Tourism Minister Brendan Griffin launched the 2019 marketing plans for Tourism Ireland in the United States this week at an event in New York attended by leading tour operators, travel agents and journalists from the tri-state area.
Tourism Ireland aims to grow North American visitor numbers by 6% to 2.17 million in 2018, with the intention of increasing revenue generated from North American visitors to Ireland by 8% to €1.99 billion.
Tourism Ireland’s new 'Fill Your Heart With Ireland' TV ad is now running on major American TV networks, and with a new Aer Lingus service between Dublin and Minneapolis-St Paul due to launch this year along with a new American Airlines route between Dublin and Dallas, Tourism Ireland is targeting travellers in both of those cities for the first time.
"A Very Clear Focus"
Speaking at the launch in New York, Tourism Ireland’s head of North America and Australia, Alison Metcalfe, said, "In 2018, we welcomed a record 2 million North American visitors to the island of Ireland. Looking to the year ahead, we are confident that our strategy combined with more airline seats than ever before from the US and a strong dollar, as well as the strength and competitiveness of the vacation experience right around the island of Ireland, will deliver further growth. We look forward to welcoming more of our great friends from the United States this year and in the years to come.
"We have a very clear focus for the year ahead and that is to deliver a 6% increase in visitor numbers and an 8% increase in revenue from North America. We will achieve this by working in close collaboration with our Irish and American tourism partners, rolling out an extensive programme of high impact campaigns and promotions which will target those consumers with greatest potential to travel to Ireland."
In 2018, Ireland welcomed approximately two million American and Canadian visitors to its shores (up 14% on 2017), with revenue from North American visitors rising 14% on the figure for 2017 to €1.85 billion.
© 2019 Hospitality Ireland – your source for the latest industry news. Article by Dave Simpson. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.
