Fáilte Ireland Launches Ireland’s Ancient East Autumn Campaign with Emphasis on ‘Local Stories’

Fáilte Ireland Launches Ireland’s Ancient East Autumn Campaign with Emphasis on ‘Local Stories’


Latest Fáilte Ireland Campaign seeks to extend tourism season


Fáilte Ireland today launched their latest marketing campaign encouraging Irish people to take a short break in Ireland’s Ancient East. The campaign includes television advertising aimed at encouraging Irish people to take a break in the region this Autumn, to generate increased tourism activity in Ireland’s Ancient East through the relatively quieter autumn months.

Click here to watch the ‘Great Stories Stay with you Forever TV Ad.

Daragh Anglim, Head of Marketing at Fáilte Ireland, said:

“A core focus of Fáilte Ireland’s work is to drive increased domestic short breaks during the autumn season. This is crucial for sustaining tourism all year round and creating more jobs and revenue across the country. The domestic market is the bedrock of our tourism industry. This autumn we will launch major marketing campaigns for both Ireland’s Ancient East and the Wild Atlantic Way which will encourage Irish people to get out and travel the country in the latter half of the year.”

“The domestic market is an important market for Irish tourism, and an area of particular focus for Fáilte Ireland as we work on building tourism numbers beyond the summer months. If Irish tourism businesses are to be able to sustain themselves for longer periods throughout the year, create more jobs and deliver more revenue, it is important for us to deliver growth in the home market.” 

Over the next six weeks the campaign will feature across national and local radio stations and will build once more on the creative idea “Great Stories Stay with You Forever” which was first launched in 2016 and is aimed at highlighting the stories and experiences in Ireland’s Ancient East. The campaign will also have a strong online presence using Video on Demand, YouTube and Fáilte Ireland’s social media channels. In total, it is estimated that the campaign will be seen by nine in ten Irish adults or more than three million people.

In addition to the regular autumn campaign, Fáilte Ireland have developed a suite of new Ireland’s Ancient East ‘Local Stories’ videos with people from local tourism businesses (in places such as Waterford, Kilkenny and Wicklow) who share their recommendations for exploring the region. (See Editor’s Note for more)

In 2017, Irish residents took 4.9 million holiday trips in Ireland, spending €1.1 billion around the country.

Ireland’s Ancient East (video/campaign)

Ireland’s Ancient East was developed by Fáilte Ireland to maximise the history and heritage in East and South of Ireland and bring it to greater visitor attention. To do this, the new initiative offers visitors a personal experience of 5000 years of history through a relaxing journey of discovery in the beautiful landscape that attracted warring settlers for millennia and illuminated by stories from the best storytellers in the world – the local people.

In addition to this year’s regular Ireland’s Ancient East autumn campaign, Fáilte Ireland have developed a suite of new ‘Local Stories’ - videos with people from local tourism businesses (in parts such as Waterford, Kilkenny and Wicklow) who are behind some of Ireland’s Ancient East’s more niche products and are sharing their recommendations for exploring the region.

Each video is created to take the viewer on a journey through the specific region in Ireland’s Ancient East using honest and pure storytelling stories that leverages the uniqueness of each character. Each episode gives us a glimpse into the amazing stories, history and the areas from where they reside.

For example, the first batch of videos tell the local stories of:

• Marie Power, also known as the Sea Gardener, a Waterford native with a love of Irish cuisine – who forages seaweed, uses it in recipes, and takes groups on a seaside trail of discover;

• Rory Leadbetter, hailing from Kilkenny, he welcomes visitors to his family’s business, Jerpoint Glass – and shares the secrets of this ancient craft;

• Quincey Fennelly, co-founder of the Wicklow Wolf Brewery Company who takes simple locally-sourced ingredients and transforms them into something delicious in wonderful County Wicklow;

• Michael Conway, a Cardiologist in Kilkenny and owner of The Hole in the Wall pub who is a teller of many tales in this tiny tavern in Kilkenny filled with song, poetry and hidden history.
 


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