Smile: Ireland Moves Closer To Reopening

With the announcement that it will adopt the European Union’s Digital COVID Certificate, Ireland has moved another step closer to reopening and, not surprisingly, Tourism Ireland is in a celebratory mood as it prepares to roll out the green carpet to welcome international visitors.

Ireland’s adoption of the EU’s Digital COVID Certificate will enable more seamless travel among EU member states and is definitely good news for everyone in the tourism and hospitality industry.

The country will launch the initiative  on July 19, meaning that travellers from EU member states bearing the pass – which attests that the holder has either been vaccinated, has had a negative test for COVID-19 or has had the virus – will then be able to visit Ireland without the need for a test or quarantining.

And Tourism Ireland is also welcoming the commitment to extend the Digital COVID Certificate to vaccinated visitors from other countries including Canada in due course.

Tourism Ireland and the tourism industry on the island of Ireland have been actively planning for the restart of international travel and the tourism organization is now ready to roll out a significant promotional kick-start campaign to entice and welcome back international visitors.

Niall Gibbons, chief executive of Tourism Ireland, said: “Today’s announcement is an extremely welcome and important step on the road to recovery for our industry and for those looking forward to visiting Ireland this year. For the first time in many months, we can look to the future with optimism.”

Gibbons continued: “We know from our research that there is significant pent-up demand among travellers in our overseas markets to return to the island of Ireland as soon as possible. However, we also know that there will be significant competition in the marketplace; every destination across the globe has experienced the impact of COVID-19 and will be seeking their share of the recovery. Our kick-start campaign will punch through the noise and create an immediate desire to visit.”

And Gibbons concluded: “Everyone at Tourism Ireland looks forward to getting back in full swing, to promote the island of Ireland as a safe, welcoming and ‘must-see’ destination across the world. Over the coming months, we will be working flat out, with all of our partners, to restore as much business as possible. Our message is that we can’t wait to roll out the green carpet and welcome back our overseas visitors.”

For more go to www.tourismireland.com