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'Late Late' launch for Staycation campaign

Fáilte Ireland is spending €6 million on a major new advertising campaign to encourage Irish people to holiday at home. sliabh liag00220

“Keep Discovering”, the authority’s biggest marketing push in recent years, will debut during RTÉ One’s The Late Late Show tonight with a 60-second TV ad, before beginning in earnest on Monday.

The campaign showcases more than a dozen locations across the Republic, including Lahinch in Co Clare, Sliabh Liag in Co Donegal, the Beara Peninsula in Co Cork, Birr Castle in Co Offaly and the Irish National Heritage Park, Co Wexford.

Coronavirus hits Irish tourism

Three series of flights linking Ireland with China are in doubt because if the coronavirus outbreak.The flights were scheduled to begin this Spring, but have yet to be confirmed. I

t is thought that they may be dlayed until the virus clears Air travel out of China is down 80% since thhe outbreak.

A trade mission scheduled for next week consisting of 25 companies to China has alsobeen cancelled.

Niall Gibbons, Tourism Irelland ceo said that the situation with China at the moment is “very fluid”.

“We suspended our tourism activity over in China just for now. We were due to have 25 companies head out to Beijing, Shanghai and Gwangjong next week, we postponed that at the end of January when it was very clear that for health reasons, it would not be possible to hold that,” he said.

“We’ll have at least one if not two sales missions at a later point in 2020 when it is safe to do so.

Tourism Ireland has also brought back to Ireland its three Irish staff working in China.

Tenth 'Greening' has 500 sites

Madison Square Garden in New York, the world’s largest beaver statue in Beaverlodge in Canada, a giant statue of a kissing couple in Amsterdam, the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, Caerphilly Castle in South Wales, the Dubai Frame and even the Smurf Statue in Brussels will join Tourism Ireland’s Global Greening initiative for the first time in 2020.

Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland is pictured with Tourism Minister Brendan Griffin, at the launch of the 'Greening' which is now in its 10th year with 500 participating sites around the world.

Other new sites and buildings taking part in Tourism Ireland’s Global Greening 2020 include: the National Museum of Qatar, City Hall in Bangkok, the World’s largest Hockey Stick and Puck on Vancouver Island and the National Theatre in London.

Clarkes to close L'Ecrivain

In July 2020 after 31 years, Derry & Sallyanne Clarke will be closing their l’Ecrivain Restaurant. They say, “We are very proud of our time in business and we feel that the time is clarkes0220 right to end on a high while the business is still relevant and successful”.They say: 'Derry is moving on and very involved in opening a new bar/restaurant on the Quays in Dublin 2 in Autumn 2020. There is a place for all our team to join him there if they so wish. Derry is also continuing with his consultancy work and especially his ‘Derry Clarke at Home Range’. He will also be appearing on the VMTV Six O Clock Show and other media as usual.

Sallyanne is going to do consultancy work, and hopefully go back to her roots in radio writing and will continue to be a panellist on the Elaine Show VMTV. Sallyanne and Derry will continue to work together on the various projects.

Industry supports Black Tuesday

The Irish tourism industry has responded positively to Tourism Ireland’s ‘Black Tuesday’ initiative and its ‘Green is the New Black’ campaign which will peak around St. Patrick’s Day.

Hundreds of Irish tourism businesses have created special bargain offers for the event and major players such as airlines are also participating, according to Tourism Ireland ceo Niall Gibbons.