The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney T.D., the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys T.D., and the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross,. T.D. today launched the consular information campaign for Irish citizens travelling to the Rugby World Cup in Japan.
Speaking at the launch, the Tánaiste said:
My Department wishes the Irish team and all the fans making their way to Japan the best of luck both on and off the pitch.
I remind all fans who plan to pull on the green jersey that they are ambassadors for Ireland abroad, and that they should act and behave in a way that promotes a great image of Ireland in Japan. Anyone who plans to travel to the tournament should check that their passport is in date now, buy travel insurance that covers all their planned activities, and read the travel advice on our website.
The Tánaiste, Minister Humphreys and Minister Ross also took the opportunity to launch a new, Japan-focused promotional campaign for Ireland during the Rugby World Cup. The campaign – jointly designed and funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Bord Bia and Tourism Ireland – will highlight Ireland as a great place to trade with, to invest in, as a place to study, to visit on holiday and as a country with great food and drink.
The video campaign, which will be promoted online and supported by local government partners across Japan, features a range of voices from Japanese politics, business, academia, education and culture, speaking about why they think Ireland is a great partner for Japan.
Speaking at the launch, the Tánaiste said:
Japan is an important partner for Ireland, and we have an ambition to achieve even more together. The announcement in 2018 of our intention to build a new, state-of-the-art Ireland House in Tokyo was a demonstration of our long-term commitment to this relationship, and we are now launching a promotional campaign to further support our economic objectives.
The campaign is part of our wider Global Ireland commitment to double our impact internationally by 2025.
Minister Humphreys added:
My Department, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland have invested significantly in our relationship with Japan over the years, and this campaign represents the next step in our ambition to develop a stronger two-way economic partnership. Japan is the third-largest economy in the world, and there exists significant potential for us to do more. It is already our 11th-largest trading partner, and the largest source of FDI into Ireland from the region. I will lead a trade mission to Japan in October with the aim of further strengthening our trading relationship with Japan
Minister Ross commented:
We are all very excited about the World Cup and we wish all the payers and management well. I would ask all the fans to download the Travelwise app and take care while supporting Ireland in Japan. The World Cup also presents an unparalleled opportunity to raise Ireland’s profile, whether it be for tourism, food, trade or study. I am very pleased that the Government and our State agencies have come together to drive forward as a team on this promotional campaign.