In keeping with the newly minted St. Patrick’s Day tradition of the past two years, March 17 will see a variety of iconic landmarks around the world turn green.
With St. Patrick’s day less than a month away, Tourism Ireland recently announced that the structures to go green this year will once again include Table Mountain in South Africa, the London Eye, Burj Al Arab in Dubai and, here in North America, the Empire State Building. Landmarks slated to turn green for the very first time include Berlin’s Alexanderplatz TV Tower and the massive Niagara Falls.
Niall Gibbons, chief executive of Tourism Ireland, told the Irish Times that the idea is “to bring a smile to the world and to convey the message that Ireland continues to offer a warm welcome, fun and spontaneity, alongside fantastic scenery and cultural activities.” He added that the greening campaign had proven effective, with increased popular and media attention for Ireland.
With the number of visitors to Ireland up 7.8 percent in 2011, the Irish government is eager to continue that positive trend. Over St. Patrick’s Day it will also announce further details of The Gathering 2013, a year full of special events aimed at drawing the Irish diaspora back to Ireland.
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