Dublin is to host the Rotary International Convention in June 2031. The five-day event, which will be staged in the RDS, is projected to bring up to 20,000 visitors from over 140 countries to the capital and deliver an estimated €68m boost to the Irish economy.
Ireland’s 67 Rotary clubs put together the conference bid, which was supported by Fáilte Ireland, its Dublin Convention Bureau team and the RDS.
Garth Arnold, co-chair of the bid committee, said: “Rotary in Ireland has a long and proud history of service. Dublin Rotary Club, founded in 1911, was the first Rotary club established outside North America. Yet we have never hosted the international convention.
“Bringing this global gathering to Ireland has been a long-held ambition of our members, and we are looking forward to realising it in 2031.”
Paul Mockler, head of commercial development with Fáilte Ireland, said the convention would be “the largest convention ever secured through Fáilte Ireland and a major milestone for Ireland’s business-events sector”.
Rotary International supports sustainable, community-driven projects, specifically in the areas of health, education and the environment and projects it is involved with in Ireland include Bikes for Africa, and Just 1 Life, a road-safety awareness programme for teenagers.
More than 6.4m overseas visitors came to Ireland last year, contributing an estimated €5.5bn, with the average length of stay being 7.5 nights. This summer will see direct flights to Ireland from a record 23 US gateways.
Image courtesy: Failte Ireland