Tourism Ireland has stepped in as a very well fitting sponsors of the Irish Cricket team as they embark to play in their third consecutive World Cup tournament in Australia and New Zealand over the next six weeks.
The Ireland.com logo will be prominent on shirt sleeves of the playing kit and front and centre of the training gear of the team as they play against some of the world’s leading cricket nations including India, South Africa and the West Indies.
A global TV audience of billions will see the brand and many will be expected to follow through to an integrated online campaign featuring social media and video of the players talking about great Irish holiday destinations.
Speaking to Sport for Business at the launch of the deal in Trinity College yesterday Tourism Ireland CEO Niall Gibbons explained the logic behind the deal.
Growth
“Australia and New Zealand are two major growth markets for Ireland and the benefit of being so prominent on a team that has secured massive worldwide attention for its exploits in the past is a great fit for us.”
“Last year we welcomed 20,000 visitors from India and with the new Visa Travel scheme in place between Britain and Ireland there is a real opportunity to expand than number significantly.”
“Having the stars of the team talk about their personal favourite places in Ireland, and using that against a background of stunning video and imagery will paint a powerful picture of Ireland as a destination of choice and we are delighted to be involved.”
“This deal is in place for the duration of the World Cup and we will see how it goes after that.”
Fervour
The last World Cup semi final between India and Pakistan attracted a TV audience of over 1 billion and it is impossible to overestimate the fervour with which the World Cup will be consumed on the other side of the world as well as within our main visitor market of Britain.
Cricket Ireland remains in discussion with a number of possible long term partners to replace RSA who left the sport here in December. It is hoped that the exposure gained over the coming weeks will serve as a potent nudge on what can be gained on a global stage by association with the best associate nation in the sport.
The deal was confirmed today at the Trinity College Pavilion in Dublin by Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Mr Paschal Donohoe TD, who also helped unveil the new O’Neill’s manufactured Cricket Ireland playing shirt and training gear.
Ireland will play a minimum of six World Cup matches which will be broadcast live to a global audience of 2.5 billion in 220 countries during the six-week long event. They face the West Indies, the UAE, South Africa, Zimbabwe, India and Pakistan during the group stages of the biggest tournament in cricket.
“We are very proud that Tourism Ireland will be supporting our efforts at the World Cup as our team sponsor,” said Cricket Ireland CEO Warren Deutrom.
Standard Bearer
“As a standard-bearer for Ireland on the world stage, it is entirely fitting that our World Cup squad will be sponsored by the organisation responsible for promoting our island abroad.
“Cricket is Ireland’s fastest-growing sport and has enormous prominence in a number of key overseas tourism, education and commercial markets for Ireland. Therefore, we are confident that we can deliver for Ireland plc during one of the world’s great sporting events.”
Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Paschal Donohoe TD, said: “I warmly welcome Tourism Ireland’s sponsorship of the Ireland cricket team in the ICC Cricket World Cup. It is a great opportunity to highlight Ireland’s tourism offering to a global audience, in a variety of both established and developing overseas tourism markets.
“The sponsorship agreement is timely, as it follows the recent launch of the British-Irish Visa Scheme, under which visitors from many new and developing overseas tourism markets will be able to travel freely around Ireland and the United Kingdom on a single visa. India, where cricket is enormously popular, is one of the countries to which this new scheme is being rolled out. I look forward to this sponsorship agreement providing increased awareness of Ireland as a tourism destination around the world”.
Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring TD, said: “The Ireland team has grown enormously in stature as a force in world cricket in recent years. This sponsorship agreement is an opportunity for Ireland to benefit from this increased profile, with the Ireland.com logo beamed into homes across the world, creating awareness about Ireland which will translate into decisions to travel in the future.
Image credit: Cricket Ireland
Aer Lingus are the official Sports Tourism Partner of Sport for Business, helping to bring Irish sport to a global audience.
