Managing the American Tourist Experience in Ireland: An Emotional Context

The special relationship that exists between the United States of America and the island of Ireland has its origins predominantly in emigration. Through several centuries, the interaction generated by familial ties has steadily developed into a strong and lasting bond irrevocably linking both nations. The relationship between the United States of America and Ireland has provided the impetus for a continual flow of traffic across the Atlantic. This movement of people and vessels to and fro, engaged in the varied tasks of commerce, family interaction, and leisure, created a new energy for the tourism industry sector in Ireland which continues to flourish into modern times. This paper presents new findings on the Irish tourism industry, with particular reference to the American tourist’s emotional relationship. The paper seeks to outline the historical framework governing the development of the relationship between the United States and Ireland, and identifies the emotional and connectional factors that bind the two nations.


The Contribution of American Tourist to Ireland
The American tourist is of particular importance to Irish tourism as they contribute €731 million to the industry. This accounts for approximately 22% of Ireland's tourism revenue (Fáilte Ireland, 2006). According to tourism industry managers, American tourists love the Irish product, predominantly visit Ireland during the high season, and are the most likely of all tourists to Ireland to disperse into the regions. In relation to the latter finding, Fáilte Ireland (2005a) states that support of the regions is essential to the sustainability of the broader tourism product. American visitors to Ireland stay longer (approximately seven to fourteen nights), spend more money per capita (approximately 70% more), have larger overall budgets than other travellers to Ireland, stay in high-end accommodation, travel into the regions, and engage in more activities than the average tourist (Fáilte Ireland, 2005b. The American tourist represents almost a quarter of tourism spending in Ireland each year; American golfers, for example, will spend €915 on average in comparison to €720 spent by the general visitor (Tourism Ireland, 2006). Traditionally, the unique attraction of Ireland for the American tourist market has been the level and depth of contact with the Irish people in a relaxed and clean environment, characterized by an unhurried pace of life and beautiful landscape (Wright, Linehan, 2004). From past experience in the market, the absence of Americans has had a devastating impact on the Irish tourism industry. This was evident from the terrorist attacks in the US on 9/11.

The Nostalgic Relationship between Ireland and the United States
The relationship between the United States and Ireland developed through the centuries because of the continuous stream of emigration, immigration, and migration, particularly from Ireland to the United States. According to O'Sullivan (1997), the bonds between both nations have reached the status of a relationship so intertwined that to unravel it would involve the rewriting of the histories of both countries. O'Sullivan (1997) and Akenson (2000) believe that, when one deals with the story of the migration of the Irish to America, the only accurate way to acquire a history of the events is to pass through historiography -that is to gain an understanding of the mechanism of the historical story of migrants. This is particularly important in relation to the Irish migrants to the United States who make up the numerically largest portion of American migration.
Dowling Almeida (2004) states that the Irish have been leaving their homeland for America, without interruption, since the 1600s. Late nineteenth-century emigration, however, was the most dramatic population movement and the most significant in terms of the Irish presence in the United States. Walter (2002) states that, in each census between 1850 and 1910, over 60 per cent of all Irish-born people living outside of Ireland were recorded in the United States of America. In 1890, 3.5 million people lived in Ireland, and a further 1.9 million Irish-born lived in the United States, more than half the total number of Irish citizens. In 1990, 22.7 million claimed Irish ancestry, which is a far higher ratio between birthplace and descent than in any other country (Walter, 2002). In terms of overall emigration to the United States in the twentieth century, the 1950s marked one of the three major surges of migration. The other two occurred in the 1920s and the 1980s. The significance of the 1950s surge is that it ensured a continuity of Irish emigration over three centuries and the perpetuation of Irish and ethnic community life in the United States (Dowling Almeida, 2004). These past bonds and connections between Ireland and the United States are important today in terms of the relationship that exists between the two countries. Lowenthal (1986) states that the past is a very important component of people's lives.
According to Lowenthal, past connections act as significant motivators and incentives to travel. Lowenthal believes that all around us lay features which, like ourselves and our thoughts, have more or less recognizable antecedents. Relics, histories, memories suffuse human experience. Each particular trace of the past ultimately perishes, but collectively they are immortal: "whether it is celebrated or rejected, attended to or ignored, the past is omnipresent" (1986: 123). Lowenthal suggests that, in present times, the past is also pervasive in its abundance of deliberate, tangible evocations. Americans, in particular, are devoted to the past and this has a particular impact on the Irish tourism product, as Americans with connections to Ireland are more inclined to choose it as a holiday destination, "We are at home in the past because it is our home -the past is where we come from", (Lowenthal, 1986: 130).

