Tourism Ireland is looking to benefit from the increasing popularity of social networking websites by launching a marketing campaign in virtual reality.

Tourism Ireland will sponsor a range of events and activities in the run up to St Patrick’s Day 2008 in Second Life, a 3D online digital world imagined and created by its residents.

As part of the campaign, the tourism body will arrange virtual music concerts, fashion shows and photographic exhibitions in Second Life’s replica city of Dublin.

Since its establishment in 2003, Second Life has grown rapidly and currently has more than nine million registered users, who are able to interact with each other through motional avatars.

According to Tourism Ireland, more than 75 per cent of overseas holidaymakers will book their Ireland holiday on the internet, and it is constantly looking to utilise web-based marketing activities.

Mark Henry, Tourism Ireland’s director of central marketing, said: “We are committed to using online marketing to the best possible effect in promoting the island of Ireland as a holiday destination and our involvement in Second Life is about finding new ways to connect to today’s web-savvy consumer.

“We’ve already doubled our digital marketing spend over the past three years, to 14 per cent of all marketing activity, contributing to an investment of 6.5m euro a year.”