Tourism Ireland brought eight specialist luxury travel agents from Germany to the island this week, the latest familiarization push the agency will measure against 2027 booking targets in the DACH region.

The group arrived as guests of Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland on 23 September. The itinerary covered five counties. Tourism Ireland's DACH brief covers Germany, Austria and Switzerland — three of the agency's dedicated European source markets.

How big is the prize for Ireland?

Overseas tourism delivered more than €6.4 billion to the island of Ireland in 2025, according to Tourism Ireland figures cited by the agency. Germany sits among the agency's named trade targets, and the luxury sub-segment commands the highest per-trip spend, making an eight-agent visit a measurable, if modest, commercial instrument.

Nadine Lehmann, Tourism Ireland's Manager for DACH countries, framed the visit in commercial terms: "Tourism Ireland was delighted to invite this group of specialist luxury travel agents from Germany to Ireland, to experience at first-hand some of our luxury tourism offering, including our unique visitor experiences, boutique hotels and high-end resorts."

She tied the visit directly to forward bookings. "Seeing is believing and our aim is that when they return home, they will be even more enthusiastic about the destination, helping to secure a greater share of their business for Ireland in 2027 and beyond," Lehmann said.

What is on the agent itinerary?

The agents moved through five counties in a single week. Stops included:

• Ballykilcavan Farm and Brewery, County Laois
• An introduction to hurling and a traditional music session at Malzards Pub, Stoneyford, County Kilkenny
• A Cork Harbour cruise with Cork Sea Safari
• A guided tour of Mount Congreve Gardens, County Waterford
• Powerscourt Distillery (whiskey tasting), Powerscourt Gardens and Glendalough, County Wicklow

Which luxury properties are under inspection?

Three flagship properties hosted the agents for site inspections:

• Lyrath Estate, County Kilkenny
• Hayfield Manor, Cork
• Powerscourt Hotel, County Wicklow

The hotels are spread across the south and east, giving the German agents a defensible geographic range to recommend.

What does this mean for travel sellers?

For agents operating in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, FAM invitations from national tourist boards typically precede inclusion in preferred-supplier portfolios and brochure placements. An agent who has walked Powerscourt Gardens and tasted whiskey at the on-site distillery is materially harder to displace when a competing destination pitches the same client.

The group is small — eight agents — but the conversion economics matter. Tourism Ireland's stated aim is "a greater share of their business," phrasing that ties familiarization to revenue displacement rather than awareness. Any incremental reallocation these agents make toward Ireland in 2027 will compete directly with pitches from other long-haul luxury destinations for the same affluent German segment.

How is Tourism Ireland structured?

The agency promotes the island of Ireland overseas as a leading holiday destination. It runs www.ireland.com plus 21 market sites across 18 countries and one international site, delivered in seven language versions. Tourism Ireland sits under Ireland's Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment and Northern Ireland's Department for the Economy.

The DACH programme is coordinated through Lehmann's office. Activities typically combine FAM trips with agent training and webinars.

The September timing is deliberate. Agents returning to their desks in October have roughly 14 weeks to fold Ireland recommendations into 2027 luxury itineraries that open for sale this autumn — the metric Tourism Ireland has flagged for judging the trip's commercial return.