American college football is returning to Ireland for the third time in five years and bringing with it a tourism impact o
f €19 million for Dublin. The city is continuing its fine run of hosting international events with this weekend’s high profile clash of Boston College and Georgia Tech in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic at the Aviva Stadium.
Trinity College will host the official Welcome Village for the event with visitors set to enjoy a real taste of American football life with pep rallies, music from the university bands as well as cheerleading displays. Fáilte Ireland has been heavily involved in arrangements for the Welcome village.
Supported by Fáilte Ireland, the tourism authority is welcoming the boost as US and European visitors flock to the capital to support their teams. Welcoming the news, Paul Keeley Director Business Development with Fáilte Ireland said -
“With the game being broadcast live to an expected US audience of 2 million viewers via ESPN, we have a fantastic opportunity to showcase Ireland’s ability to host international sporting tournaments while also reaching out to viewers – and potential visitors - in one of our key markets.
The support of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic is just one of a number of events that Fáilte Ireland is working on to build Irelands ‘event island’ reputation internationally as well as ensuring the hosting of compelling events of scale in the off-season.
Through Event Ireland - a new team set up within Fáilte Ireland to identify, bid for and win events for Ireland - a further 14 international events have been secured for the next 5 years totalling over 40,000 international participants/spectators and estimated revenue of €30 million. Overall €100 million worth of events is currently in the pipeline – highlighting that if converted, the potential prize for Ireland is lucrative.
