A €9 million tourism campaign, featuring actor Richard E Grant, has been launched by Tourism Ireland and the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross TD.
The campaign's aim is to help boost late-season travel to Ireland from around the world and will include co-operative promotions with the likes of Ryanair, Aer Lingus and Delta Airlines. The period, from September to December, is responsible for as much as 30% of the country's annual overseas tourism business.
Grant, known for his roles in Withnail and I and Downton Abbey, had previously filmed five online short films in collaboration with Tourism Ireland. These two new videos will be promoted by Smooth Radio in Britain and with the aim of reaching 5.5 million potential holiday-makers.
The campaign will also highlight the festivals and events being held around Ireland this Autumn and Winter, such as the Dublin Theatre Festival, Culture Night, the Galway International Oyster Festival and Cork's Jazz festival.
Speaking about the event, Ross said: "I’m pleased to support the launch of Tourism Ireland’s autumn campaign and wish to acknowledge the role of accomplished actor Richard E Grant, whose involvement will add impact to the campaign in the important British market. I am committed to ensuring that Ireland’s strong tourism performance to date in 2016 continues during the autumn-winter period and into 2017."
Tourism Ireland CEO Niall Gibbons added: 'Our autumn campaign aims to take advantage of late booking trends in our markets around the world, as there is still plenty of business to play for. Many people are opting for shorter holiday breaks and autumn is a good opportunity with many world-class festivals and events happening around the island."
