Porto to host 2017 ITAA Conference

Porto to host 2017 ITAA Conference

Dublin, 30^th June 2017  The Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) has today announced that its 2017 conference will take place in Porto, Portugal, from 12^th – 15^th October 2017.

Up to 150 travel professionals are expected to travel to Porto for the conference, where they will stay in the Solverde Spa & Wellness Hotel.  The conference meetings take place on Friday October 13^th with a range of speakers and will discuss past and future travel trends, business successes, planning for the future and other issues facing the travel trade. There will be opportunities on Friday evening and Saturday to take in sightseeing tours.  Pre-conference there will be a golf day on Thursday October 12^th and an optional fam trip will be offered post conference on October 15^th
and 16^th.

Recent figures released by the Instituto Nacional de Estatisticas (Statistics Portugal) showed that Portugal is an increasingly popular destination for Irish holidaymakers with a 19.5% increase in visits to the country in April 2017, when compared with the previous year. The regions of Porto and Northern Portugal have seen an increase in Irish guests of 68%, making it an increasingly popular area amongst Irish travellers.

Cormac Meehan, President of the ITAA, commented, “We are delighted to announce Porto as the destination for the ITAA Conference. With its fabulous weather, divine food and wine, and charismatic locals, it is easy to see why Portugal continues to be a top destination for Irish holidaymakers. As an important tourism partner, this conference gives our members the opportunity to discover more about this stunning country and to experience the beautiful and historic city of Porto.”

Antonio Padeira, Director of the Portuguese Tourist Board for UK and Ireland, commented, “We are very happy to welcome the members of the ITAA to discover Porto and Northern Portugal. Ireland has been the 3^rd market with the biggest growth for Portugal since January to April 2017, with a 19.5% increase on guests until April 2017, only topped by Brazil and the US. This is a significant increase for a relatively small market like Ireland.”

He continued, “This conference is an opportunity for Irish travel agents to explore the hidden gems and picturesque streets of Porto and get to know the fantastic food, excellent beaches, beautiful churches and the new contemporary buildings of architects like Siza, Souto de Moura or Koolhaas.”

Porto is a cosmopolitan city, an eclectic mix of all things ancient and modern. A UNESCO World Heritage site teeming with medieval townhouses, gothic palaces and baroque churches adorned with exquisitely handcrafted “Azulejos” tiles. It also boasts some of Europe’s most talked about contemporary architecture including the Rem Koolhaas designed Casada Musica , and the many architectural triumphs of award-winning Porto natives Eduardo Souto de Moura and Alvaro Siza, such as The Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art.