Inaugural Irish Tour Guiding Symposium

A fantastic event took place on Friday 27th Feb. in Dublinia.

This was the sold‑out, inaugural Irish Tour Guide Symposium, hosted by the Association of Visitor Experiences and Attractions (AVEA) in partnership with Dublinia and TUDublin School of Tourism and Hospitality Management.

Catherine Flanagean (Dublinia), Patrick Herbage (Dublinia) and Kevin Griffin (TUDublin) welcomed more than 80 guides and guide supervisors to the event from all across Ireland—from Kylemore Abbey and Muckross House to the Cliffs of Moher Experience and the Irish National Heritage Park.

The participants were inspired by keynote talks by Professor Michelle Callanan, who explored how AI is transforming the visitor experience at such high speed that it is now a competitive imperative, and by Stephen Spencer (+ Associates), who brought attendees on a lively journey through his STARS framework for creating more empathetic, memorable experiences.

This was followed by a brilliant panel discussion with Pat Liddy (Pat Liddy's Walking Tours of Dublin); Nevin Cody (Shenanigans Walks, Kilkenny City); Caroline Wilson (Taste & Tour, Belfast) and Gemma Sexton (Head of Visitor Experience and Operations, Trinity College Dublin), chaired by Dr. Kevin Griffin from TU Dublin. The panel engaged in a vibrant conversation on disruption, competition, scaling, and recruiting the right people.

Dublinia’s education team led by Aoife rounded out the day with a hands‑on workshop and guided tour that highlighted why high‑quality guiding and a sense of fun matter so much.

This inaugural event was a resounding success, and participants are already looking forward to 2027!