IRELAND’S ECONOMIC difficulties have increased foreign tourists’ belief that they will be able to get better value for money following years of complaints about rising costs, Tourism Ireland research has shown.
Tourism Ireland, which promotes the Republic and Northern Ireland collectively abroad, is to embark on a multi- million pound television advertising campaign in the United Kingdom in the coming months in an effort to halt the slide in numbers of visitors travelling to Ireland.
Launching the organisation’s 2011 plans in the Irish Embassy in London last night, Tourism Ireland chief executive Niall Gibbons said it hoped to increase numbers from the UK by 4 per cent this year.
However, Mr Gibbons warned that British tourism numbers to all destinations were down to 2001 levels, while the numbers travelling to European destinations, including Ireland, are back to 1998 figures.
Following months of negative international publicity, Tourism Ireland carried out focus group research in the UK, the United States, France and Germany over the last six weeks to to find out if the publicity had damaged Ireland’s international brand.
“No issues have emerged in relation to that. If anything, there was an element of sympathy coming from many consumers and a perception that Ireland may be better value for money now,” Mr Gibbons told journalists.
Interest in ensuring value for money had increased by 10 per cent, he said.
Recent television coverage, including Sir Terry Wogan's two-part BBC series on his travels in Ireland and BBC journalist Fergal Keane's Story of Ireland, will help to keep Ireland high in the thoughts of people as they prepare holiday plans.
A major effort, including a St Patrick’s Day reception in the House of Lords, will be made this year to encourage the six million people in Britain with Irish links to travel to the country, while Tourism Ireland will also present at a Who Do you Think you Are? genealogy exhibition in London starting tomorrow.
Despite the economic woes, the marketing budget for the UK has been increased by 30 per cent this year.
“We feel that it will take significant investment to get us back on the path for growth here,” said Mr Gibbons.
He said his organisation would work closely this year with airlines to keep routes open and to reopen those that were closed. “In 2008, we had 500,000 seats coming into Ireland every week. By 2010, that had dropped to 425,000.”
