Emphasis on family fun this summer as eight out of 10 choose to holiday at home

As many as eight out of 10 families may take a holiday at home this year according to the most recent independent research undertaken for Fáilte Ireland.

The news came as Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, Mary Hanafin TD, kicked off Fáilte Ireland’s summer home holiday marketing campaign at the Bloom Garden Festival in Phoenix Park.

Encouraging signs

Based on a sample survey, undertaken by Millward Brown Lansdowne, of families, today’s research indicates that more than four in every five (81%) adults (with children aged under 18) are likely to take a holiday at home with their family in Ireland this year. This is double the four in 10 (43%) of adults who indicated that they are likely to take a family holiday abroad this year instead of, or as well as, an Irish holiday.

When compared to the percentage of families who holidayed abroad last year (56%), a potential drop to 43% this year would mark a noticeable decline and represent a significant pool of possible additional home holiday business for the Irish tourism industry to aim for.

Launching the Fáilte Ireland Summer Home Holiday campaign, Minister Hanafin welcomed the research:

“These figures are encouraging and show that there may still be more business to pitch for in the home holiday market. As schools close, parents will naturally be looking for attractive locations with lots to do and see for all the family. For that reason, our Discover Ireland Summer campaign is rightly focussing on families and points to a wide range of options and bargains to suit all tastes and budgets.

“For all the necessary information, I would encourage everybody to look out for the Discover Ireland brochures in your newspaper over the weekend or to check out the website, www.discoverireland.ie. Ireland is a great value destination and, especially when the sun shines, can rival any overseas choice.” 

Special Summer Offers

The Fáilte Ireland summer marketing campaign will particularly target families and will centre around promotions and offers for families both online and through a Discover Ireland Special Offers Brochure.

Almost 700,000 copies of the brochure will appear in national newspapers this weekend with thousands more available to the public from local tourism information offices. The promotion is being supported by a comprehensive radio campaign, which began this week and will peak with an intensive two week radio blitz (beginning on June 7th) specifically emphasising family breaks.

The brochure contains more than 200 special offers centred on accommodation as well as attractions and restaurants. There are up to 500 special offers available online at www.discoverireland.ie. These offers are made possible through the contributions and participation of hundreds of tourism businesses.

Commenting on this, Shaun Quinn, CEO of Fáilte Ireland pointed out:

“The range of special offers in the summer brochure and online are a reflection of the determination of tourism businesses out there to fight for every potential inch of the market. As our research shows, there is a very strong possibility that many more Irish families will stay at home this summer. It is up to all of us in the tourism sector to do all we can to tap this potential by offering good value and a great experience. The viability of hundreds of businesses and thousands of jobs depend upon it.”

Discover Ireland Photo Competition

To add an element of excitement and interactivity, Fáilte Ireland will also be running a Discover Ireland Photo Competition 2010.

Whether it's braving the zipwires in Connemara, enjoying fine food in West Cork, relaxing by the sea in the Sunny South East or family fun in Donegal, Fáilte Ireland will be looking for photos that define a Discover Ireland Holiday. The aim will be to create a snapshot of what makes holidays at home special for so many people. Every week for 12 weeks, holiday makers will be encouraged to send in their best shots to win a fantastic prize, with the 12 winning photos ultimately appearing in a high profile Discover Ireland Calendar in 2011.

Winners will also win a Discover Ireland getaway break to the value of €500.

The competition will kick off on Saturday June 12th and further details will be available on the Discover Ireland website over the next few days.

The Fun Starts Here The Home Holiday Summer campaign is an integral part of Fáilte Ireland’s €4m Home Holiday campaign 2010, launched in March.

This campaign aims to position Ireland as a fun, exciting, enriching holiday destination and reinforce the existing perceptions of a destination that is both convenient and good value for money. It has incorporated print and broadcasting advertising as well as a wide range of promotions.

The centerpiece of the campaign has been brand new television advertising placing the stress on Ireland as a venue for fun and activity – emphasizing the fun starts here. A copy of the brochure can be downloaded on the Discover Ireland.ie website or by clicking here A list of all online special offers can be viewed at http://www.discoverireland.ie/Special-Offers.aspx.

ENDS

For further information please contact
Alex Connolly
Head of Communications, Fáilte Ireland

01 8847 884 / 086 7966320

Laoise Bray
Communications Officer

01 8847 195 / 086 0404788

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