Ireland has unveiled a bold new vision for its business tourism sector with the launch of Business Events 2030, a national strategy aimed at transforming the country into a global hub for high-value business events.
The strategy was officially launched by Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke TD, at the Convention Centre Dublin in April 2025.
The initiative, developed through a collaborative effort between the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Ireland, and key industry stakeholders, sets out a roadmap to grow the sector’s annual revenue by an average of 8% through to 2030.
A high-yield sector with national impact
Business travel already contributes over €1bn annually to the Irish economy, supports 22,000 jobs, and delivers €290m to the Exchequer.
As one of the highest-yielding segments of tourism, business events are seen as a key driver of sustainable economic growth, offering benefits to more than 20,000 small and medium enterprises (SMEs), local communities and sectoral collectives.
The new strategy represents a fundamental shift in how Ireland approaches business events. Rather than focusing solely on traditional tourism metrics like visitor numbers and hotel occupancy, the strategy embraces a more holistic approach that equally values economic, social, and environmental benefits.
This transformative approach involves collaboration between government and industry to deliver the full value of business events, whilst emphasising the importance of community and ensuring positive impacts on local, national, and international levels.
Economic ambition: to realise the full value of business events, prioritising value over volume and fostering a resilient tourism workforce.
Social ambition: to build stronger communities at local, sectoral, and national levels, delivering long-term legacy benefits.
Environmental ambition: to focus on meeting high sustainability standards, supporting climate goals, and promoting best practices in resource efficiency.
Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke TD, commented:
“Business Events 2030 represents a significant step forward in our commitment to fostering economic growth through the promotion of Ireland as a fantastic location for business travel. This strategy refocuses our policy, placing more emphasis on economic targets, boosting both our indigenous tourism SMEs and our economy and highlights Ireland’s eco-friendly credentials when attracting business.”
The strategy aims to support SMEs and those they employ, in particular within the accommodation, visitor economy, hospitality, and retail sectors, as well as across the wider business events supply chain – including AV companies, transport providers, food and drink manufacturers, and entertainment.
Business Events 2030 is a bold and ambitious plan to elevate the country’s business events sector. By focusing on economic growth, social impact, and environmental sustainability, the strategy aims to position Ireland as a global leader in business events.
Contact our team to find out how we can help you bring your sustainable business event to Ireland.
