Irish sojourn

"These familiarization trips are a key part of our work with trade and media in all our markets," Kenny says, adding "if you haven't seen it, you can't sell it".

He says the strategy is centered around the knowledge that anyone who goes to Ireland will become a brand ambassador for the destination.

He says this personal touch is often very powerful because "the Chinese traveler, more than any other, relies heavily on word of mouth and reviews on popular sites".

Ireland's most popular international attraction, The Guinness Storehouse, which welcomed more than 1.7 million visitors last year, saw huge growth from China, with 50,000 visits made by Chinese tourists in 2017.

"In 2010-11, The Guinness Storehouse had virtually no Chinese visitors. To reach almost 50,000 visitors in the space of a few years is a huge achievement and an indication of the potential this market has, not just for The Guinness Storehouse but for Ireland as a destination," says its business development manager Fiona Herald.

Ciara Hanley, director of sales and marketing at Intercontinental Dublin, says: "In recent years, we have seen a sharp increase, particularly, in the past two years where, for our hotel alone, China accounts for 9 percent of our overall revenue stream."

The hotel is participating in the local tourism authority's China Ready program, which means Chinese guests will be able to scan a QR code at the front desk for assistance in their own language. There will also be a Mandarin version of room service menus.

Traditionally, Ireland has been marketed in China as part of a UK-and-Ireland package but, with the advent of direct flights and a greater knowledge of the British Irish Visa Scheme, along with a rapidly-growing interest in independent travel to Europe, Lesham says Ireland will increasingly be a popular destination among Chinese travelers.