A local partnership has facilitated the opportunity for residents to take a trip abroad.

The Beaufort County Community College Foundation and the Washington Beaufort Chamber of Commerce have partnered with Collette, a travel agency, to offer locals a chance to travel to Ireland. On Aug. 26 at 6 p.m., a presentation by a Collette representative will be held at the Chamber for those interested in getting more information about the trip, said WBCOC Business Manager Robin McKeithan.

The idea is nothing new to Chambers of Commerce across the nation, although this trip will be the first offered in Beaufort County, McKeithan said. Collette is a reputable company that offers discounted rates and extra features for trips, according to trip coordinator Donna Burgin.

“We are partnering with Collette and the BCCC Foundation to do it so people can travel and see other parts of the world,” McKeithan said. “We just decided that we would like to try to offer this trip for our citizens and surrounding areas. We’ve had a lot of phone calls, and at this point, we have about 25 people signed up to come to the informational meeting.”

The trip, dubbed Shades of Ireland, will take participants on a 10-day excursion to the Emerald Isle, and includes 13 meals. Travelers will experience Ireland’s natural beauty, rich history and hospitable culture, all while surrounded by “forty shades of green,” according to a Collette brochure. From April 21, 2015 to April 30, 2015 participants will take a tour of Ireland, visiting Dublin, Kilkenny, Waterford, Blarney, Killarney, Limerick, Galway, Tullamore, Kingscourt, the Cliffs of Moher and one of the world’s most beautiful coastline routes, the Ring of Kerry.

Burgin said the college has offered numerous local trips, including trips to theaters in Raleigh. Being a travel agent, Burgin said the two most popular places to travel are Ireland and Italy, which helped make the decision about the destination for the trip offered by the partnership.

“She (Judy Jennette, BCCC Foundation Director) has wanted for a long time to branch out and do some trips with local people further out than Raleigh,” Burgin said. “We picked there because everybody speaks the language and everybody has relative from Ireland and everybody knows about stories and culture of Ireland. We thought that it would appeal to the greatest number of people.”

For more information about the Shades of Ireland trip, call the Washington Beaufort Chamber of Commerce at 252-946-9168.