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Tourism Ireland is once again launching a search for a number of individuals or families to star in a series of short online movies to help promote the island of Ireland overseas and attract more visitors in 2010 and beyond. Last year, Tourism Ireland carried out a nationwide search for people whose infectious enthusiasm for their favourite part of the island could help sell the destination to potential visitors across the world. The resulting series of ten short films have been viewed by over half a million people worldwide. They were translated into five European languages and were also posted on Yahoo!, YouTube, Facebook, WAYN and on Tourism Ireland's suite of 41 websites, discoverireland.com, giving potential visitors an insight into the real experience of a holiday here. And, in research carried out by Tourism Ireland, two-thirds of people who viewed the promotional movies said they were more likely to visit the island of Ireland as a result. Brian Twomey, Tourism Ireland's Head of Marketing Communications, said: "This was a new and innovative approach for us in 2009 to engage potential holidaymakers around the world with the kind of real experience that a holiday here offers them. It was a unique promotional tool and a first, as no other national tourist board had done this before. It researched strongly and because the initiative worked so well for us last year, we are doing it all again in 2010. "Allowing our local characters to showcase their favourite places gives a great feeling of authenticity for potential visitors, as well as providing them with that 'inside track' on great things to do and experience all over this island. It is their sheer passion for their localities that makes these films resonate so well with potential visitors."