Tourism Ireland campaign in the US highlights Shannon Airport as gateway to Wild Atlantic Way

New €600,000 campaign promotes Wild Atlantic Way and encourages US holidaymakers to fly direct to Shannon

Tourism Ireland is rolling out a new €600,000 campaign promoting the Wild Atlantic Way and highlighting direct flights from the United States (from New York, Boston and Chicago) to Shannon Airport, operated by Aer Lingus and United Airlines. 

The campaign includes a new 30-second video featuring Irish photographer Conor Vaughan, who describes and praises the breath-taking landscapes and scenery of the Wild Atlantic Way. The video is being shared on YouTube and Facebook, as well as on popular media websites in the United States, and will be seen by millions of people across the US. It encourages viewers to “fly direct to Shannon Airport from Boston, Chicago and New York”.

The aim of the campaign is to highlight Shannon Airport as the gateway to the Wild Atlantic Way and raise awareness of, and drive holiday bookings to, this part of Ireland. It will run until the end of June and will deliver around 70 million impressions (opportunities to see), as well as 258,000 referrals to third-party tourism businesses.

Alison Metcalfe, Tourism Ireland’s Head of North America, said: “Our latest campaign is promoting the Wild Atlantic Way and highlighting Shannon Airport as its gateway from the United States. The campaign will deliver around 70 million impressions (opportunities to see) and 258,000 referrals to third-party tourism businesses. Our aim is to highlight the many great experiences and attractions, as well as the warm welcome, that awaits our US visitors along the Wild Atlantic Way.”

As well as the new video, other highlights of Tourism Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way campaign include: 

• ads on popular digital and social platforms, including YouTube and Facebook, as well as on top media websites like Matador Network;
• activity with leading travel and travel deals websites like Travelzoo, ShermansTravel and Dunhill Travel Deals, highlighting attractive vacation packages along the Wild Atlantic Way;
• co-operative promotions with United Airlines, to highlight its direct flights to Shannon Airport from Newark and Chicago;
• a competition to win a trip for two to the Wild Atlantic Way with Matador Network; and
• a specially-created page on Tourism Ireland’s website in the US, Ireland.com, titled 'Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way is Calling'.