Ditch the Fairies and Freckles. Tourists Aren't Stupid. Show Them Croker! ; Aftertourism Ireland Launches a New Tv Advertising Campaign Inamerica, an Irish Journalist Based in New York Despairs... [Eire Region]

Summary

---

IN THE summer of 1972, Bord Failte persuaded Muhammad Ali to record a promotional video about Ireland that was to be shown to American audiences before the television broadcast of his bout at Croke Park against Al 'Blue' Lewis. Quite a coup. Over a montage of quintessentially Irish images like whiskey-making, fly-fishing and cottages being thatched, Ali delivered a predictable script about how every visitor to the Emerald Isle got a thousand welcomes, and ancient customs were still lovingly preserved in the old country. The over-riding message was a trip to Ireland would be a delightful journey back in time.

Recently, Tourism Ireland launched a new campaign in America to try to arrest the serious decline in the numbers of American tourists who've been coming to Ireland in the past few years. The hope is that a concerted advertising effort across television, radio, print and the internet will arouse increased interest in people wanting to cross the Atlantic to spend their travel dollars.

See the full content of this document

Extract

---

Ditch the Fairies and Freckles. Tourists Aren't Stupid. Show Them Croker! ; Aftertourism Ireland Launches a New Tv Advertising Campaign Inamerica, an Irish Journalist Based in New York Despairs... [Eire Region]

Almost four decades after Ali ticked every box on the 'Paddywhackery cliches' form (did we mention he was carrying a shillelagh?), those charged with attracting people to Ireland in the 21st century appear stuck in a similar timewarp. How else to explain why, among the ways they have sought to woo would-be visitors in recent months, were commercials with Riverdancers ...

See the full content of this document

---