Tourism Ireland are planning a marketing drive for 2011 in the United States next week. An extensive promotional campaign will be launched on December 26.
The tourism body believes that the worst of the economic recession is now over in the United States and consumer confidence and travel sentiment is steadily improving.
Niall Gibbons, chief executive of Tourism Ireland, said “This campaign is just the start; it’s all about getting in early and keeping Ireland to the fore
“The good news is that the island of Ireland enjoys a great level of awareness and a very positive image as a desirable holiday destination in the United States and is on nearly everyone’s ‘wish list’. The most urgent task for Tourism Ireland is to persuade Americans who had put their travel plans on hold or who intend visiting Ireland ‘some day’, to come in 2011.
“Our messages in 2011 will include: there has never been a better time to visit the island of Ireland; the welcome for American visitors has never been warmer; there is a superb range of interesting things to see and do including great cultural experiences, events and sporting opportunities; on-the-ground value has never been better; and it has never been easier to get here from US cities.”
Their campaign will focus on targeting diaspora, creating positive word-of-mouth and golf and business tourism. Their campaign will include radio ads in cities with direct flight routes. These will include New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Dallas and Houston.
It will also include online advertizing with their “Go” webisodes. This is a short series of online movies starring real local characters from around Ireland. The movies will also highlight the fun and spontaneity of Ireland.
Golf will also be a major focus with ads running in Golfweek magazine and golfchannel.com as well as on TV.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.Lainimac | Dec 31, 2010, 11:22 AM EST
Consider staying in B&Bs or farm B&Bs in Ireland or in a small country inn if you want to enjoy a more Irish experience. Thats what we do.
dimdimob | Dec 30, 2010, 12:04 AM EST
I just checked the fare from Philadelphia to Dublin in July. $1200. I don't think that will have a lot of people making plans to Ireland.
DLW12183 | Dec 27, 2010, 11:08 AM EST
If the airlines keep their higher prices a lot of us won't be going. I had planned on a week for the family but 6 airline tickets at current pricing does not make it a possibility. Promoting tourism without reasonable prices doesn't work. We still have a recession in the US going on.
grimchieftain | Dec 27, 2010, 05:36 AM EST
Hey, my son is graduating with his Masters degree in May and wants a trip to Ireland...can anyone put us up for a week or so? We'd be four but don't eat much, however I am rather 'husky' so I might take up quite a bit of space. (Yes, I am kidding people, except for my son graduating and wanting a trip to Ireland.)
dryships | Dec 26, 2010, 08:41 PM EST
Amen to all your foreign waitstaff. Please clear walkways of snow. Walmart has shovels and sand. An inch of snow crippled Dublin 11/28/10. Ambulances were a 45 minute delay, People falling everywhere. DAAirport looked like a hospital emergency room with all the broken bones from falls.
WoundedKnee | Dec 26, 2010, 07:57 AM EST
The irish need to realize that American tourists don't visit Ireland in order to be served by Polish waitresses, Chinese gas ssation attendants, bar staff from Mauritius (yes, I've seen them--the Irish are so work-shy up that they have to import barmen from the Indian Ocean!) airport check-in staff from India etc. etc. Ireland is turning into a caricature at this stage.
joanmoody | Dec 24, 2010, 12:57 PM EST
This figures. What about San Antonio, Texas, now the states's second largest city with dallas behind us? Tourism Ireland needs to get realistic with Texas and indeed the southwest. Still, though, they are preaching to the choir NY, Boston and Chicago and why do they need to be included in this.
peterson | Dec 24, 2010, 11:46 AM EST
These videos were very well done. More castles should be shown.