At a St Patrick’s Day travel trade and media celebration in Sydney on Thursday, Tourism Ireland Australia and New Zealand Director Sofia Hansson casually referred to Ireland’s national day as St Patrick’s ‘week’.
That take on the day – arguably the most famous national holiday around the world – couldn’t have been more spot on.
Come March every year, many people’s thoughts (especially in the English-speaking world) turn to St Patrick’s Day. But one day is simply not enough to ‘fill your heart with Ireland’ (to borrow from Tourism Ireland’s most recent global campaign). So a week seems about right.
Of course, Tourism Ireland would rather you fill your heart on the island of Ireland itself.
Speaking at the event, held at Pony Dining in The Rocks, Ireland’s Ambassador to Australia H.E. Tim Mawe (repeatedly) urged guests to encourage their “thousands” of clients to get to Eire.
A lot of Aussies already are.
During the event, Hansson shared Tourism Ireland’s 2023 highlights as well as what’s to come in 2024.
Last year, Tourism Ireland launched the ‘What Fills your Heart with Ireland’ global campaign, which celebrates the island’s appeal to visitors and locals alike – and generated a whopping 1.3 billion impressions worldwide. Strengthening partnerships, both in trade and media engagements, remained a priority.
The campaign will continue in 2024, aiming to increase the value of overseas tourism sustainably, while promoting Ireland as a year-round destination and the country’s lesser-known regions.
Additionally, Tourism Ireland plans to enhance relationships within the travel industry through co-operative campaigns, media partnerships, TV broadcasts and a sales mission Down Under in November.
Guests at the event, including the Consulate General of Ireland, Collette, Globus family of brands, Infinity Holidays and Qatar Airways, were treated to a taste of Ireland courtesy of Irish head chef Neil Nolan, free-flowing Guinness, live Irish music and of course plenty of craic.
In a Q&A at the event, chef Nolan explained what he most missed about his homeland.
Along with the strawberries… he said, “my Mam’s brown bread, and flying into Dublin – as you hit the coast you see all of the greenery and then you know you’re home, you just can’t beat it”.
And if you can’t get to Ireland soon, you can always celebrate St Patrick’s Day on Sunday… or longer.
Read more about Ireland… a country that isn’t just stunning landscapes, history and culture – but also a sustainably-minded destination on an eco-friendly mission to preserve what it has for generations to come.