Ireland Becomes Gay Wedding Destination Overnight After Voters Approve Same-Sex Marriage
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- As fast as Irish voters said 'aye' to same sex-marriage, Ireland opened its arms to same-sex couples looking for a welcome spot to get hitched.
The "Ireland Says Yes to Love" campaign launched just 24 hours after 1.2 million voters voted "Yes" on Ireland's Marriage Equality referendum. A video of the same name shows picturesque countryside, surfing, musical venues, even an LGBT matchmaking festival, dubbed, "The Outing."
"YES same sex couples can get married in Ireland. YES, Ireland boasts some of the most dreamily romantic locations to tie the knot in the world," reads the website. It goes on to list several wedding venues including a medieval revival castle in Kinnitty, and Smock Alley, a beautifully restored 17th century theatre, in Dublin.
The campaign will run in 9 markets, including the USA and Canada.
News about Ireland's same-sex vote spread quickly, creating "a blast of publicity," according the country's Chief Executive of Tourism Niall Gibbons. He told Irish Central, "Ireland is in the international spotlight and trending for all the right reasons across social and international media."
The Emerald Isle is a popular travel destination and the global LGBT tourist market is estimated at $200 billion a year.
"It's a market that's in its infancy from a tourism perspective but it's a good time to do this, it's striking while the iron is hot," said Gibbons.