Fáilte Ireland is to spend €6m on a new marketing campaign aimed at boosting domestic tourism by almost €100m between now and 2023.

Using the tagline ‘Keep Discovering’, the agency plans to spend the money to encourage people in the Republic and Northern Ireland to holiday at home rather than travelling abroad.

At present, 56% of Irish people take a holiday break on the island, according to chief executive Paul Kelly. “By putting ‘discovery’ at the heart of our new campaign we hope to encourage more people to explore more areas of the country and experience the joy and simplicity of discovery," he said.

“Our research also tells us that four out of five people return to the same location in Ireland on holidays. We are hoping our new Keep Discovering campaign will inspire them to break away from routine and experience some of the many hidden gems available across the country.”

He added that the campaign will be one of the largest and most intensive marketing campaigns ever launched by Fáilte Ireland.

In Association with

The first TV advert airs during tonight’s Late Late Show on RTE1. Singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy’s song ‘Power over Me’ is the soundtrack is to the campaign, while another singer and instrumentalist, Lisa Hannigan, adds her voice to the mix.

Running over 40 weeks, the marketing push will also feature billboards, cinema advertising, and digital channels.

Kelly also wants to suck in more visitors from the North. “Our research tells us that half of visitors coming from Northern Ireland stay along the border counties. By directing a significant part of the ‘Keep Discovering’ investment at growing our share of visitors from Northern Ireland, we can bolster tourism in the border counties, which will be critical as the challenges posed by Brexit unfolds.”