 Irelandhotels.com
has been strongly promoted in both the UK and domestic markets in national
press and radio and in targeted publications and media in the US and Europe.
There have also been
a number of online marketing initiatives, for example an ongoing campaign
with Pigsback.com. The campaign consists of onsite category presence,
which includes links to either the home page or direct to the special
offers section of Irelandhotels.com and also featured offers to encourage
interaction between members of Pigsback.com and Irelandhotels.com.
 The
Federation’s site is also featured in the email newsletter, “Travel
& weekender” which is mailed to approx. 98,000 opt-in members.
Irelandhotels.com was also included in three editions with a minimum mailing
in excess of 300,000 emails over the four-month period of the initial
campaign that ran from June to September. A sizzler email was also sent
to those Pigsback.com members who had opted-in to relevant categories,
so that Irelandhotels.com was mailed to a minimum of 35,000 opt-in members.
An
on-line promotional campaign also ran with the Irish Examiner, www.examiner.ie
and a number of other sites controlled by Thomas Crosbie Holdings e.g.
The Sunday Business Post. The campaign ran for three months and featured
a number of different banners promoting special offers on Irelandhotels.com
as well as inclusion in the Examiner’s e-zine, which was mailed to
over 90,000 subscribers. The Examiner site would have monthly visitors
in excess of 120,000.
Shamrock
Trail
This promotion took
place in the US market, from 16 to 20 June. The focus of the promotion
was an intensive weeklong series of sales presentations by small teams
of ROI / NI / US Trade in the offices of Ireland Expert Shamrock Club
members. An Irish Evening event took place in each of the selected markets,
to which Shamrock Club members and selected quality travel agents were
invited.
The markets closest
to gateways, with the highest density of Ireland Experts, i.e. those with
the greatest potential to deliver business to Ireland in the short term,
were selected as follows:
- Greater New York
- Greater Boston
- Greater Chicago
- Washington DC/
Baltimore/ Philadelphia
- Greater San Francisco
- Southern California
A team of a maximum
of twelve participants was assigned to each market. This group then subdivided
into smaller groups of approx. 3 / 4 pax to complete the calls. The objective
was to provide Irish trade & US based tour operators, airlines etc
with the opportunity to meet directly with the agents representing the
most qualified and largest producers of travel to Ireland. There were
13 representatives from the hotel sector attending the promotion, bringing
with them promotional cards for Irelandhotels.com highlighting the fact
that Travel Agents can use the site to make commissionable bookings on
line.
Be
Our Guest
 Almost
400,000 copies of the 2004 Be Our Guest Guide have been printed and feature
in excess of 1,000 entrants. In addition to information on the individual
hotels the guide also features golf, angling and conference sections and
detailed touring maps.
Over 186,000 copies
of the Guide were distributed in over 20 overseas markets through the
Tourism Ireland overseas market offfice network in 2003 and so far in
2004 almost 170,000 have already been shipped the overseas market offices.
In addition it is promoted extensively in both overseas and domestic shows
each year.
 The
Be Our Guest guide is also available through book stores, car hire companies,
Regional Tourist Offices and from the travel trade.
This year the Be Our
Guest guide will be distributed through WH Smith book stores in the UK.
The guide is promoted thorughout the year in the media both at home and
abroad and features in all the Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland
main publications, in the publications of all the main carriers and also
in niche market publications.
Be
Our Guest 2003/4 – Distribution Plan
Almost 400,000 copies
of the Be Our Guest guide were distributed during 2003.
A significant number
of the guides were distributed at trade and consumers shows in both the
domestic and overseas markets, with the Irish Hotels Federation represented
at even more promotions during 2003 than previous years.
Each year over 50%
of the guides are distributed by January with an additional 20% distributed
by March. Overall requests from car hire companies and bookstores as well
as general enquiries were up on previous years. As were the number of
guides distributed through attendance at overseas promotions.
Overseas
& Domestic Promotions 2003
The Irish Hotels Federation
attended the promotions listed below. The Irish Tourist Board in each
market also distributed the Be Our Guest at a large number of events.
| Promotion
|
Venue |
| Holiday Show
|
Manchester, UK |
| MATKA |
Helsinki, Finland |
|
Holiday Show
|
Glasgow, UK |
| Holiday World |
Belfast
(own stand with members) |
| CMT |
Stuttgart, Germany |
| Holiday World
|
Dublin
(own stand with members) |
| Selling Ireland
Seminars |
USA |
| Holiday World
Cork |
(own stand with
members) |
| Consumer Days |
Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Holiday Show
|
Bournemouth,
UK |
| CBR |
Munich, Germany |
|
Ireland Unplugged
|
Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Consumer Day |
Brussels, Belgium |
| Best of Ireland |
Canada Agents
Seminars |
| ITB |
Berlin, Germany |
|
Consumer Days
|
Manchester, UK |
| Consumer Day |
London, UK |
| Agents Seminar
|
Copenhagen, Denmark |
| TUR |
Gothenburg, Sweden |
| Consumer Roadshow |
9 Cities, Germany |
| Consumer Day |
Glasgow |
|
Irish Travel
Trade Workshop
|
Killarney |
| National Country
Fair |
Birr Castle Demesne |
| BBC Gardeners
World |
Birmingham, UK |
| Royal Show Stoneleigh |
Warwickshire,
UK |
| Tatton Park Flower
Show |
Cheshire, UK |
| CLA Game Fair
|
Harewood House,
Leeds, UK |
| Horse Show RDS |
Dublin (own stand) |
| Flavours of Ireland
|
London |
|
World Travel
Market
|
London, UK |
US-Ireland
Alliance Innisfree Programme
The Innisfree Program
was an initiative by the US Ireland Alliance to provide a holiday in Ireland
for the families of the fallen heroes of September 11th. The program covered
the cost of airline tickets, seven nights hotel accommodation and sevenday
car hire for the widows, children and parents of the deceased members
of the FDNY, NYPD and Port Authority Officers. The Irish Government and
Tourism Ireland, the Irish Hotels Federation, the Car Rental Council of
Ireland and Aer Lingus generously supported the trip. Contributions were
also received from the Garda Síochana, the Northern Ireland Police
Service, the Ireland Golf Tournament Operators Association, Accenture,
the Working District Irish Association (Survey, England), and several
businesses and individuals.
The Irish Hotels
Federation offered seven nights complimentary accommodation to immediate
families (2 rooms per family) and discounted rates (decided by individual
hotels) to friends and family. Aer Lingus provided special rates to immediate
family members and accompanying family and friends, the US Ireland Alliance
paid for immediate family members. The Car Rental Council of Ireland offered
a seven-day car hire of a manual compact car to families (one per family,
subject to availability) and discounted rates to upgrade the car to a
larger automatic vehicle as well as discounted rates to friends and family.
All families were given an opportunity while in Ireland to meet with local
fire fighters and police officers. In addition to this, all families were
given the option of meeting with media. 108 families were catered for
between July 2002 and November 2003.
|
