Some of the world’s most iconic landmarks again went green to celebrate Ireland’s National Day as part of Tourism Ireland’s eight annual Global Greening initiative. InterContinental Dubai Festival City, Cayan Tower and Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium went green for the first time in 2017 and joined Burj Al Arab Jumeirah which has glowed emerald since 2011 and Yas Viceroy Hotel on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island which joined the campaign to celebrate Ireland’s National Day in 2016, shone bright in emerald green on Ireland’s renowned national holiday.

Tourism Ireland’s unique global campaign – which sees some of the world’s most famous attractions and sites go green to mark Ireland’s National Day – kicks off the organisation’s €21.5 / £15 million first half promotional drive to grow overseas tourism in 2017.

Cayan Tower, the 75-storey residential tower that spirals in a smooth curve by an astonishing 90 degrees to give every apartment a spectacular view of the sea or marina shone bright green for the Global Greenings initiative for the first time. Cayan Tower´s dynamic twisting shape challenges conventional architecture and redefines standards of luxury.   Other new icons going green for 2017 included the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium which was voted “Best Venue” by players on the ATP World Tour in 2016. In  addition, InterContinental is an icon of Dubai Festival City. The landmark hotel, situated near the Creek, offered stunning all round views as it went emerald green for Ireland’s special holiday.

Known as one of the icons of Abu Dhabi, Yas Viceroy located on Yas Island, is the first and only hotel to be built over a Formula 1® race track (the Yas Marina Circuit). However, while guests usually admire the breath-taking views looking out over the race track or marina, it was the view of the hotel’s green exterior illuminating the night sky that was one to behold.

The world famous Burj Al Arab Jumeirah completed the iconic landmarks in the UAE by going green to celebrate Ireland’s National Day.

Other new landmarks for 2017 include: One World Trade Center, City Hall in London, Heron Tower in London, Plaça de Catalunya and the fountains on Gran Via in Barcelona, Pozzo di San Patrizio (St Patrick’s Well) in Orvieto, the four principal monuments in the town of Cosenza (Calabria), City Hall in Antwerp (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the Cloth Hall in Ypres, Matsue Castle in Japan, Gwangandaegyo (Diamond Bridge) in South Korea and even a rhino statue in Nairobi National Park, as well as an Ethiopian Airlines airplane in Addis Ababa. And, the famous red carpet in Cannes (le tapis rouge lumineux) will become the ‘green carpet’ on 17 March.

The new sites will join some ‘old favourites’ which have gone green in previous years – including the London Eye, Nelson’s Column in London, Selfridges department store in London, the Colosseum in Rome, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Roue de Paris, the ‘Welcome’ sign in Las Vegas, Niagara Falls, the Re-union Tower in Dallas, the Sky Tower in New Zealand and the Great Wall of China.

Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, said: “This is the eighth year of Tourism Ireland’s Global Greening initiative and each year I am delighted to see even more well-known attractions and landmark sites wishing to get involved and join our Ireland’s National Day celebrations. The success of our Global Greening initiative is due in no small part to the great work that has been carried out across the world by Irish people down the generations and, in particular, to the great support we’ve received from the Irish embassy network and the Diaspora. The eagerness of cities and countries everywhere to take part underlines the strength of the deep connection that people all over the world feel to Ireland. More than 70 million people around the world claim links to the island of Ireland and Ireland’s National Day is a truly unique opportunity to reconnect them with their heritage.

“People across the world instantly identify Ireland’s National Day with the island of Ireland and that heightened profile allows us to put the Ireland holiday experience in the spotlight – from Auckland to London and from Rome to Rio de Janeiro. There will be saturation coverage of the island of Ireland across the airwaves, in newspapers and digital media – and that’s an invaluable boost at this time of year for our overall tourism marketing drive for 2017.”

As well as some of the biggest and most iconic buildings and landmarks in the UAE going green, Tourism Ireland has asked everyone to get into the Irish spirit and to share pictures of themselves wearing green on social media.