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Locals on the Wild Atlantic Way Called on to Share Their Hidden Gems on Social Media

‘Call of the Wild’ to form part of Global Social Media Campaign.

Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Brendan Griffin today (16 October) announced ‘Call of the Wild’, a joint initiative between the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland. The new initiative aims to give local people on the Wild Atlantic Way the opportunity to have their hidden gems included in a global social media campaign, while at the same time highlight to their own social network the beauty of the locality as a holiday destination. Over the coming weeks, locals from along the Wild Atlantic Way will be called on to share photos and videos that showcase the beauty of the West Coast on social media using the hashtag #MyWildAtlanticWay.

The best photos and videos will be shared by Tourism Ireland on its social platforms with millions of potential holidaymakers around the world (Tourism Ireland has around 4.3 million Facebook fans worldwide, almost 500,000 followers on Twitter and 425,000 followers on Instagram). Everyone who gets involved will have the chance to win a 2-night getaway along the Wild Atlantic Way.

Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Brendan Griffin, commented on the ‘Call of the Wild’ initiative:

“This is the first of a number of regional tourism initiatives made possible due to the increased funding in tourism.  From stunning landscapes to exquisite food, there are many hidden gems along the Wild Atlantic Way known to locals, but undiscovered by the rest of the world. We are asking local people along the Wild Atlantic Way to share their own ‘hidden gems’ with the world and help spread the word about the beauty of the West Coast by sharing their own photos or videos on social media using the hashtag #MyWildAtlanticWay.”

To launch the initiative, Fáilte Ireland have teamed up with eight sporting legends from along the Wild Atlantic Way, from Aidan O’Mahony in Kerry, Orla Finn in Cork, Podge Collins in Clare, Michael Murphy in Donegal, Róisin Upton in Limerick, Lee Keegan in Mayo, Alan Cawley in Sligo and David Collins in Galway. Each ‘Call of the Wild’ ambassador will share some of their favourite destinations in the region across their social media accounts, encouraging their followers to follow suit and share their own favourites.

Fáilte Ireland’s Director of Marketing, Niall Tracey, said:

“Stretching 2,500km, the Wild Atlantic Way is the longest defined coastal touring route in the world and was designed to attract visitors to explore the length of the west coast of Ireland and experience the beauty of our rugged coastline.

Collaboration with local communities has been key to the success of the Wild Atlantic Way and our new ‘Call of the Wild’ campaign asks local people to tell us about the hidden gems in their counties, whether it be a secluded beach, unknown coastal walkway or the perfect café, so that we can share it with the world.”

Tourism Ireland’s Director of Markets, Siobhan McManamy, said:

“The new ‘Call of the Wild’ campaign will highlight the hidden gems and the many great things to see and do along the length of the Wild Atlantic Way. Tourism Ireland will share the best photos and videos with millions of fans and followers on our social platforms – including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. The videos will be seen by more than 1 million people – encouraging holidaymakers everywhere to come and visit the Wild Atlantic Way outside of the peak travel season.”

Share your Wild Atlantic Way hidden gems using the hashtag #MyWildAtlanticWay before the 31st October for your chance to have your photos and videos be part of a global promotional campaign.

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