Tourism Ireland has launched a new EUR2.2m (£1.9m) marketing strategy to coincide with the start of the British Open and to capitalise on Rory McIlroy's US Open triumph.

Data prepared for the tourism agency by O'Leary Analytics found that around 34,000 items appeared in more than 100 countries in the nine days following McIlroy's US Open win. Among the features of the strategy will be an extensive advertising campaign in the UK over the summer months, including radio and online marketing.

Tourism Ireland chief executive Niall Gibbons said: "Tourism Ireland is focused on growing the number of golf tourists to Ireland in 2011 and beyond, and building on the really positive momentum around Ireland as a holiday destination. "Golf is the world's largest sports-related travel market and Tourism Ireland is working hard to drive home the message that a golfing holiday in Ireland is about much more than a round of 18 holes."