On March 17, 2013 (St Patrick's Day) the Gateway to India in Mumbai went green for the first time. The Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx in Egypt the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and the Allianz Arena in Munich (home ground of FC Bayern Munich), also made their 'Global Greening' debut this year.

These world famous landmarks will join regulars such as Sydney Opera House, Table Mountain in Cape Town, and the Burj al Arab in Dubai, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, in Italy, the Niagara Falls, the Empire State Building in New York and the TV tower in Berlin’s Alexanderplatz, which are regulars in the Global Greening.

The Global Greening celebrates St Patrick's Day which is Ireland's national holiday by illuminating landmarks throughout the world in green light. More than 70 million people worldwide claim Irish heritage, and the willingness of countries and landmarks to take part underscore the deep spiritual connection that people everywhere feel to Ireland – even if they don't have Irish heritage.

Commenting on the Global Greening, Ireland's Transport Minister Leo Varadker said: “We will be using every opportunity to send out the message that Ireland is the place to visit in 2013.”

Speaking to The HUB last week ahead of Routes Asia, Vincent Harrison, Strategy & Regulation Director, Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) said: “We are delighted to see the inaugural Indian greening taking place in tandem with Routes Asia. We hope Indians will take the opportunity to visit Ireland in 2013 with Dublin Airport the ideal gateway into the country.”