Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring TD, welcomed the fact that Irish fans going to see the latest instalment of the Star Wars franchise will be treated to a ‘trailer’ for the Wild Atlantic Way and the countless hidden gems located along it, as a new Wild Atlantic Way domestic promotional campaign begins this week. The cinema ads will take place before each Star Wars showing and are intended to encourage Irish Star Wars fans to explore one of the film’s stars, Skellig Michael, and much more. You can view the ad here.
Speaking today, Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring TD, said: “For many people, a compelling film or memorable movie forms an emotional ‘pull factor’ and can create a curiosity about a destination that may not have previously existed. Having such an iconic part of Ireland's West Coast included in the new Star Wars movie will undoubtably peak people's interest in exploring our Islands in the weeks and months to come. A film like Star Wars, with its incredibly loyal and committed fan-base, will raise the profile of the Wild Atlantic Way even further within the home holiday market and, I hope, encourage many more domestic consumers to get out there and discover one of our most beautiful natural assets – our wild rugged Atlantic coast”.
Speaking about the promotion and the opportunity presented by the filming, Director of Marketing for Fáilte Ireland, Noel-John McLoughlin said: “The Wild Atlantic Way, while an otherworldly place where land and sea collide to create a people and a coastline like no other, is fortunately not in a galaxy far far away but right on our doorstep. Having an Irish location in a high profile movie can’t but benefit Irish tourism and we are hopeful that this campaign, timed to capitalise on this movie’s release, will encourage more Irish people to explore the epic landscapes of our Atlantic coast.”
According to Fáilte Ireland’s latest report on visitor attitudes (2014) 7% of visitors were influenced by films to choose Ireland (see page 3 of the survey here), indicating that over 200,000 people may be influenced to a greater or lesser degree by a film to choose Ireland as a holiday destination.
The new campaign, which aims to encourage potential holidaymakers to consider the Wild Atlantic Way for their next break, capitalises on the fact that the idyllic and magical Skellig Michael features in the latest Star Wars film. The campaign will be broadcast in cinemas across the country as well as featuring in national radio. Significant online promotion will also take place.
Skellig Michael is the larger of two islands in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of the Iveragh peninsula. A Christian monastery was established on the island at some point between the 6th and 8th centuries and was continuously occupied until the late 12th century. The remains of the monastery and most of the island was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.
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