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In search of the new Ireland

February 17, 2011

By Staff Reporter

The reception on April 19, to launch the Galway Arts Festival and to promote Irish tourism, reflected a shift in Tourism Ireland’s promotion campaigns of late, which focus increasingly on the cosmopolitan rather than the traditional allure of Ireland as a holiday destination.
In the past, Ireland’s image as a rural, if perhaps somewhat backward, country never failed to attract an influx of tourists from all over the world; it helped make tourism Ireland’s No. 1 industry. No country has been more important to Irish tourism than the United States, which represents a sixth of the six million visitors to Ireland each year.
However, in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks and the falling dollar value, American tourists have become choosier about where they travel. As value for money becomes more important, American travelers look toward vacation destinations where they will find a range of activities and experiences. For them, the lure of visiting great-uncle Paddy’s birthplace is no longer enough, so Irish travel operators find themselves competing for American business against the charms of bigger, more diverse European countries.
“September 11 and the foot-and-mouth scare in 2001 took a chunk out of Irish tourism,” admitted Marie Fullington, vice-president for Tourism Ireland U.S. “We have invested a lot in U.S. advertising in recent years.”
American tourists represent almost a quarter of tourism spending in Ireland each year. Their importance cannot be underestimated, according to the Irish minister for arts, sport and tourism, John O’Donoghue.
“U.S. tourists tend to stay longer, they are discerning, older and well-educated and are not interested in low-cost destinations,” he said. “The average U.S. tourist in Ireland will spend around

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