As part of a new campaign by Tourism Ireland a British couple are taking part in a mystery tour of Ireland. Their entire vacation is being determined by Facebook and Twitter users.
Tyler and Amy Slade are being told where to stay and what to do during their Irish vacation, part of a campaign called “Ireland Mystery Tour”. The online navigators are providing the couple, from Brighton, in Britain, with an itinerary and give them clues about their next destinations along the way.
The “Ireland Mystery Tour” is being led by a four-legged tour-guide in the shape of Baaarry the sheep (Yes you heard us!). Baaarry the sheep feeds the couple, Tyler and Amy, with cryptic clues and where they’re off to next. Social network users are also able to vote on where they should go next.
Would you be brave enough to put your vacation in the hands of strangers? So far it seems to be working out well for this couple.
They are now on the fourth day of their trip. So far they have been sailing on Carlingford Lough, camping in Kilkeel, climbed Slemish mountain and played disc golf through the Mourne Mountains.
For every clue the couple solve and activity they complete they win points. If they win enough points they will win a stay at a five-star hotel by the end of their trip.
The idea behind the campaign is to showcase what Ireland offers to holiday makers while attempting to boost the numbers of visitors traveling from the UK (which currently makes up 50 percent of the travel industry in Ireland).
Vanessa Markey, Tourism Ireland’s head of Great Britain “Our latest social media initiative should prove to be a really effective way of engaging with online communities around Britain, really bringing our message of fun and friendliness to life.
“By placing our couple, Tyler and Amy, in the hands of our social media communities, they'll be taken on a whirlwind tour of some of the best hidden spots and iconic experiences around the island of Ireland. And, by bringing potential holidaymakers around GB along for the journey, we’re hoping to inspire them to begin planning their very own Irish holiday.”
The couple are sharing their journey through videos, photos and posts on their blog.
Tourism Ireland expects the number of people involved in their Facebook and Twitter campaign to reach two million.
Here’s some of their videos –
9 Comments
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.ciaradexy | Jun 17, 2012, 12:31 PM EDT
Bythebay, I have to agree with you on one of your points. Americans do complain A LOT. They constantly moan about things like taps, opening hours, they think theyre right all the time, they constantly compare things here to home, it gets a little boring to be honest. Scrivner, you wont find irish people who bleat on about anti-british or anti-french anything. have you ever been to a rugby match? we all get on very well. Americans and japanese are the least adventurous most boring tourists we get here. they are certainly the loudest. Japanese arrive at tourist attractions in swarms but they take their pics and go, they dont hang around. Americans seem to feel they should be treated like celebrities and seem to think that telling us they have an Irish relative somehome makes them more interesting or means they should be treated like they are somehow better than the rest of the tourists. Most Americans dont even have passports so will never be here however its the tourists from the UK and Europe who come back time and time again. I meet loads of German and Dutch tourists in their 60s up sea kayaking in the west. When i meet an American of this age doing something other than playing golf, then Im sure theyll be interesting.
Scrivner | Jun 16, 2012, 04:53 PM EDT
ciaradexy-perhaps the Americans are intimidated by some of that anti-American ravings that happen now and again? The Brits are used to it and the French could care less about anyone else's opinion.
Bythebay | Jun 16, 2012, 04:45 PM EDT
boydshield, because Americans are frankly more problematic than their tourism is worth. They are always bewildered, never understand or learn anything about Ireland but think they know everything ad are constantly complaining it's not the US. Those from the UK, Europe and the rest of the world where mos of our tourists come from hit the ground running, cop on to the nuances of the country, fit right in and accept Ireland the way it is, otherwise they wouldn't come visit. They're not getting on public transportation asking "What state is this", standing out in the middle of the footpath unable to read maps or asking for special treatment. Also those from the US can't afford the prices in Ireland or Europe because the US dollar is so weak so they constantly complain about the prices. No thanks, you in the US can do staycations.
Bythebay | Jun 16, 2012, 04:39 PM EDT
the locations mentioned are primarily in Northern Ireland UK, not Ireland. Another ploy claiming it's Ireland when it's not.
ciaradexy | Jun 16, 2012, 09:23 AM EDT
HERMIT, the majority of our tourists are from the UK but you'd rather they didnt come because they can climb mountains at home? So should irish people not holiday in Spain or Italy as we have food and beaches here too? We happen to like British people here. Bodyshield, ANTONE as you put it will holiday here several times a year and will spend money continuously unlike Americans who stay on 1 tour bus and stop where they are told. The least adventurous tourists are Americans and Japanese because you all stay on buses and travel a fixed route. The Brits and french are more adventurous and travel off the beaten track.
boydshield | Jun 15, 2012, 06:18 AM EDT
What about an American couple? would make for some great tv to drum up the Americans to come over. I never understood wanting to bring ANTONE from the continent over to Ireland when it's so inexpensive to get there.
IrelandNorth | Jun 15, 2012, 05:58 AM EDT
Love that speeded up drive. Should do one for the whole Island of Ireland so that prospective tourists could get an appetiser of what to expect. Thought he vodeo clip showed just how beautiful our shared island/our shared Ireland is. Tourism Ireland, get busy with a time lapse DVD.
hawes180 | Jun 14, 2012, 03:58 PM EDT
I want to do this...
hermitTalker | Jun 14, 2012, 09:49 AM EDT
A free stay sounds good. But the island is not that large and people can plan their own fun and interesting things to do without Twitter-Facebook suggestions. There are amazing historic and religious sites and treasures that many overlook which give some depth to a survey of the island. Can they not play disc golf and climb in the UK? That is my experience of Ireland and my success in bringing two bus loads of Americans through, from Giants Cauceway to the Ring of Kerry.