New Scheduled Transatlantic
Nonstop Air Service Between U.S. and Ireland...
Ireland
Sees Strong Growth in 2007 American Visitor Numbers...
Marketing Review
and New Action Plan Launched...
New Scheduled
Transatlantic Nonstop Air Service Between U.S. and Ireland
West Airport Knock to Launch in May
The Emerald Isle’s Newest Transatlantic
Gateway Airport Adds Choice Options for American Vacation
and Business Travelers
New York, NY; January
30, 2007: Ireland West Airport Knock in County
Mayo is set to become the Emerald Isle’s newest transatlantic
gateway airport when a scheduled air service between America
and Ireland launches in May. The new low-cost carrier service
will be operated by flyglobespan, a Scottish airline which
will offer three services a week to the West of Ireland
from JFK Airport in New York City, and two flights a week
from Logan International Airport in Boston. The services
will have their inaugural flights in late May.
flyglobespan will operate
two cabins on these routes. Economy seats will begin at
$259 per sector inc. tax, while the business cabin will
have fares starting from $485 per sector Inc tax. A premium
service upgrade is also available from $309 per sector Inc.
tax. Business Class will feature full in-flight entertainment,
dedicated priority check-in and the use of an airport executive
lounge on departure from the USA. During the flight passengers
will enjoy gourmet meals served with fine wines which can
be pre-selected on www.flyglobespan.com prior to departure.
Announcing the new scheduled
services, Ireland West Airport Knock’s Chairman, Joe
Kennedy said: “Most of the massive emigration from
Ireland to the United States for over one and a half centuries
came from the counties along our western seaboard where
Ireland West Airport is situated. These have led to enormous
cultural, social and economic links between the West of
Ireland and New York. I want to pay special tribute to Mayor
Bloomberg without whom this first ever-scheduled service
between our west of Ireland Airport and New York could not
have happened. He was ably supported in his endeavor by
Deputy Mayor for Government Affairs Kevin Sheekey and Adrian
Flannelly, a good friend of the Mayor and a highly respected
and influential Irish American in New York who helped convey
the strengths of Ireland West Airport Knock and the importance
of direct services into the west of Ireland to the Mayor.”
Flights from JFK will depart
for Ireland West Knock on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays
at 20:00 and will arrive in Ireland West Knock at 07:20
the next morning. Flights to JFK will depart Ireland at
14:30, arriving in JFK at 18:00.
flyglobespan is a fast-expanding
low-fares airline that operates from Edinburgh, Glasgow
and London Stansted to destinations throughout Africa, North
America & Europe.
The airline’s chairman
Tom Dalrymple said: “I am delighted we can launch
these services to Ireland West Knock and give exciting travel
opportunities at such fantastic prices. The hereditary and
cultural ties between the north east coast of America and
the West of Ireland are very strong and we expect there
to be a similarly big demand for seats out from Ireland
West Knock and into two such exciting cities. These new
routes are part of daily services we are introducing between
Liverpool and JFK and Glasgow and Boston. They have been
attracting considerable interest from both sides of the
Atlantic since they went on sale and we expect a similarly
favourable response from these additional services.”
"JFK IAT, the operators
of Terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy International Airport congratulates
Ireland West Knock Airport for its first ever scheduled
service to JFK and to flyglobespan for making it possible.
We look forward to welcoming these passengers to New York,"
said Alain Maca, president, JFK IAT, LLC.
Airport Managing Director
Liam Scollan also said: “New York is by far the most
popular destination for Irish visiting the United States.
Irish people visiting the US spend on average two weeks
here and $123 per day so this flyglobespan service will
be good for the Big Apple. People contemplating travelling
to Ireland using Ireland West Airport will be delighted
to know that you are arriving in an airport which is hassle
free, easy to get to and get through and which has won the
Best Irish Regional Airport award for two out of the last
three years. When you land in Ireland West Airport Knock
you are simply landing in the beautiful, calm and rural
area which most Americans really want to see when they visit
Ireland.”
Mr. Joe Byrne, Executive
Vice President in the United States for Tourism Ireland
based in New York, said: “There are some excellent
reasons for us at Tourism Ireland to be excited about today’s
news. One is that we are delighted to welcome Ireland West
Airport Knock as a scheduled gateway for the very important
travel market from the United States. Another reason is
that we can grow U.S. tourism visitor numbers into Ireland
only with expanding transatlantic airline seat capacity,
especially on direct non-stop service into Ireland.
Today’s announcement
represents an important addition to the number of scheduled
airline seats available for intending U.S. travelers to
Ireland. It also expands the choices available for our travel
consumers in the New England and New York gateway markets.
