IT REMAINS to be seen if the Irish travel industry will capitalise on the release here yesterday of Eat Pray Lovestarring Julia Roberts and Javier Bardem (pictured) with the same gusto as tour companies, travel agents and hotels in other countries.
There is a plethora of travel operators around the globe targeting holidays at lost and lonely 30/40-somethings on the strength of the film and the enormously successful book by Elizabeth Gilbert, published in 2006.
In it, the divorced and disillusioned Gilbert takes off on a journey of self-discovery to Rome, Ubud in Bali and India where she stays at an ashram. While the film has been critically mauled and has only had modest success following its US release, the hype continues. Its “official” travel partner is Lonely Planet and STA Travel which urge you to “let the journey begin” on its website.
Other companies have been quick to join in, such as Micato Safaris which will take you on a lavish 18-day tour of India for $20,000 (€14,913), involving reiki sessions, yoga classes, private sessions with astrologers and “gem doctors”.
Irish travel agents and tour operators seem a little nonplussed by the phenomenon. Simon Nugent of the Irish Travel Agents Association admitted that he is “only vaguely” aware of the book and film and didn’t know if any Irish travel agents were offering packages. A contact in Sunway Travel replied: “Eat, pray, what did you say?”
An Abbey Travel spokesperson is sceptical whether Irish people would be interested in a film-inspired tour. “It strikes me that Americans are always looking for answers whereas Irish people are more practical.”
She says when Abbey Travel promoted trips to Australia on the back of the film Australiastarring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, "we were let down badly, we just didn't get the response".