North America
In the important US market, Tourism Ireland has a host of consumer and trade promotions taking place from East to West, in the run up to St Patrick’s Day and during the Spring, at which up to 100 island of Ireland tourism industry representatives will be present:
• The "Greening" of Icons - The Empire State building in New York City, the Chicago River, the San Antonio River in Texas, the fountains of the White House in Washington DC and the CN Tower – the highest tower in the world – in Toronto, will all ‘go green’ on St Patrick’s Day.
• Corporate Promotions - Tourism Ireland will promote to top US corporate decision-makers at the Irish US Council lunch in New York on 16th March and to the 100 top Irish Americans at an awards ceremony co-hosted with Irish America magazine at which the travel edition of their magazine will be launched.
• Events - Tourism Ireland will also participate in/ promote the island of Ireland at a range of St Patrick’s Day activities including parades in New York, Los Angeles and other centres, and at civic events staged by the Irish community and city officials in key centres.
• Mega Sales Blitz - Over 20 island of Ireland tourism industry representatives will participate in a new ‘Back in the USA/Team Ireland’ kick-start sales blitz this month in Boston, New York and Chicago and a further group will target Atlanta, Dallas and Houston towards the end of March. Their programme will include an ‘Experience a Flavor of Ireland’ business-to-business event for key travel trade including carriers, tour operators and high-end travel agents. The evening will also involve entertainment and food which reflect a ‘Flavor of Ireland’. The industry participants will also engage in a series of pre-qualified sales calls to group and other travel business producers and will have opportunities to work with airline call centre teams, to enthuse them about the island of Ireland. Participants will also have opportunities to meet with local and travel media in each centre.
• Trade and Consumer Promotions - At the same time, Tourism Ireland’s extensive programme of trade and consumer promotions will continue across North America. Island of Ireland industry representatives will participate in the Boston Globe Travel Show and the Philadelphia Flower Show (bigger than the Chelsea Flower Show) this month, at the Canada Blooms Show in Toronto, as they did at the PGA Golf Show in Orlando at the end of January. Over 50 Irish industry partners will participate in promotional activity in North America in the first half of 2010. Meanwhile, future promotions include the Milwaukee Irish Festival in August, the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, another ‘Back in the USA/Team Ireland’ sales blitz in Tampa/Orlando, the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) ‘Life @ 50 Show’ in Florida – all in September, and the Stone Mountain Highland Games and another ‘Back in the USA/Team Ireland’ sales blitz in California in October.
• TV & Direct Marketing - Tourism Ireland’s TV advertising in the US has already appeared on a mix of news, travel and lifestyle channels including BBC America, CNN, Discovery Science, Fox News, Golf Channel, HGTV, History and the Travel Channel and on some channel websites. Almost 500,000 Golf Channel viewers also received a promotional email from Tourism Ireland during the early weeks of the year, to kick-start the 2010 campaign which will be all about value.
• Press Advertising - The ‘Ireland’s Wonderful West Awaits You’ campaign is also under way, promoting great value offers through the Shannon gateway to the West of Ireland. Advertising has appeared in the main sections of The Boston Globe and The New York Times.
• Great Value Offers Catalogue - A new ‘Insider’s Guide to 2010 Vacation Offers’ booklet has been launched in the US, highlighting partner offers and the great value available to and in the island of Ireland this year. It also includes some incentives for early travel. Over 700,000 copies of the booklet will be distributed this year at exhibitions and promotions and in the March issues of the leading national travel magazines – Shermans Travel and Budget Travel.
