Tourism chiefs look to cash in on Obama and Queen visit

Irish tourist chiefs have started plans to cash in on President Obama and Queen Elizabeth with targeted attacks on the American and British markets.

Tourism leaders were called together by Minister Michael Ring to begin exploiting the positive publicity generated by the two visits in the past week.

As Guinness exploit the photo of President Obama downing a pint in Moneygall, so Minister Ring wants to ensure Ireland Inc benefits from the positivity of the past week.

The new government has even offered to put extra money forward to get a maximum return from the media coverage afforded to President Obama and Queen Elizabeth while they were in Ireland.

“If extra money has to be spent, I want this to happen,” said Minister Ring as he looks to boost tourist numbers for the remainder of 2011 after a 16 per cent fall-off in the UK market alone last year,

“We have to build on this, it’s the kind of publicity you couldn’t buy,” added the Minister.
American tourists have already started to flow into Moneygall in the wake of the President’s visit there on Monday.

Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny has also backed the moves by Tourism Ireland and Failte Ireland to exploit the recent visits.

“This is about us, it’s about our potential,” said Kenny. “It’s about recognizing that while we have faced challenges we can come through this.”

“The co-operation shown by our people made the visits of Queen Elizabeth II and the president of the United States of America, Barack Obama, and the Uefa Europa League final very successful. Dublin was centre stage across the world and we made them very welcome.”

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FULL TEXT - President Obama's speech to crowd in Dublin's College Green

PHOTOS: President Obama's trip to Ireland

A day to remember as Barack Obama charms the Irish nation

Guinness cash in on Obama's Moneygall visit

Maureen Dowd (New York Times); Obama happier in Ireland than anywhere else

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