Research Methodology
In this research, the answers provided to the chosen research questions are from thirty-three interviewees. The thirty-three interviewees that were chosen for inclusion in this study range from senior tourism managers both in Ireland and in the United States, the current Minister for Tourism in Ireland, academics and researchers, and ten American tourists holidaying in Ireland. Reflecting Sheldon (1992), the selection of these individuals was intended to be representative but by no means inclusive. The choice of the interviewees was influenced by factors such as (i) their relatively high profile, as reflected by their career experience, seniority, organizational role, (ii) availability and willingness of American tourists at Dublin airport, and (iii) availability and co-operation. The thirty-three interviews were conducted within a fifteen-month time span. A total of twenty-two males and eleven females agreed to be interviewed -coincidentally, a ratio of two to one. By nationality, the thirty-three participants comprised: twelve males and four females from Ireland; ten males and seven females from the United States. In this research the long interview was used. According to McCracken (1988), the long interview is one of the most powerful methods in the qualitative armoury. A semi-structured research instrument was used in the current study. In this study, all interviews were transcribed verbatim immediately or shortly after each interview by the author. A model of data analysis, developed by Easterby-Smith et al. (1991) and based on the grounded theory method, was chosen for the analysis of data in this study. A codified procedure for analysing the data was used. The coding procedure assisted the author to think creatively when using the data and generated theories and frameworks.

Why American Tourists are Motivated to Travel to Ireland
According to Solomon et al (2002), motivation is the process that causes people to respond as they do. This research has found that one of the main aims and objectives of the Irish tourism industry is to encourage Americans to behave favourably towards Ireland as a destination. Ten professional participants in this research suggest that the American tourist's needs are satisfied by a journey to Ireland. All professional participants in this research believe that Americans are primarily motivated to travel to Ireland because of the Irish way of life; often referred to as "people, pace, and place", (see Figure 1.1). According to Fáilte , 89% of all visitors to the island of Ireland come because of the beautiful scenery, 86% because of the friendly people, and 84% because of the natural, unspoilt environment. O'Connor (1993) and Wright and Linehan (2004) previously noted that the warmth and friendliness of the Irish people is consistently high on the list of attractions to visitors.
One professional participant believes that "Americans are looking for a simpler, happier way of life; the ideal that is presented by the Irish, and Tourism Ireland". Reflecting the findings of this research, Quinn states that these qualities are found in "abundance" in the towns and rural areas of Ireland (in Fáilte Ireland, 2005c). Another motivator for Americans, according to nine professional participants in this current study, is that Americans perceive Ireland to be a "safe" destination: "The fact that Ireland is perceived as a safe destination, with good food entertainment and great 'craic' is also a major motivator".
Reflecting the importance of the contribution of Irish people to the tourism industry, participants in this research suggest that major exponents of Irish cultural excellence constitute important 'quasi-ambassadors' for Irish tourism, in that, as an adjunct to their own profiles, they draw a high degree of attention to the brand. Ambassadors such as Irish musicians, playwrights, novelists, and poets, all act to draw positive attention to Ireland. One participant relays "That whole lineage, beginning with Riverdance, contributed to drawing attention to Ireland worldwide. Ireland is considered to be trendy. Irish-Americans, in particular, identified with Ireland again and decided that they need to visit". According to another contributor, the suggestion that "The Irish themselves are great ambassadors for Ireland and should be encouraged to promote Ireland to Americans while in America" is insightful. According to one contributor, the Irish nation should be encouraged to promote Ireland and Irish culture when encountering Americans in their travels. This reflects Vincent Vanderpool Wallace, CEO of the Caribbean tourism industry, when he stated that: "tourism is the only industry in the world where every person in the country is involved" (in Grennan, 2005). Two professional respondents in this current study believe that the role of informal ambassadors is a great bonus for Ireland as they add many positive elements to the brand (see Figure 1.1).

