Council officials headed to New York
REPRESENTATIVES of Louth County Council, who were in New York for a week for the St Patrick’s Day celebrations, met with senior executives from Tourism Ireland in New York at an engagement on Wednesday. They were briefed on Tourism Ireland’s extensive promotional programme for 2017, which is already underway.
Tourism Ireland aims to build on the success of 2016, which was the fourth record-breaking year in a row for Irish tourism from the United States. Tourism Ireland is prioritising North America this year, as a market which offers a strong return on investment, in terms of holiday visitors and expenditure.
Their important ‘culturally curious’ and ‘social energiser’ audiences are being targeted with distinctive vacation experiences, events and special offers tailored to their interests. Tourism Ireland is creating ‘stand out’ for the island of Ireland in the US, highlighting experiences like the Wild Atlantic Way, the Causeway Coastal Route and Ireland’s Ancient East. Promotions aim to grow travel to the regions of Ireland, during the shoulder and off-peak seasons.
Alison Metcalfe, Tourism Ireland’s Head of North America, said: ‘We were delighted to meet with the representatives of Louth County Council and to have the opportunity to brief them about the extensive promotional programme we are undertaking in the United States this year.
‘Our ambition is to surpass the record-breaking performance of 2016 and to deliver a +9% increase in revenue and a 6% increase in visitor numbers from North America in 2017 i.e. €1.6 billion generated by 1.7 million visitors.
‘St Patrick’s Day traditionally marks the real start of the tourism season for us; our aim is to bring a smile to the faces of people everywhere and to convey the message that Ireland offers the warmest of welcomes and great fun, as well as wonderful scenery and heritage.
‘We are using every opportunity to capitalise on Ireland’s heightened profile this week; the saturation coverage about Ireland at this time of year – across the airwaves, in newspapers and digital media – is an invaluable boost for our overall tourism marketing drive in 2017’.
There was some criticism of the trip, particularly from independent councillor Maeve Yore who said, during a presentation at Monday’s monthly meeting that ‘council money would be better spent on other things than on trips like this’.
Cllr. Maria Doyle asked council CEO Joan Martin about the trip, who did chairman Cllr. Paul Bell and the four officials meet while in New York.
Ms Martin said a report on the trip would be available to members in time for the April meeting in line with protocol.
Meanwhile, Sinn Fein TD Gerry Adams spent 36 hours in the United States and speaking in Washington, he called on ‘all parties which see the value of Irish unity to act together’.
The party’s president said: ‘ The Good Friday Agreement obliges the Irish and British governments to legislate for unity if that is the choice of the people north and south. These changing times present real challenges and real opportunities. We need to continue to strategise, organise, and per- suade for Irish unity. We need to plan for a United Ireland. There is no short cut. Irish America has a real and crucial role in this transition’.