General Industry

Competitions Of Two Very Different Kinds For Tourism Ireland

By Publications Checkout
Competitions Of Two Very Different Kinds For Tourism Ireland

Tourism Ireland's most recent promotional activities both centred around competitions, but two very different kinds of competitions.

 Tourism Ireland was busy promoting golf in Ireland at the Barclays US PGA competition at Ridgewood Country Club in New Jersey.

Golf is a major focus for Tourism Ireland in the US and the organisation has a busy programme of promotions under way throughout 2014. Activity has included ads on the popular Golf Channel, online on golfchannel.com and in specialist golf publications. The organisation has had a presence at a number of other high profile golf events already this year – and will attend the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston, next week. Influential American golf writers have also been invited to visit, to come and experience our fantastic golf for themselves. Alison Metcalfe, Tourism Ireland’s head of North America, said: “The American golf market remains a priority for Tourism Ireland. The island of Ireland boasts some outstanding golf courses and our presence at this year’s Barclays tournament provided an excellent opportunity … to showcase that superb golf offering to thousands of American golf enthusiasts. Golf is the world’s largest sports-related travel market and Tourism Ireland is working hard to drive home the message that a golfing holiday in Ireland is about much more than a round of 18 holes.”

Tourism Ireland also ran a competition of its own earlier in the year to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and the winner has just availed of her prize.

Cristina Cerrato Accommazo, from Italy, was the lucky winner of the global online competition to create a virtual float for the world’s longest virtual St Patrick’s parade. The idea was to get prospective holidaymakers around the world thinking about Ireland for a holiday in 2014 . Cristina and her friend Diego Previdi (pictured) won a week-long visit to Ireland, as guests of Tourism Ireland. They spent four days exploring Galway city and county, using the Radisson Blu Hotel on Lough Atalia Road as their base. Niamh Kinsella, Tourism Ireland’s manager in Italy, said: “We are delighted that the winner of our St Patrick’s global promotion was an Italian! As part of our overall marketing strategy, Tourism Ireland is using e-marketing and social media in a host of creative ways to inspire potential holidaymakers to come and visit the island of Ireland. “Italy is an important market for tourism to the island of Ireland and official CSO figures for the first half of this year are showing good growth of about 4 per cent over the same six-month period in 2013. We are determined to ensure that growth continues.”

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