We believe today’s
announcement is a strong vote of confidence in the viability
of Irish tourism and in the future of Ireland West Airport
Knock. We wish the new service every success and we look
forward to working with flyglobespan and Ireland West Knock
Airport in helping build these important new transatlantic
routes.”
Mayor of New York, Michael
Bloomberg said: “For centuries, New York City and
Ireland have shared a strong bond, and we have had the good
fortune to be the island’s 33rd County,” said
Mayor Bloomberg. “Starting this May, we will grow
even closer with the start of three weekly flights between
Ireland West Airport Knock and the international airport
in New York City named for John F. Kennedy, whose great
grandparents left Ireland during the Great Hunger. Not only
will these flights make it easier for Americans to get to
the west of Ireland, it will enable even more Irish residents
to visit New York. Thanks to the hard work of scores of
people on both sides of the Atlantic, including Deputy Mayor
for Government Affairs Kevin Sheekey, as well as my good
friend Adrian Flannelly, we were able to secure these important
routes – and I look forward to landing on the runway
myself next week.”
Speaking at the announcement
event held at Ireland West Airport Knock, the Irish Minister
for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Mr. Éamon
Ó Cuív T.D said “Like many Irish people,
I have personal family ties with New York, as my grandfather
Éamon de Valera was born there in 1882. I know that
these new flights will be heartily welcomed by the people
of the West of Ireland in particular, as a modern link between
Ireland and New York. I have no doubt that many New Yorkers
will take the opportunity to renew their links with the
places and people of their ancestry and both they and Mayor
Bloomberg can be assured of a very warm Céad Míle
Fáilte upon their arrival.”
For Immediate Release: Press
Contact:
Ms. Annette
Kearney: Ireland West Airport Knock: 011 353 87 686 8914
Mr. Robert Grealis: Ireland West Airport Knock: 011 353
86 827 0515
David O’Sullivan: 212 867 6268
Tourism Ireland: 212 418 0800
For further information
contact:
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Ireland
Sees Strong Growth in 2007 American Visitor Numbers As Emerald
Isle Builds Broad Destination Travel Brand Appeal
Seeking
Experienced Travelers Across Diverse, Special-Interest, Mostly
Upscale, Market Niches
New
York, NY: November 30, 2006: Tourism Ireland is looking
to double-digit growth in American visitor numbers to the
Emerald Isle in 2007. Most of the expansion will occur in
special-interest market niche categories ranging from culture-seekers,
arts enthusiasts, golf and equestrian aficionados to those
experienced travelers seeking a unique vacation experience
that embraces the finer things in life.
Joe
Byrne, New York-based Executive Vice President of Tourism
Ireland says “Our best prospects for growth lie with
this more sophisticated target audience - frequent travelers
to Europe who are better-educated, better-off urban and suburban
dwellers. These consumers seek an authentic tourism experience,
demand individualized and personalized service. It is also
clear they have little tolerance for low standards.”
Mr.
Byrne added “The tourism industry in Ireland has invested
heavily in the physical infrastructure and the staff service
and training systems to deliver a superior vacation travel
destination experience to meet the changing consumer tastes
of our target market demographics. The upgrading and development
of Ireland’s tourism business has been supported by
Government policy and actions throughout the island of Ireland.
Our ambitious targets for growth in our business from America
will also see increased airline seat capacity in 2007 across
the Atlantic on direct air services into Ireland.”
Culinary
Excellence Draws Gourmands to The Emerald Isle
There
was a time when Ireland was better known for the beauty of
its scenery and the warmth of its people than for culinary
excellence. These days, the scenery is still beautiful and
the people are still very friendly, but the Emerald Isle has
gained wide recognition as one of the travel destinations
boasting top-quality food and the highest standards in culinary
artistry. Tourism Ireland in recent years has put a concerted
effort into confirming Ireland’s standing as a favorite
travel destination for the discriminating gourmand with major
promotional programs hailing the great food experience and
culinary delights available to American visitors to all parts
of Ireland.
Luxury
Hotel Brands, Once Rare in Ireland, Now Abound
The arrival in
Ireland of the world’s top luxury hotel brand names
continues apace. Once rare, now most of them have built substantial
and successful properties in Ireland. The latest luxury marque
to join the list is the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. Headquartered
in Chevy Chase, Md., the company has announced plans to develop
a five-star golf and spa resort at a location near Dublin.
Scheduled to open in 2007, the 203-room resort will be known
as The Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt, in County Wicklow. It will
be the company's first hotel in Ireland and sixth location
in Europe.
