Ireland's image abroad will have been enhanced by the Games, writes Alison Healy.
The staging of the Special Olympics here is expected to have a positive long-term effect on attracting visitors to this country, according to Tourism Ireland.
While an immediate increase in tourists is not expected, the all-island tourism body believes the Games will result in a gradual increase in visitors in the coming years.
Some 10,000 athletes and coaches and thousands of family members came to Ireland from more than 150 countries. Most visitors came from the US and Britain.
"We haven't done any impact studies as of yet but we don't foresee an immediate impact," said Mr Paul Allen, senior research officer with Tourism Ireland. "Nothing is going to happen today or tomorrow. Obviously there will be an initial gain from this week, with delegates spending money on shopping and eating and drinking. But in the long term, it will help to enhance an awareness of Ireland as a destination."
The feeling of goodwill from Irish people towards the Games and the positive experiences enjoyed by visitors should result in some return visits, he said.
"We are always talking about the friendliness of the people. This spirit of hospitality and reaching out was evident during the Games. This will be brought back with the delegates and the positive word-of-mouth will help promote Ireland as a destination."
The Games had also exposed Ireland to people from countries which would not have been typically targeted by tourism marketing bodies. Ireland's four main markets are Britain, North America, Germany and France, but the Games brought visitors from countries of which many people had never heard.
Tourism Ireland asked tenor Ronan Tynan to be its ambassador for the Special Olympics. At the request of Tourism Ireland, he wrote a song - This is the Hour - which he has been including in his performances since February. A CD with an introduction by Tynan was distributed to 3,500 radio stations in the US in packaging promoting Belfast as a tourist destination.
Northern Ireland hosted Team USA before the athletes and coaches travelled to Dublin. It is estimated that more than 3,500 athletes, coaches and supporters travelled with Team USA.
Mr Jim McGuigan, head of Tourism Ireland's North America operation, said the Games were "an ideal opportunity for Tourism Ireland to get the message out in the United States that there is a warm welcome waiting, whether they come for Special Olympics or at any other time of the year".
The international media coverage will also help to showcase the country, according to the tourist body. Some 40 countries have carried television coverage of the events, according to Special Olympics organisers. A 10- minute package of the day's highlights was provided free of charge every night via satellite.
The Yard production team supplied the package for Special Olympics and provided camera crews and editing facilities for visiting media.
Ms Jane Taaffe, bookings manager at The Yard, said a Kuwaiti crew sent back footage from the Games every day. Ms Taaffe also provided facilities for media from the US, China, Egypt, New Zealand, Australia, Ukraine, Japan, El Salvador and some South American countries.
She said there was a big demand for footage of the opening ceremony. Several crews had also travelled to make documentaries on the Games.
Mr Allen said: "There were more than 150 countries here and you couldn't pay for the kind of publicity that their coverage would generate back home."