THE sea connects us rather than separates us – that was the message to come from a recent meeting between members of Fishguard and Goodwick Chamber of Trade and Tourism and their Irish counterparts.

The chamber of trade recently hosted a pilot group from Wexford and Waterford on a 24-hour working visit to see how the two areas could work together to promote each other as tourism destinations.

They were taken in the community minibus to Tregwynt Mill, Preseli Venture, Priskilly Forest Country House and Golfclub and Yet y Gors fishing before a hard working session in the Old Coach House.

Presentations were made by Peter Joignant of the chamber’s tourism project, Benjamin Edom of 'Pembrokeshire in your pocket', Hannah Buck, tourism health and policy officer of the National Park, Tracy Chandra, business development officer of Pembrokeshire College, Rachael Copley of Pembrokeshire Tourism, and Michael Charlton, past chair of the chamber.

Staying at the Cartref Hotel, the visitors were taken through the Gwaun Valley to Gellifawr Hotel the next morning, before a final business discussion at Newport Golf Club.

Jeremy Martineau from the chamber of trade said: “The visitors were delighted with the variety and quality of what they saw and experienced. A return visit to Ireland is planned for April for the purpose of designing a joint project which will bid for EU funds to develop tourism on both sides of the water.”