23/05/2011 00:00:00
Potential visitors in Ireland who are avid Twitter users may well notice the #IRLday hashtag creeping into their Twitter stream today, Monday, 23 May.
'#IRLday' is a multi-stakeholder initiative started by PocketNative, a travel planning service, to create positive and interesting tweets about Ireland using the #IRLday hashtag on 23 May. The @IRLday twitter account and blog is managed by a team from Dublin City University Business School.
The initiative coincides with President Obama’s visit to Ireland.
John Twohig of PocketNative told Meet in Ireland that this is the first time anywhere in the world that a whole country has been organised on Twitter to tweet on one occasion – and positive news at that. Both the American Embassy and American Chamber of Commerce in Ireland are on board, he added.
According to the website www.irlday.org, from 2pm Irish time on Monday, 23 May (9am in New York), participants will start tweeting positive things about Ireland, including the #IRLday hashtag with their message.
The aim of the initiative is to get potential visitors excited about visiting Ireland by reading tweets about why they should come visit and what’s special about certain areas. People who follow the #IRLday hashtag will also learn firsthand from tourism and hospitality providers what’s great and special about their businesses, their community and their interpretation of the world-famous Irish hospitality.
Of course, it will also show how vibrant, enthusiastic and fun Ireland can be.