Oh wow.

470 landmarks across 56 different counties are turning green this year to celebrate St Patrick's Day. In the tenth year of Tourism Ireland's Global Greening initiative, the world-famous sites will be illuminated for the celebrations this weekend. [caption id="attachment_454930" align="alignnone" width="1117"] Cayan Tower, Dubai[/caption] The initiative, which celebrates the island of Ireland and St Patrick, first began in 2010 in Sydney and has gone from strength to strength each year since then. The landmarks include such  world-famous sites like the Great Wall of China, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Sydney Opera House. [caption id="attachment_454927" align="alignnone" width="552"] Mac the Moose in Moose Jaw[/caption] Some of the new additions this year  include a statue called ‘Mac the Moose’ in the city of Moose Jaw in Canada, a leopard statue in Kenya and a festive green bicycle parade through Amsterdam. Other new sites taking part this year include Burj Khalifa in Dubai (the world’s tallest building), Victoria Falls, York’s medieval City Walls, Lord’s Cricket Pavilion in London, Nation Towers in Abu Dhabi, the Atakule Tower in Ankara and the Shizuoka Stadium ECOPA in Japan (where Ireland will play Japan in the Rugby World Cup in September). [caption id="attachment_454932" align="alignnone" width="1102"] Burj Khalifa in Dubai[/caption] Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, said:

“This is the tenth year of Tourism Ireland’s Global Greening initiative and it’s bigger and better than ever this year, with some wonderful new additions like the Burj Khalifa – the tallest building in the world. "Other new sites include Victoria Falls, York’s medieval City Walls, Lord’s Cricket Pavilion in London, Nation Towers in Abu Dhabi and the Shizuoka Stadium ECOPA in Japan (where Ireland will play Japan in the Rugby World Cup in September). “St Patrick’s Day traditionally marks the real start of the tourism season for us; our aim is to bring a smile to the faces of people around the world and to convey the message that Ireland offers the warmest of welcomes and great fun, as well as wonderful scenery and heritage.

[caption id="attachment_454933" align="alignnone" width="1140"] The Welcome to Las Vegas Sign[/caption]

"Our St Patrick’s programme spans Great Britain, Mainland Europe, North America, Australia and emerging tourism markets like China, Brazil and the Middle East. "We are using every opportunity to capitalise on Ireland’s heightened profile this weekend; the saturation coverage about Ireland across the global airwaves, in newspapers and digital media, is an invaluable boost for our overall 2019 tourism promotional drive.”