A huge investment of more than €1 million is being funded for an overseas joint tourism marketing campaign — the Western Region Tourism Marketing Programme— details of which were announced on Monday afternoon in Westport.
Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring said that the funding, which has been allocated through Fáilte Ireland, five local authorities (Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Mayo and Roscommon ), Tourism Ireland, the Western Development Commission, and Ireland West Airport Knock, will boost tourism in the region by targeting visitors from Britain, Germany, France, and Italy.
Minister Ring welcomed this “exciting initiative” which he said shows that this part of the country is “open for business”. The Minister added: “This funding is testament to the Government's commitment towards tourism in the west and northwest — aiming to increase the number of tourists coming to the region and boosting both jobs and revenue in the local economy.”
Mayo county manager Peter Hynes, who spoke on behalf of the local authorities, said the campaign has “enormous potential” and stressed that the work starts now to deliver the remit.
The campaign will roll out immediately and will run in overseas markets in the coming months driving international tourists to consider Ireland’s western region as their 2012 holiday destination.
