Tourism Ireland's 2023 global campaign to feature 'Bad Sisters' star Sharon Horgan

Tourism Ireland has revealed its plans for a €78M destination marketing campaign aimed at recovering Ireland tourism to the pre-pandemic level of 2019.

Highlights of the 2023 plan:

• Attract "value-adding tourists" who arrive in the shoulder seasons, stay longer, spend more in outlying regions and NI, and consider their impact on the environment
• Focus on markets that will produce the greatest spend
• Use marketing, publicity, social media, digital and trade channels
• €78M budget
• Focus on economic and social sustainability
• "Fill your heart with Ireland" theme
• Differentiate Ireland from competing destinations
• Ads to feature Sharon Horgan from "Bad Sisters" and Saoirse-Monica Jackson and Jamie-Lee O'Donnell from "Derry Girls"

Campaign is planned to go live at St. Patrick's Day in the UK, USA, Germany and France, an later roll out to an additional 9 important country markets around the world.

Niall Gibbons, who in April will be stepping down after 14 years as CEO of Tourism Ireland, said:

“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. 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 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.”

Comment: It's with great regret that we see Niall Gibbons leaving Tourism Ireland. In case you don't know, Mr. Gibbons has held executive positions at Tourism Ireland for 21 years, kept Ireland tourism afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic, and was named Most Influential Irish Chief Executive in Linkedin polls in 2020 and 2021. He will be missed.