Pictured in Milwaukee are Barney Mc Laughlin, Head of Tourism for Donegal County Council, Mayor of Milwaukee Tom Barrett, Sheila Russell of Harvey’s Point, Sarah Meehan of Donegal Tourism and Deirdre McGlone of Harveys Point.
DONEGAL Tourism recently led a very successful trade mission to the US recently which saw representatives meet with members of our Diaspora and international tour operators.
Three major American cities, all renowned for their strong Irish communities, were visited on the whistle-stop tour.
Barney McLaughlin, Head of Tourism for Donegal County Council and Sarah Meehan, Marketing Officer for Donegal Tourism, along with Deirdre McGlone and Sheila Russell from Harvey’s Point embarked on the trip that took in New York, Chicago, and Milwaukee.
The New York and Chicago visits were both a one night stay where the trade representatives hosted a Donegal Gathering evening which was attended by members of the Diaspora, local media, and some very prominent tour operators in each city. These events involved presentations outlining the beauty and accessibility of Donegal and emphasising that Donegal is open for business.
Barney McLaughlin said, “The opportunity to meet people face to face in an informal setting proved to be very advantageous in terms of delivering our message and making contact with many tour operators. Obviously, time will tell just how successful this mission was, but based on the positive feedback and interest we encountered, I feel that the business contacts that have been established will bear fruit for many years to come.
“Up to 50 tour operators attended each evening and the fact that these business people had the opportunity to engage with ordinary members of our Diaspora as they viewed stunning images of Donegal proved to be a selling point that far outweighs any marketing strategy or advertising campaign.”
Donegal Tourism would also like to extend its heartfelt thanks to the owners of both venues used for these evenings. The New York event was hosted in the Rattle and Hum Bar West in Manhattan, a bar owned by Donegal native and current New York Donegal Person of the Year, Joe Donagher from Ballyshannon. The Chicago event was hosted in The Gage Bar and Restaurant, a venue owned by Senator Billy Lawless, a tireless champion of the Irish undocumented in America.
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