Tourism Ireland picks Net team

Tourism Ireland has awarded a three-year E2.6m (£1.75m) Web development contract to a team comprising technology company LB Icon and its sister company, full-service digital agency Wheel.

Tourism Ireland has awarded a three-year E2.6m (&£1.75m) Web development contract to a team comprising technology company LB Icon and its sister company, full-service digital agency Wheel.

Tourism Ireland is looking to create a series of linked websites that will promote Ireland as a tourist destination around the world. The plans are for 24 websites operating in 14 languages and handling more than 5 million visitors a year. Content will be tailored to meet local country requirements.

The Tourism Ireland websites will be phased in from January 2006, starting with the UK, followed by the remainder of the local markets in the next few months. Joe Byrne, director of markets and customer relations for Tourism Ireland, says: “The internet has become a vital medium in the battle to stay competitive in the international tourism sector. Our customers are increasingly knowledgeable and sophisticated in their use of the Web and in the range of information they require.

“The new websites will anticipate these requirements by providing a much more dynamic user experience and by facilitating greater levels of interaction between our customers and our industry partners.”

The LB Icon/Wheel partnership won the job after a six-month pitch, beating competition from five other

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