Hidden gems along the Wild Atlantic Way have been viewed a massive 13.8 million times in the top tourism markets in the ‘Call of the Wild’ campaign, a joint initiative between the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland.
The campaign – which kicked off in October and came to an end in December – showcased the beauty of the Wild Atlantic Way to potential visitors in the US, Britain, Germany, France, Australia, the Nordic countries, India and New Zealand. It delivered superb results – with some 13.8 million views recorded for the three-month campaign.
Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Brendan Griffin, commented on the success of the ‘Call of the Wild’ initiative: “This campaign is special because it’s the local people along the Wild Atlantic Way who were asked to help create the campaign’s content. The overall success of the campaign proves that sharing hidden gems, which have a personal meaning to the local community, resonates with a global audience and allows them to connect with the content and receive their own personal invitation to visit the Wild Atlantic Way.”
‘Call of the Wild’ asked people in counties along the Wild Atlantic Way to share images and videos of their favourite hidden gems on social media. A sporting personality from each county helped launch the campaign, serving as ‘Call of the Wild’ ambassadors. These included: Alan Cawley from Sligo, Aidan O’Mahony from Kerry, Michael Murphy from Donegal, Lee Keegan from Mayo, Podge Collins from Clare, Orla Finn from Cork, David Collins from Galway and Róisín Upton from Limerick.
The response from people along the Wild Atlantic Way was significant, with more than 4,000 uploads of stunning scenery, regional delicacies and local delights captured on camera and then shared via social media using the hashtag #MyWildAtlanticWay. From these, the top submissions from each county featured in a suite of videos that were launched internationally.
Niall Tracey, Director of Marketing with Fáilte Ireland, said: “We are overwhelmed with the response of this initiative and congratulate everyone who answered the ‘Call of the Wild’ – they’ve helped to spotlight the beautiful and unique aspects of the Wild Atlantic Way. As a result of the response to the campaign, a staggering 14 million online viewers got their own glimpse into the unique and stunning landscapes that exist throughout the Wild Atlantic Way. It is our hope that these people will be encouraged to come and visit sometime in the future and check for themselves what the Wild Atlantic Way has to offer.”
Siobhan McManamy, Tourism Ireland’s Director of Markets, said: “We are really pleased with the results of the ‘Call of the Wild’ campaign – with close to 14 million views of the videos by potential visitors around the world. Tourism Ireland was delighted to highlight some of the fantastic hidden gems of the Wild Atlantic Way in our top overseas markets, to encourage people everywhere to come and experience the Wild Atlantic Way for themselves in 2019.”
Click here to view the videos of the hidden gems on the Wild Atlantic Way:
• Northern Headlands: Donegal
• The Surf Coast: South Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, North East Mayo coast
• The Bay Coast: Mayo and Galway
• The Cliff Coast: South Galway, Clare, Limerick and North Kerry coast
• Southern Peninsulas: Kerry and West Cork
• The Haven Coast: South East Kerry and West Cork
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