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Tourism Ireland in social media coup

Tuesday, June 12 14:09:48

Tourism Ireland has launched a brand new social media campaign in Great Britain this week, offering Facebook and Twitter communities the chance to determine the places a British couple will visit.

Tyler and Amy Slade, from Brighton, are throwing caution to the wind by taking a mystery tour of Ireland, relying on the public to steer their itinerary and help solve clues about their next destination.

They don't know where they're going or where they're staying; that's down to social media communities around GB - and their skill at solving the various clues.

The innovative campaign - called "Ireland Mystery Tour" - will showcase some of our wonderful scenery and iconic attractions, in a bid to highlight the same trip to potential holidaymakers and to help boost visitor numbers from Great Britain, our largest and most important tourism market.

Approximately 2 million people around Britain will hear about the campaign, through Tourism Ireland's extensive online and PR activity, to maximise involvement.

Here's how it works. Tyler and Amy will be contacted each day by mascot 'Baaarry the Sheep', who will present them with a cryptic clue about where they need to go next. People around Britain will help them solve the clue and then also have the chance to vote on where Tyler and Amy should go and what activity they should do. People are sending tips and suggestions about where the couple should go and what they should see, through Tourism Ireland's Twitter and Facebook feeds. From hiking in the Mourne Mountains in Co Down, to maybe helping a local farmer milk his cows in Co Kilkenny - it's all up to the GB public. For every clue solved, every activity completed, the couple will win points. The final tally will decide their final Irish destination. Will it be on an idyllic campsite, a friendly bed and breakfast or a luxurious five star hotel?

The couple touched down in Belfast yesterday where they received the keys to their campervan, a map and a clue. They got straight online to ask for help. Beginning their adventure in Co Antrim (they climbed Slemish yesterday), every detail of the couple's journey will documented on their blog discoverireland.com/mysterytour, as they share videos and upload photos, so that potential visitors around GB can see their suggestions being carried out throughout the trip. Getting involved offers a chance for one other lucky couple in GB to win their very own trip to Ireland.

Vanessa Markey, Tourism Ireland's head of Great Britain, said: "Our latest social media initiative should prove to be a really effective way of engaging with online communities around Britain, really bringing our message of fun and friendliness to life. By placing our couple, Tyler and Amy, in the hands of our social media communities, they'll be taken on a whirlwind tour of some of the best hidden spots and iconic experiences around the island of Ireland. And, by bringing potential holidaymakers around GB along for the journey, we're hoping to inspire them to begin planning their very own Irish holiday."