Ireland Overland

Client: Dublin Convention Bureau, Kerry Convention Bureau, Meet in Ireland and Evolve Events

London – Holyhead – Dublin - Kerry

“Luxury isn’t about getting there faster anymore; it’s about having the time to notice the journey.”

Ireland Overland was created to challenge one of the meetings industry’s most deeply embedded assumptions: that sustainable travel is a compromise rather than an enhancement to delegate experience.

Developed in partnership with Dublin Convention Bureau, Kerry Convention Bureau, Meet in Ireland and Evolve Events, the initiative brought 13 UK event professionals from London to Ireland via rail and ferry, before returning by air, allowing delegates to directly compare both experiences emotionally, socially and environmentally.

The choice of destinations was deliberate and evidence-based. Kerry (#12 GDS-Index, #1 Ireland, seventh consecutive year in Top 20) and Dublin (#19 GDS-Index, Top 20 for the first time in 2025 after climbing ten places) represent two of Europe’s most progressive sustainable event destinations. Crucially, this was the first time the two CVBs had collaborated on a familiarisation programme; two competitive destinations choosing to tell a bigger story together, supported by Meet in Ireland at a national level and a wide coalition of industry partners.

Rather than treating travel as a logistical necessity, Ireland Overland reimagined the journey itself as part of the event design. Shared rail and ferry travel became spaces for conversation, wellbeing and connection. Experiences across Dublin and Kerry embedded sustainability naturally into every touchpoint, from social enterprise walking tours and participatory workshops to locally sourced food and wellbeing among monastic ruins overlooking the Lakes of Killarney.

The programme achieved a Platinum sustainability rating from FromNow, placing it in the top 1% of all events assessed. The rail and ferry journey saved 415.4kg CO₂e compared to flying, with 100% scores across accessibility, environmental impact, community and DEI.

Most importantly, Ireland Overland demonstrated that multi-stage sustainable travel is operationally manageable, experience-enhancing and ready for the wider UK market.