tourism

Dermot O’Leary and Laura Whitmore among influencers employed by Tourism Ireland in €1.7m campaign

State’s tourism agency has for years brought celebrities and journalists to Ireland for ‘familiarisation visits’ designed to win positive media coverage

Laura Whitmore at the 2022 Brit Awards. The Irish model is among those brought to Ireland as part of Tourism Ireland’s promotional efforts. Picture: Getty

Dermot O’Leary, Laura Whitmore and Richard Ayoade are among hundreds of influencers who have been courted by the state tourism agency over recent years in a €1.7 million campaign to market the country overseas.

Tourism Ireland has for years worked with journalists and social media figures as part of its promotional efforts.

New figures provided by the authority show it has spent €1.7 million since 2019 to bring nearly 300 influencers and 570 journalists to ...