Ancestry: A Key Motivator
An important finding arising from this research is that the majority of the participants cite ancestry, visiting the land of one's forefathers, finding one's Irish roots, and Irish culture, as significant motivators for Irish-American visitors (see Figure 1.1). This reflects Winston (2002) and Lynch (2005), who believe that emotional bonds and connections to the homeland are strong enticements to travel. Fifteen of the professional participants in this current study affirm that there is an opportunity to expand and develop "ancestry tourism". According to this research, there is a need to find "one's roots", and to visit the land of "one's people": "One of the biggest motivators in my opinion for Americans to travel to Ireland is to visit the homeland of their forefathers". Participants believe that connections are so very important to Americans; they can be used as a motivating tool and a tangible reason to travel to Ireland. One American tourist states that "Americans travel to Ireland to satisfy their souls". Many Americans believe that "all will be revealed", if they can just put their feet on Irish soil. According to the findings of this study, much of the market is driven by some form of connection to Ireland, with many Americans citing strong links to Ireland acting as a huge motivator for the ethnic market in America. This research reflects Lynch (2005), who reveals that the desire to travel to Ireland in order to visit the land of his ancestors was all embracing: "Ireland happened to me as a whole-body-experience, blood-borne, core experience; an echo thumping in the cardiovascular pulse of things. The case is chronic, acute, and terminal", (2005:4).
Further analysis of this research reveals that Ireland has a distinct sustainable competitive advantage, in that many Americans claim, or believe, that, through some "far out" connection, they are of Irish origin. One respondent suggests that, in some way, it is often seen as a status symbol to say that you are Irish. All managerial and professional participants in this study believe that this link could be used as a motivating tool to encourage Americans to visit Ireland; for example, according to one contributor, there is a "middle ground for the kind of Irish-American who has a vague sense of affinity to Ireland; that sort of identification needs to be made more concrete in terms of their desire to visit and travel to Ireland". "How often do you meet people in the States; who claim to be Irish?". David Boyce, Tourism Ireland, mirroring Staunton (2006), states that many Americans have a notion that they are Irish, or are "wannabe Irish". Goodfriend (2006) concurs and states that one does not have to be Irish to "feel 'Irish soul', a deep sense of culture that the Irish brought with them to American when they emigrated" (2006:3D). According to the Governor of Maryland, Martin O'Malley, responding in this research, many Americans are motivated by the fact that most of them have a personal connection through family history and ancestry, or, through extended family connections. Minister O'Donoghue concurs and states that the 'homing bird attraction' is an important element of Irish tourism that can be used to motivate potential tourists. According to the CSO (2005), one million, eight hundred and seven thousand overseas visitors travelled to Ireland to visit friends and relatives. Fáilte  states that 20% of all American visitors cite visiting friends and relatives as their reason for traveling to Ireland.
American tourists, who travelled to Ireland and contributed to this research, state that they were primarily motivated to travel to Ireland because of their Irish roots, Irish culture, and Irish heritage. Interestingly, Irish stories, Irish music and song were also included in responses as motivators. One tourist muses: "As a little girl, I listened to Irish music, and I remember how the music of Ireland moved me and stayed with me forever"; "Hearing all the recent revival of Irish music and all the beautiful songs awakened my love for Ireland". Another tourist was motivated because of the Irish friends that their family made: "I have been motivated to visit Ireland since I was a child. "It is the land and the people, the fresh air, and the water. You breathe it and you touch it, and it touches you back. The smell of the turf fires, the taste of the whiskey, and a nice plate of bacon and cabbage".
According to the findings of this research, Irish-Americans who have some connection with Ireland, even a distant connection through ancestry, are already predisposed to thinking about Ireland. American tourists contributing in this research describe how they were enticed to "see" Ireland for themselves. "The history of such an ancient country is fascinating"; "There is an aura and soul in Ireland that is hard to describe which affects you very deeply". Fáilte Ireland (2005a) states that, in order to enhance the product offering in relation to culture and heritage, they intend to offer consumers a more broadly defined product that fits more closely with their understanding of culture and heritage.

