22 March 2022
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
News from the USA
Representatives of Cork County Council, who were in New York for the St Patrick’s Day period, met with senior executives from Tourism Ireland last week. They were briefed on Tourism Ireland’s extensive promotional programme in the United States for 2022, which is in full swing right now.
This year, Tourism Ireland is rolling out its biggest ever programme of promotions in the United States, to restart overseas tourism to Ireland. Following a devastating two years for the tourism and travel sector, the programme will allow Tourism Ireland to upweight its campaigns, punch through the noise and convert ‘lookers’ to ‘bookers’, in order to save businesses and create jobs.
Tourism Ireland’s message is that Ireland is open for business again and we cannot wait to welcome back our American visitors.
Alison Metcalfe, Tourism Ireland’s Head of North America, said: “We were delighted to meet with the representatives of Cork County Council and to have the opportunity to brief them about the extensive promotional programme we are undertaking in the United States this year. We are rolling out our Green Button campaign right now – urging American travellers to ‘press the Green Button’ and book their trip to Ireland this year. Our extensive programme of high impact campaigns and promotions is targeting those consumers with the greatest potential to travel to Ireland. Our message is very simple: Ireland is open for business again and we cannot wait to welcome back visitors from the United States.
“Our St Patrick’s Day programme this year included an extensive programme of trade, media and consumer activity to restart overseas tourism. Our aim was to remind American holidaymakers that Ireland offers the warmest of welcomes and great fun, as well as wonderful scenery and heritage. We’ve been taking every opportunity to capitalise on Ireland’s heightened profile around this St Patrick’s Day period.”
PIC SHOWS: Geraldine Egan, Tourism Ireland; Clodagh Henehan, Divisional Manager for South Cork, Cork County Council; Cllr Cathal Rasmussen, Deputy Mayor of the County of Cork; Cllr Gillian Coughlan, Mayor of the County of Cork; Paul McDonagh, Tourism Ireland; and Mairéad Lucey, Corporate Services, Cork County Council, in the Tourism Ireland office in New York.
