A €100,000 advertising campaign, mainly focused on the Dublin area, is being launched by the New York tourism authorities in a bid to woo more Irish people to the eastern seaboard US city.
New York mayor Michael Bloomberg said at Ireland West Airport, Knock, Co Mayo, yesterday that the aim was to attract 50 million visitors per annum to the city by 2015 - an increase of six million on the present figure.
Major European cities are being targeted for the promotion drive, Mr Bloomberg stated.
As part of the campaign, there will be significant advertising on buses and trains highlighting the favourable exchange rate between the dollar and the euro.
Mr Bloomberg made a stopover at Ireland West Airport yesterday while en route back to the United States from Israel.
The mayor played a significant role in securing the five flights weekly that Flyglobespan, a Scottish low-cost carrier, will operate between Knock and New York and Boston from May.
The new routes planned by the airline will provide direct services from the west and northwest of Ireland to the US for the first time.
"Not only will these routes strengthen cultural and familiar bonds between New York and Ireland, they will be boost for our tourism industry," Mr Bloomberg said.
He was led by a piper from his plane to the terminal building.
The Minister for Agriculture and Food, Mary Coughlan TD, was among the dignitaries who greeted Mr Bloomberg when he arrived at Knock.
Of last week's announcement about the US flights, the Minister said: "If Mayo had won the All-Ireland there could not have been as much excitement."
The Minister said the addition of direct flights to the US was a major achievement for the airport board and highlighted Mr Bloomberg's "pivotal role" in bringing the flights about.
The airport chairman, Joseph Kennedy, described the announcement of the new flights as "momentous".