Taoiseach Enda Kenny leaped into action on behalf of Irish tourism recently when he launched Tourism Ireland’s “Jump into Ireland” campaign in New York. Addressing a huge crowd, he spoke for nearly 15 minutes about the multiple beneficial effects of tourism on the Irish economy.

“We recognize as a government that tourism is of fundamental importance to our economy,” he said. “We appreciate the fact that you come to our shores and we are going to see to it that you get a really good quality experience during your visit.”

The Jump into Ireland global advertising campaign is designed to reflect Ireland’s sense of playfulness and natural beauty to potential and returning visitors, with the dominant message being: Come to Ireland, get stuck in, and enjoy the craic.

Lively television ads set to music by Snow Patrol will be broadcast to an estimated audience of 200m potential visitors worldwide, with an online campaign also underway.

Tourism Ireland chief executive Niall Gibbons explained the campaign was aimed at building on growth achieved in 2011, when the number of visitors from all the main overseas markets rose. “Our goal is to welcome over 9 million overseas visitors to the island by 2015, exceeding the record year for tourism of 2007,” he revealed.

Irish tourism is not just about overseas visitors, however, with GoIreland CEO Mike Webster pointing out that Irish people are likely to spend more on trips abroad this year than the total income for the Irish tourism industry from both domestic and overseas visitors combined.

Launching his own company’s “Occupy Ireland” campaign at the recent Holiday World Show in Dublin, Webster pointed out that two Irish week-long holidays and two mini-breaks could be taken for the same price as a family holiday abroad. He insisted that tourism bosses need to “show people that they can get into the car and they are only an hour and a half away from a week’s holiday. We need to highlight the simplicity of it and the value.”