Longing and Belonging: American Ancestry and Connections
According to McCartney, "Belonging has always been part of our Irish-ness", (1997:17). Reflecting Surlis (2003) and Bly (2006), participants in this study believe that bonds and connections with Ireland are lasting and enduring. Mirroring Harrison McBride (2002), the results from this study affirm that Irish-Americans long to walk the land of their forefathers and experience Irish traditions. According to the findings of this research, genealogy is one of the top ten leisure activities of Americans, and they invest considerable time, effort, and money on same. According to Bly (2006), Irish-Americans, particularly around St. Patrick's Day, dream of returning to Ireland. According to Minister O'Donoghue, 40 million Irish descendants in the United States are very interested in rediscovering their Irish roots. The Governor of Maryland concurs and states that he continually encounters people who feel that "special connection" with Ireland and long to visit the land of their ancestors. The Governor states that he was also compelled to travel to Ireland by a natural curiosity to find his own heritage: "Finding my roots was an important part of my identity". Another contributor states that "it is a very important link with the past to see the church where your grandparents were married, or the house where they were born. "It can fill in some blanks for folks and make them feel more complete".
The interviewed managers in this study state that Tourism  found that 50% of all visitors to the island of Ireland claimed Irish ancestry and further state that heredity and ancestry have traditionally been at the top of the list of motivations spurring "non-Irish born" United States' holidaymakers to visit Ireland. This indicates a market with a strong roots and heritage preoccupation (see Figure 1.1). Participants affirm that there is an opportunity for management of the tourist product to expand on this market in order to awaken some of these latent nostalgic longings that exist among this demographic because "as Americans grow older they tend to look to their roots". Contributing in this study, professionals who aid Americans in the search for their Irish roots relay that they are constantly contacted by Americans trying to find their Irish ancestry. This research has found that the interest in genealogy amongst those Americans who actively seek ancestral information seems to be increasing. Referring to the convenience of the Internet, respondents relay that "If Americans do not come in person, then, they e-mail us through our web-site, or send letters looking for any information that we can give them". According to these professionals, if relevant information is found enabling some definite line of enquiry, these Americans will usually travel to Ireland and visit in person. This research can affirm that the process of finding one's Irish ancestors can be difficult, and much depends on the amount of information known in each individual case; for example, if the information needed is pre-1840s, then it is very difficult as very few records exist, especially for Roman Catholics. Overall, the success rate, according to these professionals, is about 80%. Obstacles predominately consist of a lack of information, or wrong names, leading to a "wild goose chase". According to Grenham (1999), when researching ancestry, what will be uncovered is dependant on the quality of surviving records for the area in question. Interestingly, contributors in this research state that Americans, in particular, believe that, when they find someone with the same surname as themselves, there must be some connection. Generally, this is not the case, and it is difficult to convince them otherwise, reflecting Grenham (1999). According to O'Donoghue (2005), the number of Irish names in the United States is endless and, referring to a book on Irish gangs in New York, O'Donoghue states that "the index of Irish names reads like a phone book, with lots of McCarthys, O'Briens and Walshes" (2005:08). Some of the American tourists participating in this research relay the difficulties that they encountered in trying to research their ancestry: "It has been difficult because there were fires in Newfoundland, and vital records for Catholics prior to 1800 are sketchy".
According to one librarian interviewed, if census, PRONI (Public Record Office of Northern Ireland), births, deaths, and marriage data were available online, ancestry could be made much more accessible. This research has found that, although there is a wealth of information already available through the Internet, the progressive filtering of the data is very time consuming; also, many of the search sites charge fees. Notwithstanding this detail, the majority of participants in this study believe that ancestry researchers are satisfied to pay a fee, if required. Participants believe that usage of the Internet will increase as more genealogical information becomes digitally available in the future. The establishment of Internet hubs linked to the main and subsidiary repositories would greatly facilitate searches. Genealogical organizations can be accessed online, but the data available is limited and payment is required.
Affirming the substantial interest by Americans in Irish ancestry, this research, reflecting Tourism , has found that, when Tourism Ireland was inaugurated, a programme called 'The Scots-Irish Programme' was initiated in order to encourage Americans with ancestral links with Ireland to return to the land of their ancestors. According to two professionals, the programme was a joint venture between the Ulster Scots Agency and the University of Ulster. Since its initiation in 2004, it has received many genuine genealogical queries. Ten professional participants in this research confirm that there is an opportunity for the Irish tourism industry throughout Ireland to capitalize on genealogy as an area of interest, as it is believed that it can contribute significantly to the tourist trade. Hearne (2004), for example, believes that genealogy is a thriving industry. The tourism managers and professionals associated with genealogy responding in this research, state however, that there have been many unsuccessful attempts to get 'roots tourism' established as a product offering, even though it is believed that it is a segment that should be exploited and developed: "I sincerely believe that there is an enormous opportunity to develop this ancestry product, as does our CEO, Jim McGuigan, but, there have been too many failed attempts to get this together in my mind". According to the findings of this research, the problems lie in Ireland. Tourism managers relay that the delivery of the product is not available there, but if the package was available it would prosper and be an added value for Irish tourism.
According to one tourism manager, there was a brochure called 'Tracing Your Ulster Roots' launched in the United States market; this brochure was produced by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and there was a press release in Los Angeles to coincide with its launch. The results were phenomenal: "We had 1,600 phone calls into our offices in the space of about a week, all from California". Interestingly, according to the findings of this study, the tourism industry was not ready to deliver the product at the time and, therefore, it was decided to cancel the whole project. This research found that the main problems with the development of this kind of product are the costs of implementation, logistics, and the overall coordination of the operation.

