for the year 2025, targeting 175,000 annual visits from China.

Image: Castlemartyr Spa & Golf Resort, The Centre for Competitiveness (Ireland)