AVEA - Association of Visitor Experiences & Attractions

What AVEA - Association of Visitor Experiences & Attractions does

AVEA (Association of Visitor Experiences and Attractions) is a membership-based trade association founded in 2017 and registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee in Dublin, Ireland (company number 598606). Headquartered at Sandyford Office Park, Dublin, with a staff of five, the association represents more than 130 visitor experiences and attractions across the island of Ireland — spanning heritage sites, museums and galleries, natural attractions, theme and leisure parks, brand experiences, and zoos/aquaria — collectively welcoming approximately 25 million visitors annually and supporting around 6,500 jobs. Its current CEO is Catherine Flanagan and its Chair is Anne O'Donoghue (CEO of the Irish Heritage Trust).

AVEA operates as the recognised representative voice of the sector, engaging with the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Ireland, the Department for the Economy (NI), and Tourism Northern Ireland, and holding seats on the Fáilte Ireland Industry Advisory Group and the Tourism Ireland Central Marketing Partnership Group. The association is also a member of the Alliance for Insurance Reform and partners with TU Dublin on education and career development. AVEA delivers no software products or proprietary technology; its offering is structured around advocacy, an annual business survey used for benchmarking, an Annual Conference (9th edition scheduled October 2026 at the National Gallery of Ireland), three Member Forums per year, partner webinars, and a new 'Meet the Supplier' trade event launched in June 2026.

Revenue is generated primarily through annual membership fees structured in five tiers by visitor footfall — from €330 (0–50,000 visitors) to €3,300 (500,000+ visitors) — alongside a Platinum Partner Programme for suppliers such as Aramark, ATS, DoDublin, Go City, Retail Integration, Shamrock Gift Company, and Timberplay Ireland. The membership year runs from 1 September to 31 August, with applications reviewed by the AVEA Board.

Name

AVEA - Association of Visitor Experiences & Attractions

Legal name

Association of Visitor Experiences and Attractions

Website

https://avea.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AVEA is a Dublin-based trade association founded in 2017 representing 130+ visitor experiences and attractions across Ireland and Northern Ireland. It provides advocacy, benchmarking surveys, networking forums, and an annual conference, funded through tiered membership fees and a Platinum Partner programme.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: AVEA generates revenue through annual membership fees structured in five tiers based on visitor footfall. The membership year runs from 1st September to 31st August. Fees range from €330 for attractions with 0-50,000 visitors to €3,300 for attractions with 500,000+ visitors annually.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

AVEA is a membership-based trade association for Visitor Experiences and Attractions (VEAs) on the island of Ireland. It sells annual memberships structured into five tiers based on annual visitor footfall, and delivers member benefits including industry advocacy, networking events (annual conference and member forums), an annual benchmarking business survey, education and career development partnerships, and a separate Platinum Partner programme for VEA suppliers.

Product overview

AVEA (Association of Visitor Experiences and Attractions) is an industry membership association, not a product company. It does not offer commercial software products or services. AVEA provides member services including networking events (annual conferences, member forums, trade events), industry research (annual business surveys), advocacy representation, education and career development programs, and sustainability initiatives for visitor attractions across the island of Ireland. The organization's offering consists of membership benefits and industry representation rather than standalone software products or platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AVEA Annual Membership
• Platinum Partner Programme
• Annual Member Business Survey

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 130 members representing the VEA sector across Ireland
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and platinum partner.

• Fáilte IrelandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFáilte Ireland is a key government tourism development agency that AVEA engages with for bilateral information and knowledge exchange. AVEA participates in the Fáilte Ireland Industry Advisory Group. Fáilte Ireland provides guidance on visitor attraction development and access to research and data.
• Tourism IrelandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTourism Ireland is responsible for marketing the island of Ireland overseas. AVEA engages in bilateral exchange with Tourism Ireland and participates in their Central Marketing Partnership Group. Tourism Ireland provides research and insights to AVEA members.
• Tourism Northern IrelandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTourism Northern Ireland is the development body for tourism in Northern Ireland. AVEA represents the VEA sector on an all-island basis and engages with Tourism NI for knowledge exchange and sector development.
• Department of Enterprise, Tourism and EmploymentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAVEA engages in dialogue with the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to advocate for the VEA sector and help VEAs reach their full tourism potential.
• Department for the Economy (NI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAVEA engages with the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland to represent the all-island VEA sector and coordinate tourism policy advocacy.
• Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAVEA is recognised as a key stakeholder in Irish tourism and works collaboratively with ITIC on industry matters affecting the VEA sector.
• Northern Ireland Tourism AlliancemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAVEA collaborates with the Northern Ireland Tourism Alliance on all-island tourism matters affecting visitor attractions.
• Alliance for Insurance ReformmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAVEA is a member of the Alliance for Insurance Reform, advocating for insurance reform that affects the VEA sector's sustainability and competitiveness.
• Tourism and Hospitality ForummajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAVEA frequently participates in the Tourism and Hospitality Forum, engaging with industry stakeholders on sector-wide issues and initiatives.
• TU DublinmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnological University Dublin collaborates with AVEA on education and career development initiatives, including work placements and courses of interest to VEA members. TU Dublin is also an industry partner for events such as the Tour Guiding Symposium.
• Aramarkplatinum partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerAramark is a Platinum Partner of AVEA, providing goods or services to the VEA sector and demonstrating support for the association's work.
• ATSplatinum partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerATS is a Platinum Partner of AVEA, supplying services to the VEA sector.
• DoDublinplatinum partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerDoDublin is a Platinum Partner of AVEA, providing tourism services to the VEA sector.
• Go Cityplatinum partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerGo City is a Platinum Partner of AVEA, operating sightseeing passes that include member attractions.
• Retail Integrationplatinum partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerRetail Integration is a Platinum Partner of AVEA, providing retail solutions to member attractions.
• Shamrock Gift Companyplatinum partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerShamrock Gift Company is a Platinum Partner of AVEA, supplying merchandise and gifts to the VEA sector.
• Timberplay Irelandplatinum partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerTimberplay Ireland is a Platinum Partner of AVEA, providing play equipment to attractions.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tourism Alliance (UK): UK-wide coalition representing tourism industry bodies to government. Directly comparable advocacy and policy model to AVEA's work with the Irish and NI tourism departments.
• IAAPA (International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions): Global trade association for the attractions industry, offering advocacy, research, and events for operators and suppliers. Most direct functional peer to AVEA, simply at a much larger global scale.
• ALVA (Association of Leading Visitor Attractions): UK membership body for the country's leading visitor attractions, providing benchmarking, advocacy, and networking. Closest geographic and functional analogue to AVEA.
• Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC): Canadian national tourism industry association advocating for operators and suppliers to federal government. Same member-funded trade-body model and policy advocacy role as AVEA.
• Tourism Industry Association of New Zealand (TIA): National membership body representing the broader New Zealand tourism industry to government. Strong functional analogue: industry advocacy, benchmarking, and member services for operators.
• UKInbound: UK trade association for inbound tourism businesses, offering membership services, training, and advocacy. Comparable mission and GTM (membership-based trade body for tourism operators) to AVEA.
• Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC): All-Ireland umbrella tourism trade body of which AVEA is itself a stakeholder. Comparable in function — industry advocacy and policy representation — but covers the full tourism value chain rather than attractions alone.

Regional players

• Museums Association: UK membership body for museums and gallery professionals, providing advocacy, training, and standards. Overlaps with AVEA on the museum and cultural-institution segment of its membership but operates in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/avea.ie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AVEA - Association of Visitor Experiences & Attractions