The Wild Atlantic Way will be showcased in a new advertising campaign in Irish cinemas to coincide with the release of the latest instalment of the Star Wars franchise.
The cinema ads will take place before each Star Wars showing across the country and are intended to encourage Irish Star Wars fans to explore one of the film’s stars, Skellig Michael in Co. Kerry, as well as other locations along the route.
Minister of State for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring TD said: “For many people, a compelling film or memorable movie forms an emotional ‘pull factor’ and can create a curiosity about a destination that may not have previously existed. A film like Star Wars, with its incredibly loyal and committed fan-base, will raise the profile of the Wild Atlantic Way even further within the home holiday market and, I hope, encourage many more domestic consumers to get out there and discover one of our most beautiful natural assets – our wild rugged Atlantic coast."
Speaking about the promotion and the opportunity presented by the filming, Director of Marketing for Fáilte Ireland, Noel-John McLoughlin added: "The Wild Atlantic Way is fortunately not in a galaxy far far away but right on our doorstep. Having an Irish location in such a high profile movie can’t but benefit Irish tourism and we are hopeful that this campaign will encourage more Irish people to explore the epic landscapes of our Atlantic coast."
According to Fáilte Ireland’s latest report on visitor attitudes (2014) 7% of visitors were influenced by films to choose Ireland, indicating that over 200,000 people may be influenced to a greater or lesser degree by a film to choose Ireland as a holiday destination.
