THE RDS was the setting for the hustle and bustle of the three-day Holiday World Show last weekend when the annual event, now in its 31st year, came to town, or rather to the Simmonscourt Pavilion, transformed from its usual rows of stables during Dublin Horse Show to colourful trade stands, promoting Irish and international holiday destinations.

Business was as brisk as Celtic Tiger times, judging by the sight of customers handing over credit cards to book opening day specials.

“There’s no travel agency in our town anymore so this is our Christmas present instead; up to Dublin to book a holiday and lunch afterwards. Great bargains here and you can’t beat sitting down face-to-face with someone with that first-hand knowledge than booking blind on the internet,” said one south Leinster couple, who had just booked themselves a summer cruise.

So what destinations were on offer for equestrian fans? If combining a trip to the Tokyo Olympics with sampling Japanese history and culture is on your bucket list this summer, Dublin-based Unique Japan Tours has a Golden Route package available.

While tickets to Olympic events are not included, this tour offers stopovers at sites such as the ancient capital Kyoto, Hiroshima, Miyajima Island and Tokyo, plus a seven-day Japan Rail Pass. Prices start at €3,800 for an 11-night tour.

Orient Travels: Carmel Parlon, Unique Japan Tours, at the Holiday World show in the RDS last weekend \ Susan Finnerty

Metropolis highlights include the Tokyo Imperial Palace; The Tokyo Skytree, Japan’s tallest building complete with shopping complex and aquarium at the base of this television broadcasting tower and then there’s The Ginza, Tokyo’s most famous upmarket shopping, dining and entertainment district, where a cup of coffee typically costs $10.

One of Seven Wonders

A night spent under the stars in a Bedouin camp after exploring the lunar-like landscape of Wadi Rum on horseback, (camels or 4x4s are other transport alternatives to Arabians for this day), forms part of Tania Tours’ Classic Jordan Tour.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Wadi Rum is just one part of this iconic tour which includes Um Qais, with its panoramic Lake Galilee view; exploring the Roman Byzantine city of Jerash and its pillar-lined boulevards, public bath houses, hippodrome, ancient theatre and temples, plus the burial site of Moses at the top of Mount Nebo.

Of course no visit to Jordan is complete without witnessing the red-rose city of Petra, carved out of stone cliffs and now one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. Or the Dead Sea, another bonus included in Classic Jordan’s intriguing itinerary.

Jordan’s honourary consul, Leitrim-born Joe Geoghegan, Tania Tours’ Ashley Sawalha and Mary Oakley, from Cloughjordan, were all on hand last Friday to promote tourism in Jordan, and Tipperary too, as it turns out that close links have been forged between the country and the north-west Tipperary town.

Clover Hill connection

“800 years ago, a knight returning from the Crusades brought back a stone from Jordan. He was given land, built a castle and lodged this stone from the bed of the River Jordan in the castle wall and that’s how Cloughjordan got its name,” Mary explained.

Mary’s late uncle, the legendary stallion master Philip Heenan, also put the town on the map with the Clover Hill son, Cloughjordan Boy. His sire was bought in 1975 as a replacement after a Moroccan buying delegation purchased the thoroughbred Nero and Irish Draught Mullinore from Heenan, a story that the Moroccan Ambassador Laheen Mahraoui was particularly interested in hearing about.

“I’m here to strengthen the relationship between Ireland and Morocco and I’m very happy to participate in creating bridges in culture, education, economy and trade,” the Ambassor said.

Business was brisk too at the Morocco trade stand where brochures on destination cities such as Marrakech, Casablanca and Rabat were flying off the stand.

Horse-free greenways

Adriana Real’s Zafiro Tours Horsetrail provides custom-made holidays in Mexico’s Mayan Riviera. Arriving in Cancun, the route includes Cozumel Island, Punta Venado ecological park and the Chichen Itza pyramid with frequent stops for swimming and snorkelling in turquoise waters.

Interestingly, the same Mexican company offers equestrian tours to Ireland. Part of their Connemara itinerary includes riding along part of the old Galway-Clifden railway line and, browsing the Irish tradestands in Simmonscourt, the renaissance and promotion of other former railway lines as walking and cycling routes, such as the Mayo and Waterford greenways, was evident.

However, information on horse-riding holidays proved slim pickings, although full marks to Kerry County Council’s Tourism Unit as their activity brochure was one of the few to include an equestrian section, from pony trekking to Listowel Races in the Kingdom County.

“Quite frankly, insurance costs are hammering away at equestrian properties, that’s why they’re getting it hard to stay going,” remarked another trade stand owner.

Taking pride of place on the Castlemartyr Resort stand was ‘Marty’, their teddy bear mascot donned in a smart tweed jacket. “He often wears a riding hat too,” said their marketing executive Sean Cooney.

Horsepower still rules at Castlemartyr, 20 minutes from Cork city, as horse-drawn carriage rides around the 220-acre estate are on offer. Castlemartyr’s groundsman, Roy Daly, is the fifth generation of his family to work at the estate and regales guests with tales about its unique history during the tour.

“And there’s been a few marriage proposals made too in that carriage!” added Sean.

Something for would-be romantics to consider for a Valentine’s Day getaway.