Australians Take the Time to Seek Out the Real Ireland, Says Tourism Executive
Ireland offers the most contemporary of sophisticated facilities in a still traditional setting filled with culture and history, said Paul O’Toole, Chief Executive, Tourism Ireland, during a recent media lunch and promotion at the Aria Restaurant in Sydney to mark St Patrick’s Day and launch a new online campaign encouraging Australians to explore their Irish side.
Ireland has 5.5 million people yet this nation receives some 9 million visitors a year. “Aussies are a fantastic part of the business†with more than 120,000 Australians visiting the Emerald Isle in 2007, he said.
[Pictured right: Even if they don’t have Irish heritage most people would like to have a link with Ireland believes Paul O’Toole.]
Australia ranks as the 7th largest market for Ireland. The average length of stay is nine days with visits made throughout the year, he added.
About one third of Australians claim some form of Irish heritage. Our emphasis in 2008 will be directed to making it easier for them to trace their roots in Ireland, said Mr O’Toole.
Australians can now find out about their links with Ireland through ancestral lineage or just shared personality traits on the Go Green website.
The new website also has a range of travel offers to Ireland with partners Ethihad Airways and Creative Holidays, he added.
Some 64 ‘Irelands’ could fit into Australia so the country is easy to explore. Mr O’Toole noted that while Dublin and Kilarney are well known destinations intrepid Australians are even venturing to somewhat lesser known areas like the highly picturesque Northeast coastline which stretches from Belfast to the Giant’s Causeway.
Australians seem to find their way to places where they will only see the Irish, he said.
Exclusive Report by Thomas E. King, TravelMole’s Travel and Lifestyle Editor
John Alwyn-Jones
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025