François Tessier

Passionate director Irland, Inspire DMC

Tell us what motivates you every day on your way to the agency
I am lucky to have discovered a profession whose singularity is never denied. Not one request will be identical to the previous one, and certainly not to the next one. The destination offers a rather surprising palette of contrasts for those who approach it as a neophyte, this very traditional and purely agricultural image which hides a strong involvement in very cutting-edge industries which everyone is confronted with nowadays. The Irish are an extremely welcoming people, and collaboration is second nature here, we always find a solution with our partners, in a gentle manner, and conflict is not a tolerable approach for the locals, which makes the association of our efforts quite fruitful. As an Irish saying goes "We may have bad weather in Ireland, but the sun shines in people's hearts and it keeps us all warm"

What is your area of expertise about Irland?
My first professional activity in the country was to become a tourist guide. As soon as I arrived in 2005 and completely by chance, I started guiding French-speaking tours in the city of Dublin, then I quickly guided groups for a week or more all over the country, including Northern Ireland. Within few years I had become specialized in MICE before joining the offices of a large Irish DMC in which I operated for more than 10 years with great satisfaction. In Ireland, this duality of territory masks a real similarity of character and sense of welcome on both sides of the "border". I really like Victorian Belfast which offers a strong contrast to Georgian Dublin and justifies a combination of the 2 cities for a fascinating double experience. The Irish conflict and the famous "Troubles" kept me at my desk for a long time because I wanted to understand the mechanisms that could have led to this split that should never have happened. The French are very interested in this long and difficult story which has gradually calmed down for our greatest happiness.

How do you live out your passion for Irland on a daily basis?
As simply as possible! Dublin Bay and the Irish Sea, the Wicklow mountains in the immediate vicinity with its many hiking trails, lakes and bogs, even mountain bike trails, it doesn't take much to recharge your batteries, take a break, inspire an air so pure - how many times have I heard visitors confide in me "since I arrived, I sleep, and I breathe better". I'm not even talking about the west coast which is a permanent visual delight, thousands of kilometres of happiness to be enjoyed without moderation! People often ask me if I don't miss my native south-west of France and its quality of life, particularly from the culinary aspect, is to ignore the abundance of delicious products that the island can produce, from a beef by definition organic , a premium quality salmon, the profusion of vegetables and fruit – Wexford strawberries! - , fantastic seafood, especially since the natives have taken a passion for cooking their own production with talent, of course embellished with more exotic spices..