Selling The Island Of Ireland

An Exclusive Interview With New Tourism Ireland Boss Niall Gibbons

By Catherine Wylie

To return Ireland to its pre-recession glory days with record numbers of visitors. To ensure tourists in Ireland have a fantastic experience that is unique to any other. And to incorporate the whole island in a movement which promotes an Ireland that is "fun, engaging, and spontaneous." That is the aim of Niall Gibbons who was appointed as the new chief executive of Tourism Ireland just last month.

Previously the Director of Corporate Services and Company Secretary, Gibbons has worked with Tourism Ireland since 2002.

Commenting on his predecessor, the new chief remarked, "I have to pay tribute to the previous chief executive Paul O'Toole, he did a great job getting the foundations in and we've got a great base to build on. Getting this job was the most poignant moment of my career. It feels great, and it really is a privilege taking on the position of chief executive.

"We are facing very difficult times with the economic climate on the world stage, but I think we've got a great team and I've watched that team develop over the last seven years. I'm confident that tourism is a great industry, it's a people-based industry, and it's only a matter of time before we turn a corner." Gibbons will now oversee all markets, which include countries in the Middle East, Europe, South Africa, and of course the USA.

"The key challenge that is facing us at the moment is that there has been a decline in the number of visitors to the island of Ireland over the last year. What we need to do is have a strategy in place that will see our market return to growth," he said.

"I started with Tourism Ireland just after 9/11 and that was a very challenging time with the US market. However, the UK and European markets were holding up well. We're in an economic climate now where all markets are showing a downturn. So the challenge now is to work as closely as possible with our industry partners to make sure we show the great value and great assets Ireland has to offer on the tourism stage. We must reinforce Ireland as the warm, friendly, welcoming destination that it has always been.

"All the research that we do in the international marketplace puts us ahead of the game in relation to the friendliness and warmth of our people. We must also showcase the great value that's there, particularly in the current year. There has been great offers in the accommodation sector and with the air carriers. We have to convince people there hasn't been a better time than now to visit."

Asked how he would convince a Spanish family to come to Ireland for a holiday, Gibbons says, "The proposition we have out there for Brand Ireland, is about it being spontaneous, fun and engaging. Those are the three simple things that run through Brand Ireland. Ireland is full of character and characters. The strap line is 'Go Where Ireland Takes You'. It's a place where you can get lost on a journey, and the idea of being spontaneous, fun and engaging sets us apart from other destinations. You won't get those three things anywhere else."

Ireland, which has previously been almost exclusively marketed on the thatched cottages and Aran jumpers of old, has enjoyed a new burst of cosmopolitan vitality in recent years.

Gibbons argues that this can only be a good thing: "We must reflect on all that is good about Ireland, and that includes both rural and urban. There's the urban feeling reflected in contemporary Dublin and Belfast, and there's also a rural aspect which people can experience in B&Bs and through the regional product which is very strong. It's not a question of focusing on one or the other so to speak, it's the themes of spontaneity, fun and engagement which can be found in both rural and urban experiences.

"Traditional images are important in markets such as Germany and the USA, but in markets where we would have a young vibrant customer we might tend to use the urban images."

With the recession predicted to ease off by the end of 2009, it is thought that Ireland will enjoy an increase in visitors from the USA. However, with November and December being the country's coldest months, will weather put tourists off? Gibbons doesn't think so, "The weather doesn't come into play. It's all about the history, the culture, such as castles and gardens, and particularly the friendliness of the people. The critical thing for us in the current economic climate is that we maintain our marketing presence in our key markets.

"North America, Britain, Germany and France make up 80% of all tourists who come to Ireland. We need to ensure that the product is on the shelf and that it's clearly visible. What is encouraging, behind some the more disappointing statistics, is that in the first three months of 2009 outbound travel from the USA to Europe as a whole fell by almost 14%. Ireland fell by less than 7%, which means that we've had a story that isn't as bad as other countries. We are gaining market share in other words. There are a smaller number of people going on holiday, but we are capturing a larger percentage of them. We are going to maintain that product on the shelf very prominently over the coming year, working with the airlines and carriers ensuring that we feature any attractive fares very heavily."

"Last year we had in excess of 10 million unique visitors to our website and we expect that that is going to grow significantly this year. We have been doing new things online as well, for example we have been working with sites that involve user-generated content such as youtube, MySpace and FaceBook to engage with a new audience. We even featured a St. Patrick's Day parade in Second Life, which is a bit of a unique experience where people can log in and actually go.

"We are keen to do new things online to reach a new audience, and again it's all about being spontaneous, fun and engaging.

"With booking times becoming shorter all the time for the customer, and the expanse of choice out there, it is vital that Ireland stands out. Booking online means that people can book at short notice.

"This is a global campaign which is brand and price led. For such a small island, which is effectively punching above its weight in the grand scale of things, Ireland is doing very well in the world market."

Since the Good Friday Agreement has spelled an end to the Troubles, there has been greater investment and the North has became an unlikely holiday destination. So how important is the North to Tourism Ireland? "The North is critical. We have two key objectives: One is to increase visitors to the island of Ireland, and secondly to support Northern Ireland and help it realize its tourism potential. We have worked very closely with all the stakeholders in Northern Ireland. There is enormous potential there and enormous challenges.

"One of the key issues for us to ensure that the North features prominently across all our campaigns, and you will see through our advertising that it is. There are niche segments that are relevant to Northern Ireland, such as Scot's Irish, marketed here in the USA which are important."

Tourism Ireland has this year launched the 'Go where Ireland takes you' campaign, and Gibbons expresses his confidence that this campaign will be in place for some years to come: "I think the culture of the island is the DNA. We can do a lot with advertising, but underneath that people want to be able to experience the people, the warmth, the music, the food, the craic. And I can see us connecting with that for years to come."

Gibbons went on to tell us about the details of his job and what he does on a day-to-day basis: "I'm one week into it, and I've been to New York, Galway, Shannon and Belfast twice. In relation to my job, there are number of key things. Number one is communicating with our industry, so that what Tourism Ireland is doing in the international marketplace reflects what is going on in our industry on the ground. Secondly I have to work very closely with our teams in the marketplace to ensure that they're motivated and what we are doing is cutting edge. And finally, it is ensuring that the island of Ireland is right out there, that it is at the top of mind for the consumer and that they are left in no doubt that it is a great place to go on holidays."