Bethan Spicer
Spicer Travel
partner
llandudno
wales
age: 42
penny keenan
manager
abingdon travel
abingdon
oxfordshire
age: 30
martin singer
partner
martin singer travel
inverurie
scotland
age: 45
We were selling a great number of day trips to Dublin becauseconnections from Holyhead in North Wales make the city very accessible. A lot of visitors to Wales go across on the ferry as a holiday excursion and local people also make the crossing for duty-free shopping. I had been many times before and I like the city a lot but I always go just for the day, never overnight or beyond the city centre. I was interested to see what else there was and to find ways in which to encourage our clients to stay there longer.
I had been on a brief day trip to Dublin before but had never gone beyond the city. We were getting a lot of enquiries about Ireland and I had made a lot of bookings for Dublin. I found Ireland quite easy to sell – clients like the idea of the Guinness, the culture and the festivities. I was aware that many more suppliers were promoting the destination and that the product range was expanding but I still thought of it as a city-break destination.
I had been to Dublin before but not into the surrounding countryside. I knew there were plenty of rolling hills and mountains and imagined it would be equally as beautiful as the area I’m living in. Dublin was a popular short-break destination for us but I had noticed that we were getting a growing number of enquiries for longer-stay holidays across Ireland. The country has had a lot of very good publicity and I felt more people were beginning to feel that now was the right time to have aholiday there.
Dublin is a bustling and popular city. The surrounding countryside was stunning. The Irish hospitality was everything I imagined and more. We sampled some excellent Guinness and Irish stew in some typically Irish pubs which were very hard to leave. I was very impressed with the place and think it makes a wonderful touring destination. I would certainly pay to go back and in fact I am going with a group of friends to walk the Kerry Way for a week in May. It’s a 100-mile walk in total that will be broken up by stops at Guinness houses all along the way. I’m sure it will be wonderful.
The Wicklow mountains are absolutely superb and the little hamlet Avoka – where they film Ballykissangel – is lovely. The scenery is well worth the effort of driving out of the city because although Dublin itself has plenty to offer, the surrounding countryside is really spectacular. I definitely feel better equipped to persuade people to take their cars with them on a crossing to Dublin now, and having seen the hotels, I am recommending clients stay a night or two. Dublin is a popular destination from here and, since the troubles in Northern Ireland have died down, the south has become even more popular. Visiting is just so easy.
Ireland is a really lovely place and the combination of Dublin and the Wicklow mountains makes for a wonderful contrast. The city is easy to explore, lively, and mixes culture with a good range of shops and restaurants. That mixes well with the very green, relaxed countryside all around. I am definitely recommending it as a holiday destination now, not just for city breaks. Flydrive or taking your own car is so easy and reasonably priced and allows you to see so much more. I don’t think people realise how much is on offer beyond the city – from gypsy caravans to cruises up the Shannon. I loved the place and would go back tomorrow.