When you think about flying to Ireland, Dublin is probably the first place that springs to mind. But Tourism Ireland wanted to change that. We worked with their team to help spread visitor traffic beyond the capital, inspiring British travellers to explore more of the country, from Cork, Shannon, Kerry, Knock and Donegal, to the Wild Atlantic Way, the Cliffs of Moher and Ireland’s west coast charm.
Tourism Ireland’s goal was to increase travellers’ awareness of Ireland’s regional airports, drive incremental bookings on direct routes from Great Britain, and position the different regions across Ireland as year-round short-break destinations in their own right.
A full-year, insight-led approach
Tourism Ireland evolved its partnership with Skyscanner into a continuous, always-on collaboration. We used our insightful search and booking data to time the campaigns around real traveller behaviour, ensuring visibility peaked when British travellers were actively planning trips to Ireland.
Rather than promoting Ireland as one entry point, the strategy targeted individual regional airports, with each receiving dedicated attention, pointing travellers towards alternative routes that they may never have considered before.
Because the campaign ran through Skyscanner’s neutral marketplace, all airlines operating regional routes were represented equally, allowing travellers to compare options transparently. This fit perfectly with Tourism Ireland’s funding model, while still maintaining trust and fairness for the audience.
Shining a spotlight on Ireland’s unique regions
The media mix was designed to meet travellers wherever they currently were on their journey. Visual, eye-catching formats like Homepage Hero and Spotlight Ads shaped preference early on, bringing Ireland’s wild coastlines, colourful towns and outdoor adventures to life for people still deciding where to go.
As travellers moved into comparison mode, Native Inline Ads and Sponsored Results stepped in with clear, practical messaging around direct flights, short travel times and easy access to regional airports. The campaign was designed to work together in one ecosystem; the brand formats sparked interest, the performance placements captured it, and the always-on presence kept Ireland’s regions visible right through key seasonal peaks, turning inspiration into steady, measurable demand.
Media approach: Connecting inspiration with conversion
Our detailed flight insights quickly became a key part of the strategy. Real booking windows and live search patterns showed exactly when British travellers were planning spring and summer trips, so investment could land when intent was highest.
The data also revealed that regional airports performed far better with consistent visibility rather than short bursts. That insight shifted Tourism Ireland from one-off campaigns to a year-round partnership built around steady presence and smarter timing.
Results
“Working with Skyscanner has been a turning point in how we promote Ireland’s regions. Their insights shaped our timing, our messaging and our strategy, helping us influence travellers at moments that truly matter. With so many travellers arriving undecided, we saw a real opportunity to inspire them to choose Ireland’s regions. The mix of upper funnel and performance formats gave us full coverage across the journey and the performance proved its value. We’ve seen results strengthen with every campaign.”
Eileen Pranger, Business Partnerships Manager
Tourism Ireland
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Eileen Pranger from Tourism Ireland provides a deep dive into their full-funnel approach on Skyscanner which combined inspirational formats with performance placements to influence undecided travellers and grow regional demand.
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