30/05/2011 00:00:00
Ireland beat off stiff competition from Turkey as the location for the Association of South African Travel Agents (ASATA) 2011 annual conference.
One hundred and eighty leading tourism and travel representatives from South Africa attended the conference at Druids Glen Resort in County Wicklow. The delegates included top senior management from major international airlines, tour operators, and retail travel agencies. 
Many of the delegates extended their stay, taking part in pre- and post-conference tours and taking advantage of the opportunity to see more of Ireland and to experience the breadth of our tourism product, our historic attractions and spectacular scenery.
The conference was officially opened by Tourism Ireland CEO Niall Gibbons, who said: “We are delighted that Ireland was chosen as the venue for this year’s ASATA annual conference. It is a wonderful platform to showcase the island of Ireland as a premier holiday and business tourism destination and an opportunity for us to develop our contacts with South Africa and other long-haul markets. The high level of attendance reflects the enthusiasm for the island of Ireland as a destination.”