Minister Charlie Flanagan Lends A Hand To Boost Tourism From Italy

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan TD, has been visiting Italy, as part of a ‘Promote Ireland’ programme around St Patrick’s Day. The minister’s busy schedule included attending the ‘Greening’ of the famous Colosseum in Rome – which joined Tourism Ireland’s Global Greening initiative once again this year, to celebrate the island of Ireland and St Patrick

Luca Bergamo, Deputy Mayor of Rome; Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan; HE Bobby McDonagh, Irish Ambassador to Italy; and Niamh Kinsella, Tourism Ireland, at the ‘greened’ Colosseum which joined Tourism Ireland’s Global Greening 2017 initiative again on St Patrick’s Day.

Other famous sites taking part in Tourism Ireland’s Global Greening included the London Eye, Niagara Falls, the Great Wall of China, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, as well as some more unusual newcomers for 2017, such as The Big Fiddle of the Ceilidh on Cape Breton Island in Canada, The Kelpies horse head sculptures in Scotland and two rhino statues in Nairobi National Park.

2016 was the best year ever for tourism from Italy to Ireland, when we welcomed almost 345,000 Italian visitors, up +7% compared on 2015. Tourism Ireland is determined to ensure that success continues and has an extensive programme of promotions under way in Italy in 2017.