From slow tourism to destination weddings: Ireland shares 2025 strategy at luncheon

It was barely 11:30 a.m., but that didn't stop the dark and rich Guinness from pouring, filling pint glasses with thick, foamy head for a who’s who crowd from Toronto’s Irish community, and beyond, at The Ireland Funds’ annual St. Patrick's Day (month) luncheon on Friday (March 7).

Filling a ballroom at the Fairmont Royal York hotel, the chatty afternoon of warmth, wit and wisdom served as a fundraiser for programs that support peace and reconciliation, arts and culture, education and community development – in all of Ireland and in Canada.

Ireland Funds Canada is part of a worldwide network of people of Irish ancestry and friends of Ireland.

Its annual gathering – a pre-St. Paddy’s Day party, you could say – is “a great opportunity to celebrate our shared heritage, connections and bring the community together every March,” said Sandra Moffatt, director for Canada at Tourism Ireland, speaking to PAX at the music and dance-filled event, which included a marching bagpiper.

In a sea of business leaders, corporate partners, investors and politicians (including now-Liberal Leader and Prime Minister-designate Mark Carney, hot on the campaign trail, who dropped by to say hi – the former Governor of the Bank of Canada was born in Canada, but has held Irish citizenship for decades), Tourism Ireland and Royal Irish Tours (RIT) hosted a table. 

Seated here, a VIP guest list of travel industry pros – notably RIT’s Vice President Conor Duffy and his father, Ian, company founder and president; TravelOnly’s President and CEO Gregory Luciani; Brett Walker, Collette’s general manager for Canada and international business operations; Bernardo Celorio of Envoyage; select travel trade media; and Moffatt, who was joined by Lauren Lamonday, who oversees partnership marketing at Tourism Ireland.

Several prizes (like overnight stays in an Irish castle) were also raffled off in support of the University of Toronto’s University of St. Michael’s College, which has long been a beacon for the Celtic community in Toronto.

READ MORE: Not just potatoes: Tourism Ireland spotlights Irish culinary scene – a “best-kept secret”

Moffatt noted how the Ireland Funds’ last major St. Patrick’s Day event was back in 2020, right before the pandemic shutdown.

The luncheon returned last year, although with a reduced invitation list.   

“This year, it’s back with a bang, returning to the same capacity as it was in 2020,” Moffatt noted.

Irish Heritage Month begins

The lively lunch helped kick off Irish Heritage Month, which celebrates history and the many ways Irish Canadians have helped shape Canada.

Irish is the fourth largest ethnic group in Canada, with more than 4.6 million claiming Irish heritage.

In a dark time in Irish history, 18,000 Irish landed in Toronto, following the famine in 1947 – at a time when the city’s population was just 20,000. 

Recognizing how Irish culture has influenced Canadian society, “Irish Heritage Month” was officially designated by the Government of Canada in 2022.

“It’s really an opportunity for us to put a spotlight on Ireland,” Moffatt told PAX. “I don't think a lot of destinations have that kind of opportunity. We're very lucky.”

March, of course, includes St. Patrick’s Day, which lands on March 17. This is when some 70 million people who claim links to Ireland (and their friends) celebrate with Irish music, dancing, festivals and parades, along with green-coloured beer or a pint of Guinness, the famous stout from Dublin.

(Click here to learn more about some of the events taking place in Ireland).

In Canada, Tourism Ireland has many activations, including its Irish Person of the Year event, held earlier this month. It will also be turning iconic sites green on St. Patrick’s Day, from the CN Tower to Niagara Falls.

A partnership with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment has also been secured.  

As some may (or may not) know, the Toronto Maple Leafs, from 1919 to 1927, were once known as the Toronto St. Patrick's.

Tourism Ireland will be celebrating this piece of hockey history on St. Patrick’s Day with a special campaign with the Maple Leafs when the team faces off against the Calgary Flames.

For the game, Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena will be covered in Ireland’s green branding, and one lucky attendee will go home with a free trip to Ireland.

Carlton, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ bear mascot, will also be known as “Cloverton” for one night only, Moffatt said.

“We’ll be teaching him how to do an Irish dance,” Moffatt shared, adding that a crew of dancers and musicians will also be present at the game.

Lift remains strong

Tourism Ireland has had luck on its side as air lift between Canada with Ireland remains strong.

Ireland now has six gateways from Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, and St. John’s, Newfoundland.

“The numbers are looking really positive,” said Moffatt. “The reports from our tour operators say business is up over last year.”

Stats, sentiment and forecasts for Ireland have also been “very positive from partners” for the year ahead, boosted by major events, like The Open Championship in Royal Portrush taking place this summer, Moffatt added.

Slow tourism & culinary secrets  

What Ireland is pushing this year (like many destinations) is travel that falls outside of peak season.

“We’ll be launching ‘slow tourism month’ this June,” Moffatt said. “It encourages people to get off the beaten track and see areas they haven’t seen, and to slow down and feel more.”

Ireland is also being positioned as a unique culinary destination. As highlighted at a tasting event earlier this year, there’s more to Ireland’s food scene than corned beef, cabbage and soda bread.

Modern Irish food (a best-kept secret, perhaps) stands on the success of the island’s access to clean produce and fresh seafood.

“Our meat, our fish, our eggs…We're so lucky to have them,” said Irish pastry Chef JR Ryall, who spoke to PAX last January.

And butter. When visiting Ireland, you may see a certain yellow in your butter – carotene from the grass the cows are eating. It's very rich, and comparable to “liquid gold,” as Moffatt once put it.

Focus on Destination Weddings

Ireland will also soon be spotlighting its weddings and romance segment. 

Later in the year, travel advisors can expect to see more content from Tourism Ireland about this subject. A webinar about Ireland’s wedding scene, from top venues to leading wedding planners, will also be held soon (stay tuned for details).  

“Not many people think of Ireland as a place for a destination wedding, but we’re actually a very romantic destination, with beautiful manor houses and castles,” Moffatt said. “Many people do host their weddings in Ireland – especially people with ancestral connections.”

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