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Tourism Ireland is anticipating a boost in tourism numbers thanks to this week’s royal visit by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and his new wife Meghan Markle.

During their two-day visit, which began yesterday, the couple will visit Croke Park, Trinity College and the Book of Kells, as well as EPIC, the Irish Emigration Museum. A large media contingent has travelled to Ireland to cover the visit, bringing the story (and some of Ireland’s top attractions) to millions of people in Britain and elsewhere around the world.

Tourism Ireland hopes to inspire potential tourists to follow in the footsteps of the royal couple with a campaign that emphasises the friendly and welcoming spirit for which the island is known, with a list of promotional activities including a ‘Welcome to Dublin’ event for international journalists in Dublin to cover the royal visit, distribution of film footage and images of Dublin and Ireland (including images of the various locations the royal couple will visit) to influential British travel, lifestyle and news journalists, email marketing to British media with ideas and suggestions for short breaks in Dublin, extensive social media activity sharing images of some of our top attractions and joining in the positive online conversations about Dublin and Ireland.

“This week’s visit by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is a wonderful opportunity to showcase Dublin and Ireland to a huge audience of prospective holidaymakers across Britain and has the potential to deliver a major boost to Irish tourism,” said Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland. “Great Britain is an important market for tourism to the island of Ireland. It delivers 47 per cent of all overseas visitors and around 28 per cent of all overseas tourism revenue. Tourism Ireland is undertaking an extensive programme of promotions throughout 2018 to highlight the island of Ireland to British travellers.”