Some 1,026 people have signed up to be goodwill ambassadors for Dublin to help introduce tourists to the magic of the city.
The City of a Thousand Welcomes scheme launched today had hoped to have up to 1,000 ambassadors in place by the time the campaign opens internationally on Bloomsday, June 16th.
Free guides are appointed to visitors who register with the scheme. The ambassador meets them in Dublin for a cup of tea or a pint at one of three Dublin institutions - the Merrion Hotel, Bewley’s Café and the Porterhouse pub - where they tell the visitor about the city.
All ambassadors are voluntary and unpaid. The scheme already has many famous Dubliners on board including Victoria Smurfit, Bill Cullen, Graham Knuttel, Mario Rosenstock, Rosanna Davison and David Norris among others.
The plan is the brainchild of Trevor White, who said he has been “blown away” by the “warmth and response” of Dubliners so far.
“People from all walks of life and all ages,” had signed up Mr White said.
He said the aim of the scheme is to remind people that Dublin has an "extraordinary reputation for hospitality and for welcoming people”. And he sees it complimenting the work of Tourism Ireland so that visitors can come to the country in “the confident expectation that they will meet friendly people”.
People interested in becoming guides should visit at cityofathousandwelcomes.com
They will have to take a short multiple choice quiz about Dublin before their registration is complete. ”You don’t need to be an expert on James Joyce or anything like that but you do need to have a passion about the city and to be a proud Dubliner,” Mr White said.
Questions include: On which street was Handel's Messiah first performed?; Which famous Robert went out with Sarah Curran?; and How much did it once cost to cross the Wellington Bridge?
All ambassadors are subject to a Garda vetting process for security reasons.
Councillor Mannix Flynn described the plan as a “fantastic initiative” that gives Dubliners “the chance to tell their story”.
Speaking at the launch he said “every tourist is a stranger but we’re going to reverse that…the initiative intends to make sure the visitor stays and gets a personalised history of the place. [It is a sign] the city is open for business,” he added.