An Opportunity for "Light-Touch Ancestry"
Although there is an existing market for in-depth genealogy (those who go to extraordinary lengths to trace ancestors), participants in this research believe that there is an opportunity for a more general approach to ancestry and that tourists would be satisfied if they could engage in what this research terms -"light-touch ancestry": "One might find a name on a gravestone, a common surname, or a local guide who might take the tourists around to the local areas of interest etc.". One interesting suggestion for the implementation of "light-touch ancestry" is to coordinate a programme that could be operated in conjunction with the regional tourism authorities. According to one participant, the Irish tourism industry is constantly searching for new ideas to develop the product range and "light-touch ancestry", if approached with creativity, has the potential to offer added value to the product range. Fáilte  proposes that the provision of activities and attractions, things to do and see, are central to increasing spend per visitor, therefore, this research affirms that an opportunity to develop "light-touch ancestry" presents itself.
Tour operators responding in this research claim that they are asked many times about finding Irish lineage. American tourists, for example, would tell how "their ancestors, grandfather, great-grandfather etc. came from Co. Longford, and they would like to include a visit in their itinerary. These tourists then generally like to remain in the area for a night or two". Other respondents state that they are frequently asked about tracing Irish roots and Irish ancestors and therefore believe that there is an opportunity to bring Americans into the regions to see where their ancestors came from: "Americans absolutely love to walk the roads that their ancestors walked"; "We can tailor the trip so that they can visit whatever part of Ireland that their relations came from". Correspondingly, the dispersal of American tourists into the regions reflects Fáilte Ireland (2005a), who previously stated that there is a need for a more balanced regional spread of tourism. Roots tourism offers this opportunity.
Four professional participants in this research believe that tourism industry managers have not taken ancestry seriously enough and that there is no proper infrastructure, or policy, to implement the service properly. Two professional contributors further suggest that there has been a dearth of investment in the human capital side of the tourism industry for far too long and that there has been a poor quality of human resources investment in ancestry projects. Four professional contributors believe that, if Americans are to be encouraged to research their ancestry, there needs to be constructive advertising of the methods available to them, should they wish to progress with genealogy research. The tourism industry needs to be more cohesive and advertise the resources and facilities that are available in venues such as The National Library. Minister O'Donoghue believes that there is a future in roots tourism, and states that "the reality of genealogy is that anything is possible and workable".
The importance of Irish ancestry is further compounded by the American tourists who participated in this research. An analysis of the ten American tourists participating in this study reveals that 70% of those interviewed acknowledged that they would "love the opportunity to find their Irish roots". Some of the supporting quotations include: "I would love the opportunity to trace my father's people"; "I always wanted to find and visit my grandparent's graves and to find out if any of my relatives were still alive". Reflecting Solomon et al (2002), Americans are motivated and behave in a certain manner towards Ireland because of the established bonds that exist through emigration in the past.
This research has ascertained that the Irish in America in 2006 are "proud" and "privileged", and regard being Irish to be a "status symbol": "Being Irish is the bond with the country and the heritage. This bond gives one a status, a bit of class". MacCannell (1975) affirms that such travel represents a journey to the sacred sites of our culture. Participants in this research believe that a sense of belonging to the homeland is deeply rooted in the American psyche, and stating ones "Irish-ness" is like referring to a "prestigious strong brand". Bly (2006) concurs and states that Irish-Americans nostalgically refer to Ireland as the "old country" (2006:1). Interestingly, participants in this research believe that Americans consider Ireland to be the 51 st State of the United States of America and that President Bill Clinton re-kindled the spirit of those links. This research affirms that the future management of the Irish tourism industry is dependent on proactive development of the product range. The affirmed bonds that exist between Ireland and the United States as outlined in this paper presents a window of opportunity for the development and management of a new product such as "light-touch ancestry" in the future, thus adding variety, and enhancing the 'things to do and see' aspect of destination Ireland.

