Tourism Ireland has launched its 2026 marketing plans, outlining a comprehensive programme of overseas promotional activity to raise awareness of Ireland as a leading tourism destination. At launch events in Dublin and Belfast, attended by government leaders and hundreds of tourism industry representatives, the organisation outlined priorities to reach international visitors and support sustainable growth across the tourism sector.
The 2026 strategy builds on Ireland’s strong tourism performance, with overseas visitor spend reaching significant levels in 2025. Tourism Ireland aims to drive further growth, with ambitious goals to grow international tourism revenue to more than €10 billion annually by 2031 through market diversification and targeted campaigns.
Under the 2026 plans, Tourism Ireland will focus on promoting the island of Ireland across established and emerging markets. Key efforts include deepening engagement in markets such as the United States, Great Britain, and mainland Europe, while also investing in growth regions such as Canada, India, and China. Partnerships with air and sea carriers are expected to stimulate demand for strategic travel routes, generate strong returns on investment, and drive visitor arrivals.
The organisation’s promotional activity will utilise a broad range of channels, including traditional advertising, publicity, digital media, social platforms, and generative AI tools to reach potential visitors where they research and plan holidays. New broadcast television and streaming programming, featuring familiar personalities and travel series, will help showcase Ireland’s landscapes, culture, and experiences to global audiences.
Tourism Ireland’s 2026 strategy also emphasises culinary tourism, activity tourism and year-round travel, encouraging visitors to explore beyond major gateway cities and discover regional attractions across the island. A central theme of the year’s marketing will be the new global campaign “Ireland goes beyond”, celebrating memorable connections with Irish people and places and promoting experiences that exceed visitor expectations.
A stronger involvement of tourism SMEs overseas is another key element of the plans, with the strategy creating approximately 33% more promotional opportunities for small and medium-sized tourism businesses. This approach aims to distribute the benefits of international tourism across regional destinations more widely and to support local enterprises in competing on the global stage.
These marketing priorities align with Ireland’s broader national tourism policy goals, reinforcing collaborative efforts to drive sustainable, resilient, and competitive tourism growth across both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Read more: https://www.tourismireland.com/news-and-press-releases/press-releases/article/tourism-ireland-launches-2026-marketing-plans

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