Seven tourism businesses from Ireland joined Tourism Ireland at the Classic Motor Show in Birmingham over the weekend. The Classic Motor Show is an annual event which takes place over three days and attracts around 60,000 people, offering an excellent platform to spread the world about car touring holidays around Ireland among British car enthusiasts – and prospective holidaymakers.

TV presenter and classic car enthusiast Alex Riley joined Tourism Ireland on its stand on day one of the event, to share some of his favourite experiences of driving in Ireland during filming for the popular ITV4 TV series, The Car Years. Filming for season two of the series took place in Northern Ireland – along the Causeway Coastal Route and on the roads around the Mourne Mountains – and aired in 2021. This year, the Wild Atlantic Way provided the backdrop for season three, with driving routes such as the Ring of Kerry and the Conor Pass featuring.

Judith Cassidy, Tourism Ireland’s Acting Head of Great Britain, said: “The Classic Motor Show was an excellent opportunity to highlight our superb driving routes, including the Wild Atlantic Way, Causeway Coastal Route and Ireland’s Ancient East. Tourism Ireland is encouraging British travellers to come and discover Ireland by car. Visitors who use a car on holidays tend to stay longer, spend more and are more likely to visit more than one region. Our message is that Ireland is a great choice for a driving holiday.”