Chinese take away memories of Meath

Meath played host to a group of leading Chinese journalists last week as part of a Failte Ireland promotion. One of the highlights of the journalists" fact-finding visit was a visit to Causey Farm, near Kells, where they got the chance to 'be Irish for a day' - learning how to make brown bread, how to play the bodhrán and even trying their hand at a few Irish dancing steps. The journalists - who were all from Beijing - also enjoyed a guided tour of Newgrange. The trip was organised by Tourism Ireland in China, in conjunction with Fáilte Ireland. Michael McCormick, Tourism Ireland"s Asia manager, said: 'Media visits such as these are extremely important to help build awareness of Meath, and the island of Ireland in general, among potential holidaymakers in China. The publicity value of the articles these journalists will write is fantastic - they will be read by many hundreds of thousands of potential holidaymakers.' He added: 'Tourism Ireland believes that the Asian outbound travel market, including China, is set for significant growth in the coming years. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, the Asia-Pacific region will be one of the fastest-growing outbound regions, expanding by 6.5 per cent on average over the next 15 years.'