Rugby to boost city’s tourism

THE mid-west’s tourism promotion agency Shannon Development has linked up with Tourism Ireland UK in a major promotional campaign, based around the Heineken Cup final.

With all eyes on Cardiff, the tourism agencies are using the occasion to get a strong Limerick tourism message out to British and French fans.

The campaign involves the distribution of a specially-designed colourful postcard outside the stadium before the game, as well as in Cardiff pubs and clubs over the weekend.

The postcard highlights the links between Limerick city and Munster rugby and promotes the range of access options from Britain to the mid-west through Shannon Airport.

Paul Mockler, tourism promotional officer for Shannon Development UK said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase Limerick city as the gateway to the Shannon region. The aim of the campaign is to get a clear message to potential French and British tourists that the Shannon region is a premier holiday destinations. We have produced 40,000 special postcards to tell potential tourists about Limerick city and the region.

“The postcard also contains a competition offering a holiday in Limerick, including match tickets to see Munster versus the All Blacks. As people enter the competition by text, we will be collecting their numbers for future promotions. This campaign, combined with an ad campaign in Cardiff’s largest daily newspaper, will reach a potential audience of 500,000.”

Britain, he said, was Ireland’s largest tourism market, accounting for 57% of total visits and 14% of total visitors to the mid-west.