#irelandinspires video going viral globally with 500,000 views in first few hours
The ‘green carpet’ will be rolled out this weekend for the arrival of a large international media contingent travelling to Dublin for the
St Patrick’s Festival. Over 50 broadcasters and writers will be hosted by Fáilte Ireland as they cover the patron saint’s day celebrations - including big US players such as CNN, the Huffington Post and the New York Daily News.
This year’s contingent of travelling international media have an overall reach of approximately 270 million with emphasis being placed on bloggers and online coverage as well as print, radio and TV journalists to reflect the changing way travellers are searching for their holiday information. The traveling journalists come as far afield as China, India, Canada, USA and Europe.
The group’s ‘green carpet’ treatment includes a reception with the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Oisín Quinn, at the Mansion House, a trip to the National Concert Hall for the Ceili House Live even before enjoying VIP access to this year’s parade where members of the overseas media can actually take part in the parade in a specially provided open-top double decker bus.
Speaking in advance of their arrival for St Patricks’ Day, Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring TD said –
“As a country, Ireland is blessed to have an event such as St Patrick’s Day, which proves such a magnet for publicity and visitors. It gives us the ideal opportunity to not only invite key foreign media to film and write about one of the most popular festivals in the world but also to ensure that we provide the best possible window on what Ireland has to offer just as the tourism season gets into gear.”
The importance of these press visits cannot be underestimated. Last year, Fáilte Ireland welcomed over 1,400 journalists to Ireland in 2013 – generating an estimated €79m in advertising value.
Last year’s parade, as part of the Gathering Ireland 2013, generated an estimated €121 million for the economy with 140,000 overseas visitors attending. Of these foreign guests, one in four (26%) came from the US and almost one in three (29%) came from the other traditional markets of Britain, France and Germany. The research shows that, excluding travel expenses, the average visitor spent €696 during their stay for the festival.
Shaun Quinn, CEO of Fáilte Ireland added –
“In terms of sustaining jobs and increasing tourism revenue, overseas visitors are the key to sustained growth in tourism. We know last year was a great success, in part due to the Gathering, and our focus for this year is all about sustaining that growth and ensuring that Ireland continues to feature competitively as an attractive destination in our key overseas markets. In this respect, we are very fortunate to have the interest, curiosity and presence of so many overseas media as we begin to get ready for this season’s kick-off.”
Ireland Inspires Video
Meanwhile, a new video, “St Patrick’s Day 2014 #IrelandInspires”, highlighting the qualities that makes Ireland such a special place is becoming a popular view globally with almost 500,000 views (and climbing) on the Fáilte TV You Tube platform alone in the last 24 hours. The video also appears on the Department of Foreign Affairs website and will be played for audiences gathering for Irish Embassy events across the globe this St Patrick’s Day.
The video was developed by Fáilte Ireland in coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and other state agencies as a means of promoting Ireland overseas during the St. Patrick’s period.
John Concannon, Director of Market Development for Fáilte Ireland emphasised -
“This video is our animated postcard to the world – showcasing Ireland in the best possible way and highlighting the strengths and qualities which make this country a great place to be. Promoting a positive and upbeat image of today’s Ireland, this video is tailored to appeal to visitors, investors and all those attracted to the type of energy, creativity and potential which this nation can offer. ”
The video can be
viewed here and Fáilte Ireland is encouraging everyone to share it with friends and family all over the world.
Follow us on Twitter @Fáilte_Ireland
ENDS
For further information please contact:
Alex Connolly – Head of Communications
086 7966320/01 8847884
Note for Editor
Fáilte Ireland, the national tourism development authority, was established in 2003 to guide and promote tourism as a leading indigenous component of the Irish economy.
The tourism and hospitality industry employs an estimated 200,000 people and generates almost €5.7 billion in revenue a year.
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