Tourism Eire launches 2023 advertising plans

16 January, 2023

Tourism Eire outlines technique to rebuild abroad tourism – with €78 million advertising price range for 2023  

Actress Sharon Horgan fronts Tourism Eire’s new world marketing campaign 

Tourism Eire right now launched particulars of its advertising technique and plans to advertise the island of Eire abroad in 2023, at an occasion attended by Tourism Minister Catherine Martin and round 500 tourism trade leaders from across the nation. 

Tourism Eire goals to rebuild income from abroad holidaymakers to pre-pandemic ranges – by attracting ‘value-adding vacationers’ (guests who keep longer, spend extra within the areas and in Northern Eire, arrive through the shoulder season and think about their impression on the surroundings) and by specializing in markets that ship the best income. This might be achieved by means of a variety of promotional actions, together with main advertising campaigns, publicity and programming, social media and digital advertising, in addition to working with the tourism trade at house and the journey commerce abroad to facilitate gross sales.

This 12 months, Tourism Eire will roll out an in depth and focused programme of exercise with a advertising price range of €78 million.

Sustainability might be on the coronary heart of Tourism Eire’s work over the approaching years. In addition to specializing in the financial sustainability of the tourism trade (the contribution abroad tourism makes to financial prosperity and, particularly, to jobs and livelihoods), Tourism Eire’s technique additionally has social sustainability (the profit that communities throughout the island expertise from abroad tourism) and environmental sustainability at its core. 

Talking on the launch, Tourism Minister Catherine Martin mentioned: “I need to commend Tourism Eire for the excellent advertising technique they’ve put in place for 2023. Particularly, I welcome the concentrate on embedding sustainability throughout all its actions, the elevated consideration of the environmental impacts of tourism and the concentrate on rising illustration of holidaymaker range. Worldwide journey to Eire rebounded strongly in 2022, however the sector continues to face important challenges, subsequently it’s vital that we proceed to spend money on abroad advertising and the extra funding of €15 million that I secured in Funds 2023 will allow Tourism Eire to considerably ramp up its promotion of Eire as world-class tourism expertise in key markets. I additionally need to take this chance to acknowledge Niall Gibbons’ contribution to Tourism Eire. Niall, who will step down as CEO in April, performed a key function within the improvement of the organisation by means of its early life and has overseen its emergence as a world chief in tourism advertising. The document ranges of development in vacationer numbers, and related revenues over the previous decade, is testomony to his onerous work and management. I want to thank him for over 20 years of excellent service to Irish tourism and I want him each success sooner or later.”

New world marketing campaign

Tourism Eire’s new world marketing campaign – ‘Fill your coronary heart with Eire’ – was unveiled at right now’s launch. The brand new adverts function actresses Sharon Horgan, from Dangerous Sisters, and Saoirse-Monica Jackson and Jamie-Lee O’Donnell, from Derry Women. The marketing campaign is all about dialling up what differentiates the island of Eire from different locations – communicated by means of varied celebrities, who share what fills their hearts with Eire. 

The brand new marketing campaign will go dwell from St Patrick’s Day in our high 4 tourism markets – Nice Britain, the USA, Germany and France – and can then be rolled out in 9 different vital tourism markets world wide. 

Niall Gibbons, Chief Govt of Tourism Eire, mentioned: “As we emerge from Covid, our precedence for the 12 months forward is to drive the return of income from abroad holidaymakers to pre-pandemic ranges and to make sure that abroad tourism contributes to financial sustainability. In 2023, we are going to roll out an in depth and focused programme of promotional exercise across the globe. We’re excited to unveil our new ‘Fill your coronary heart with Eire’ world marketing campaign, which can spotlight our wealthy and genuine experiences, breath-taking landscapes and, particularly, our heat welcome. 

“We’re very conscious that there’s a lot uncertainty within the short-term – with ever-changing and important dangers proper now, together with the struggle in Ukraine and its implications on the price of doing enterprise. Nevertheless, there’s optimism for the long-term well being of abroad tourism. Our job is to make sure that curiosity in Eire, and the restoration in demand for holidays right here, continues and that our trade returns to profitability. 

“Above all, the necessity for Tourism Eire to undertake a versatile and agile method, taken over latest years, will proceed in 2023 and past.” 

In 2022, Tourism Eire’s focus was to RESTART abroad tourism to the island of Eire. Because the 12 months unfolded, worldwide journey rebounded extra rapidly than anticipated, with 2022 ending at round 75% of 2019 enterprise. Components like pent-up demand for journey, deferred bookings and accrued financial savings led to a surge in journey to Eire. Air and sea capability additionally returned at a quicker price than anticipated. The precedence for this 12 months might be to REBUILD tourism to the island of Eire. 

Niall Gibbons continued: “In 2022, our precedence was to restart abroad tourism to the island of Eire, so it was encouraging to see the 12 months ending at round 75% of 2019 enterprise. All through 2022, we undertook our most intensive programme of promotions ever to deliver Eire to the eye of travellers in every single place. 1000’s of alternatives have been created for potential guests world wide to learn, hear or watch optimistic messages about Eire in 2022. Tourism Eire estimates that the media publicity final 12 months was value an estimated €610 million in equal promoting worth.

“Our newest wave of analysis confirms that the will to journey is stronger than ever. As we transfer to the REBUILD part of our technique for abroad tourism, our goal is to drive enterprise to the areas, guaranteeing the advantages of tourism are distributed proper across the island of Eire, on a year-round foundation.”

Niall Gibbons, Chief Govt of Tourism Eire; Tourism Minister Catherine Martin; and Christopher Brooke, Chairman of Tourism Eire, on the launch of Tourism Eire’s 2023 advertising plans in Dublin.