Tourism campaign to promote holidays at home

Encouraging Irish people to holiday at home will be one of the main elements in Bord Fáilte's 2003 marketing campaign, to be announced today.

The plan will focus on what Bord Fáilte describes as "the burgeoning domestic market, both North and South". People who take short breaks will be the main target in the new media campaign, as most domestic breaks are no longer than one week.

New radio and television advertisements will focus on "another world" free from traffic and stress. Bus and DART advertising will encourage people to take immediate action and get away from their everyday routine by planning a break.

Activity-based holidays such as golf, equestrian and walking tours will be strongly marketed, while Bord Fáilte's sports tourism initiative will bring about 13 major international events to Ireland during the year.

This includes the European short-course swimming championships and the European eventing championships.

This year, legislation will be introduced to merge Bord Fáilte with CERT - the tourism and hospitality training body. The new body will be called Fáilte Ireland and will market and develop the tourism industry at home.

Tourism Ireland has been charged with marketing the island of Ireland abroad. Tourism Ireland and Dublin Tourism will also announce their 2003 marketing plans to tour operators and trade representatives this morning.

It is understood that Tourism Ireland's marketing programme will cost about €30 million this year. It is aiming to increase all-Ireland visitor numbers by 5 per cent to over 7.5 million and is targeting a 6 per cent growth in the number of holidaymakers.

Tourism Ireland is selling Northern Ireland "seamlessly, as part of the island of Ireland" and is hoping for an 8 per cent increase in visitors to Northern Ireland.

Marketing campaigns will promote the people, the landscape and the relaxed pace of life - the three factors which holidaymakers continuously highlight as their reasons for coming to Ireland.

The bulk of Tourism Ireland resources will be focused on the eight markets which deliver about 92 per cent of holidaymakers to the island.

They are: Britain, the US, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Austria and Canada.

Tourism Ireland believes Britain will deliver "substantial volume growth" to Ireland this year and is focusing on the north of England and Scottish regions. Britain accounts for more than half of all visitors to Ireland.

The typical British holidaymaker in Ireland is 25-64 years old and without dependent children.

In December, Tourism Ireland said it was targeting a 10 per cent growth in US visitor numbers but the current tensions between the US and Iraq may slow this market.

The typical US holidaymaker is aged between 25-74 years but this island attracts a high proportion of retired couples.

Developing markets such as Japan, Sweden, Belgium and Spain will also be targeted, as well emerging markets such as New Zealand and South Africa.

Dublin Tourism's marketing plans will soon be able to include a new attraction - the Millennium Spire. Its six tourist offices will be able to direct tourists to the new monument on O'Connell Street as soon as it's completed later this month.

Dublin Tourism's marketing plans were curtailed last year as a 30 per cent fall in visitors to its tourist offices in the first four months meant that essential sales revenue was not being generated.

At that time, Mr Frank Magee, Dublin Tourism chief executive, expressed concern at what he said was an emphasis on promoting tourism in the rest of State, to the detriment of Dublin. One of Bord Fáilte's objectives for this season is to promote regional spread and ensure a regional thrust to the various marketing activities.