Discussion
Model 1.1, presents the broad thematic areas from the empirical data. The model provides a diagrammatic and synoptic overview of this research. An analysis of the perceptions gathered from participants allowed for these thematic approaches to emerge, representing issues intrinsic to the practice and theory of the Irish tourism industry as identified in this current study. The model provides an overview of the current study's original contribution to the dearth of literature on the Irish tourism industry particularly in relation to the American tourist. The findings of this study suggest that the connections and bonds that exist between Ireland and the United States directly translate into tourist numbers from America and there is an opportunity to further capitalize on this. From a detailed examination of the American tourist market into Ireland, other issues emerged from the data and these are also reflected in the model.
Reflecting the historical emigration experience from the ancestral home, coupled with the anguish of separation, this research reveals that a significant motivator for Americans is the concept of ancestry: they longed to fulfil a lifelong destiny by travelling to the land of their forefathers and actualise the tales that nurtured their youth. While many Americans have some documented bond or connection with Ireland, respondents in this research believe that others, who have no identifiable link, still try to create a connection; this grouping is referred to as the "wannabe Irish". Many Americans desire a retrospective experience, gazing to Ireland for their past history. Americans yearn to belong and many return to Ireland to define and inform their lineage, explore their heritage, connect with the past and find their personal antecedent history. Genealogy has emerged in this research as one of the top ten leisure activities of Americans and many Americans travelling to Ireland inquire of their hosts how to obtain information on ancestry. Today, the tourism industry is presented with an opportunity to structure the development of 'Roots Tourism'. Participants believe that tourism organisations have not taken ancestry seriously in the past and could offer superior assistance by providing opportunities for the regional tourism authorities to become involved at a local level. Participants suggest that there would be high demand for such a product, especially what this research has termed 'light-touch' roots tourism where interested parties could visit a locality, church, or graveyard. As the tourism industry is constantly seeking new ideas, 'light-touch' roots tourism offers an opportunity for capitalisation. Ancestral tourism affords the added prospect of attracting visitors into the regions.

Conclusions
The predominant focus of this paper is on the ancestral relationship between the American tourist and Ireland. Clearly, participants realize that the Irish tourism industry cannot become complacent and must endeavour to satisfy this vital segment of the market. Significantly, contributors in this research place a substantial emphasis on the need for continued product development by industry managers. 'Light-touch' roots tourism is a window of opportunity for such development. The strong bonds between the United States and Ireland found in the literature were substantiated in this current research, where it has been suggested that both countries enjoy a "big brother, small brother" affiliation. Professionals and industry stakeholders in this research believe that specialist interest activities have a very important role to play in the sustainability of Irish tourism in delivering the correct product in the future.

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