WHAT made tourism the most important wealth creator for the country would not continue indefinitely, and it was this knowledge that drove Bord Failte's executives to "re brand" Ireland, the agency said at yesterday's ceremony. The push began 18 months ago and forced the industry to re evaluate its entire marketing strategy.
The most significant thrust of the review will see a switch from measuring success in terms of the volume of visitors to the total amount that each tourist spends on an Irish holiday. Backed by a new logo for the island as a whole, and a television advertising campaign, Bord Failte will switch to what it terms "total tourism marketing".
Tourism in Ireland last year provided £2.3 billion in earnings, as well as 102,000 full time jobs, Bord Failte and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) said yesterday in a joint marketing briefing document.
Factors that contributed to the growth of the industry included high investment levels, increased availability and reduced costs of travel, combined with a low inflation rate, the success in music, literature and other arts to increase the country's "fashionability", and an improved image as a result of the peace process and the ceasefires.
"It would be naive and complacent in the extreme to assume that this pattern will continue automatically," the tourist boards said. "The rate of EU funding may not continue at present levels. It is also clear that our competitors have not been standing still."
Executives also feared that a continuing increase in the numbers of visitors would have a deteriorating effect on the attraction of the destination.
"Growth can only be maintained and increased if we adopt a more assertive, more targeted and more integrated approach to market development," the document suggests.
At the launch of the new brand yesterday, Bord Failte's International marketing director, Mr Noel Toolin, used an image to describe the problem, and the solution. Ireland, he said, is like a night club, one that was already full. Now, the management must decide who it is going to let in; and it should naturally go for the high spenders.
Bord Failte and the NITB will focus on the optimisation of revenue yield, he said. To assist in this, Bord Failte had already carried out detailed market surveys, showing the average spend of each market segment, by country, by time of year and by activity.
The content of the new TV adverts is driven by the results of these surveys. Scrutiny reveals slight differences in approach from country to country.
For example, the French advertisement contains more images of food, giving subliminal assurance to viewers in France about one of their main concerns on holiday - that they will eat well.
The German video has a more "spiritual" feel, while the English one has more "social" images.
For the US, the slogan to be used in England - "Live a different life" - was deemed unsuitable by market researchers, who said it had a sub conscious resonance to do with gay and lesbian lifestyles. "Awaken to a different world" will accompany the campaign in the US.
Also using the data from the consumer surveys, the two boards will use magazine and newspaper advertisements to target special interest tourists. They believe this can help extend the tourist season and develop a sense of loyalty, encouraging repeat visits.