Ireland’s Halloween Campaign Successfully Doubles Awareness, Winning New Visitors

Tuesday, October 22, 2024

With autumn travel now in the spotlight, Tourism Ireland is promoting Halloween as a compelling reason to visit the island during this season. A multi-country campaign launched in mid-September, aimed at capturing potential visitors ahead of key autumn holiday booking periods. Although Halloween is celebrated worldwide, many are unaware that it originated on the island of Ireland over 2,000 years ago within Celtic culture.

The campaign has gained significant traction in its first month:

• 14 million views on YouTube (English language)
• Over 100 million views across TV, cinema, and online platforms in various languages
• 200,000 research sessions on Halloween festivals and activities on Ireland.com
• Among viewers, twice as many now recognize Halloween’s origins in Ireland, and 7 out of 10 are more likely to consider visiting.

Tourism Ireland projects that, with consistent promotion, Halloween-related travel could generate an additional €60 million annually within five years, benefiting businesses and communities across the island. Beyond its rich Halloween traditions, Ireland hosts a variety of exciting modern festivals. Highlights include the massive Derry Halloween festival, Púca in County Meath celebrating ancient traditions, and Dublin’s Bram Stoker Festival, which draws on literary heritage.

The campaign was introduced with a striking 60-second ad, starting in black and white to reflect Halloween’s ancient Celtic roots, before transitioning to vivid colors showcasing today’s lively festivals. Filming locations included Poulnabrone Dolmen, the Giant’s Causeway, Derry-Londonderry, Craggaunowen Crannóg, and Newgrange. Promotional efforts span TV, cinema, and digital channels across 13 key markets, including Britain, the U.S., Canada, Australia, and several European countries such as Germany, France, Spain, and Italy. The promotional video can be viewed on YouTube.

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