Written by Imogen Eaton on 17th Feb 2019
St Patrick’s Day, the day the whole world celebrates being Irish. Even if we’re about as Irish as a quesadilla.
Here at Lemongrass HQ, as well as donning the trademark Guinness hats and reciting our favourite scenes from Father Ted in dubious (at best) Irish accents we want to mark the day by reminding our luxury hotel clients of four reasons why you shouldn’t neglect the Irish travel market.
1. Ireland is a nation of travellers
The population of Ireland is arguably an even stronger market than the UK with stats that indicate the Irish are avid and regular travellers. According to a HostelWorld report last year- Ireland was dubbed the most well-travelled nation on earth
2. Departures from Irish airports are on the up
Now is a good time to tap into the increasing connectivity that Ireland enjoys- not just with European airports but further afield. With around 30 new flight routes set to be introduced to Ireland’s airports this year- it’s population, now more than ever, enjoys easier and cheaper access to a total of 181 cities in total. Emirates routes launched in 2012 opened up more accessible travel from Ireland to destinations including India, Thailand, China and Australia.
3. Overseas travel is the most popular for Irish travellers
Of Ireland’s 4.8m strong population- most prefer to venture overseas rather than choosing the ‘staycation’ option which has become increasingly popular in the UK. 68% of Irish holidaymakers will choose to travel abroad, with European destinations proving the most popular. Here’s the breakdown:
Spain is Ireland’s favourite- with 38% choosing to head for Spanish climes in 2017. Portugal and Italy came in a close 2nd and 3rd place respectively.
4. The dedicated Diaspora
Irish media has a very loyal readership of its national papers. The nation’s most popular paper- The Irish Independent enjoys a readership of over 90,000 and has a readership that extends beyond the island’s own borders. With a huge number of Irish people living abroad- there are strong diaspora communities in the US, Australia and Canada, among many others- the Irish papers cast the net wide in terms of a travel-fanatic, global readership.
The above can also be said for the Scottish and Welsh markets. With avid travellers throughout Scotland, Wales and Ireland, we ensure our Lemongrass Media Relations plans don’t neglect the emerald isle or any relevant territories or regional communities on behalf of our luxury travel brand clients.
Appointed to raise the profile of our hotel brand clients, both in the UK and Ireland- we think there’s no time like the present to fly the flag for Irish readers and reiterate- don’t overlook the Irish market when promoting your hotel or destination.
So from me and all the Lemongrass team:
Sláinte!
If you’d like to find out more about how your Luxury Hotel can best reach the UK or Irish market call us on +44 (0) 1865 237 990 or feel free to email us at grow@lemongrassmarketing.com
