A MUSEUM dedicated to the experience of Irish emigration has been named a finalist in the prestigious World Travel Awards.
EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum is in contention to be named the World’s Leading Tourist Attraction 2019 – facing the likes of The Great Wall of China and India’s Taj Mahal in the battle for the title.
And it’s up to the public to choose the winner – with online votes now being taken.
The Dublin museum, recently voted Europe’s Leading Tourist Attraction, is one of fourteen world finalists, which also includes Warner Bros World in Abu Dhabi, The Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World, Florida, Table Mountain in South Africa and Machu Picchu of Peru.
While the competition is tough, Aileesh Carew, Director of Sales and Marketing at EPIC, is confident that they can bring the globally prestigious title back to Ireland.
“The reaction we have experienced since winning the award of Europe’s Leading Tourist Attraction earlier this year has been a real reflection of the esteem our visitors and partners hold our museum in,” she said.
EPIC is hopeful that their visitors and Irish emigrants across the world will now take the time to vote for a museum that “honours them”.
“We tell the stories of the Irish emigration experience with dignity and care and this is reflected in the thousands of positive reviews our visitors have left us over the past three years,” Ms Carew explained.
“Our founder, Neville Isdell, had a vision to create a local museum that could connect globally and now Irish people and people of Irish descent around the world are invited to support one of the only museums in the world that honours them.
“Titanic Belfast won this award with great public support in 2016, and Spike Island was a finalist in 2017 and 2018. We hope that our visitors and supporters will join us in bringing this award back to Ireland.”
Voting for the award is now underway, to cast your vote click here.
The museum, which will welcome over 300,000 visitors this year, shows the far-reaching influence of Irish people and covers 1,500 years of Irish history.
It tells the powerful story of 10 million Irish people who travelled abroad to start a new life, including the contributions they have made, and the enormous influence they had and continue to have on the world.
The World Travel Awards, celebrating their 26th anniversary this year, are renowned as the most prestigious and comprehensive in the global industry.
Previous winners of the award include the Las Vegas Strip and Machu Picchu.
The final will be held in Oman on November 28, 2019.
