For the first time in a while, Ireland is seeing a light at the end of what has been a tunnel of economic doom and gloom. The seeds planted to drive tourism to the country are beginning to grow as “The Gathering,” Tourism Ireland’s year-long campaign to draw back the estimated 70 million people around the world who claim Irish ancestry, pays off.

Ireland has already seen an increase of 17% by North American visitors in the first quarter of 2013. Eamon McKeon, the chief executive of the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation says that there is clear evidence that the campaign has been effective and that it helps to differentiate Ireland from other European destinations. According to Reuters, Ireland has already achieved the highest number of trips to the country in the first-quarter since 2009 at 1.25 million people.

In the Middle East, the campaign is also reaping success as the number of visitors has increased 15% over the same period last year along with an 8% rise in visitor visa applications. The increase is partly attributed to better flight connectivity and the Short Stay Visa Waiver program which is available to visitors from the Middle East, India, China, Serbia, Ukraine, Bosnia, and Turkey.