Tourism chiefs hope to cash in on famous visits

KEY travel and lifestyle media from Britain and the US here to cover the historic visits by the British Queen and US President Barack Obama will help generate up to €150 million in positive publicity worldwide, tourism chiefs predicted.

Tourism Ireland has launched a major marketing drive in Britain and the US to capitalise on the events, and plans to use the opportunity to convince potential holiday -makers to visit Ireland.

According to head of Tourism Ireland, Niall Gibbons, more than 1,000 journalists from Britain, the US and elsewhere are expected to be here to cover the visits.