Tourism Ireland release £70 million strategy to rebuild overseas tourism

Tourism Ireland today launched details of its marketing strategy and plans to promote Northern Ireland overseas in 2023, at an event attended by hundreds of tourism industry leaders from around NI.

They aim to rebuild revenue from overseas holidaymakers to pre-pandemic levels – by attracting ‘value-adding tourists’ (visitors who stay longer, spend more in Northern Ireland and the regions, arrive during the shoulder season and consider their impact on the environment) and by focusing on markets that deliver the greatest revenue.

This year, Tourism Ireland will roll out an extensive and targeted programme of activity with a marketing budget of £70 million.

Sustainability will be at the heart of Tourism Ireland’s work over the coming years. As well as focusing on the economic sustainability of the tourism industry, the strategy also has social sustainability and environmental sustainability at its core.

Tourism Ireland’s new global campaign – Fill your heart with Ireland – was unveiled at today’s launch.

The new ads feature Saoirse-Monica Jackson and Jamie-Lee O'Donnell, from Derry Girls, and Sharon Horgan, from Bad Sisters. The campaign is all about dialling up what differentiates Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland from other destinations – communicated through various celebrities, who share what fills their hearts with Ireland.

The new campaign will go live from St Patrick’s Day in our top four tourism markets – Great Britain, the United States, Germany and France – and will then be rolled out in nine other important tourism markets around the world.

“As we emerge from Covid, our priority for the year ahead is to drive the return of revenue from overseas holidaymakers to pre-pandemic levels and to ensure that overseas tourism contributes to economic sustainability," said Tourism Ireland Chief Executive Niall Gibbons. "In 2023, we will roll out an extensive and targeted programme of promotional activity around the globe. We are excited to unveil our new ‘Fill your heart with Ireland’ global campaign, which will highlight our rich and authentic experiences, breath-taking landscapes and, in particular, our warm welcome.

“We are very aware that there is much uncertainty in the short-term – with ever-changing and significant risks right now, including the war in Ukraine and its implications on the cost of doing business. However, there is optimism for the long-term health of overseas tourism. Our job is to ensure that interest in Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland, and the recovery in demand for holidays here, continues and that our industry returns to profitability.

“Above all, the need for Tourism Ireland to adopt a flexible and agile approach, taken over recent years, will continue in 2023 and beyond.”