"Ireland
is a world-class visitor destination, known for its natural
beauty and the gracious hospitality of the Irish people. We
believe the Powerscourt Estate location on Ireland's east
coast is the perfect place for a Ritz-Carlton resort which
will cater to individuals and groups looking for the best
of both worlds – a site close to the city of Dublin,
but also in the midst of the beautiful garden county of Wicklow,"
said Simon F. Cooper, president and chief operating officer
of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. "This hotel will be
another stellar addition to our growing presence in Europe,
including Barcelona, Penha Longa, Wolfsburg, Berlin and Istanbul,"
Cooper added.
Located within
the 1,000-acre Powerscourt Estate, which sits below the imposing
Sugarloaf Mountain, the Ritz-Carlton will include a lavishly
appointed 30,000 square foot E'Spa, four restaurants and lounges,
and meeting space with capability to handle groups of up to
1,000. .
Ireland
Attracts Americans Who Favor The Great Outdoors
Americans who
love the outdoors are flocking to Ireland in ever-larger numbers.
Hill-walkers, gardening enthusiasts, equestrian and golf aficionados,
angling and water-sports fans – they all have Ireland
on their mind when it comes to exploring vacation destination
ideas.
In golf, for example,
the Emerald Isle has more golf courses than days in the year
- and more courses listed in the Top 100 world rankings than
any similar-sized place on earth. Some of the greatest golf
courses in the world are in Ireland: Royal County Down, Ballybunion,
Portmarnock, Waterville, Royal Portrush, The K Club, Lahinch,
The Old Head, Mount Juliet and so many others.
Northern
Ireland’s Growing Destination Appeal
More
Americans visiting the Emerald Isle are including extended
stays in Northern Ireland. Some important tourism attractions
have been identified as signature tourism projects that offer
huge appeal to visitors and will be promoted heavily to the
American travel market. These include:
| • |
The
Walled City of Derry: Few places offer such
a compelling and unique experience for the visitor as
the Walled City of Derry – its setting on the
steep hills overlooking the wide sweep of the River
Foyle, its distinctive architecture and its famous walls
all provide enormous appeal; |
| • |
Christian
Heritage/St. Patrick: The St. Patrick’s
Visitor Centre opened in Downpatrick in 2001. This area
represents an important part of the Christian Heritage
of the island of Ireland and includes St. Patrick’s
burial place; |
| • |
The
Giant’s Causeway: It is one of the wonders
of the world and is a magnet for American visitors.
The entire coastline around it is magnificent and it
is a key attraction for visitors of all backgrounds
and special interests; |
| • |
Belfast
Maritime Heritage/Titanic: There is huge public
interest in Titanic, the most famous of all ocean liners
which was built in Belfast and launched (and sank) in
1911. Belfast’s Titanic Quarter is a must-see
for visitors to this beautiful city. |
Media
Contact:
Ms. Ruth Moran
Publicity & Communications Manager
Tourism Ireland
Tel: (212) 418 0832
Rmoran@TourismIreland.com
Click
here for more Ireland news: activities special
offers, golf and more
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Marketing
Review and New Action Plan Launched to Spur Faster Growth
of U.S. Tourism into Ireland
Tourism Minister John O’Donoghue
Details Plans and Research Underpinning Marketing Shifts
New
York, Tuesday, November 28, 2006 Details of a major
market research analysis of Ireland’s tourism market
in the United States were unveiled here at a public launch
of a new tourism marketing action plan devised as a result
of the research findings. Ireland’s Minister for Arts,
Sport & Tourism, John O’Donoghue TD introduced the
market review and action plan to boost tourism from America
to the island of Ireland.
At
the briefing meeting in New York attended by representatives
of U.S.-based tourism trade partners, Minister O’Donoghue
expressed “a strong welcome for this important review
and commended Tourism Ireland and the many individuals and
organizations that contributed to it. I am delighted to formally
launch the plan, titled North America: Land of Opportunity.
I urge a collaborative approach from agencies and the industry
to implement the new action plan. The American market is a
crucially important source of visitors and tourism revenue
for the island of Ireland. American visitors stay longer and
spend more per head than visitors from other countries. They
spend approximately 60% more than the average, accounting
for 20% of spending in Ireland by visitors.”
Paul
O’Toole, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, who accompanied
Minister O’Donoghue to New York, said at the briefing
“This detailed action plan features a multi-pronged
marketing communications agenda that embraces a refreshed
message for Ireland’s vacation destination product with
revised media selection priorities. The plan emphasizes a
concentrated focus on America’s top 15 city markets
which account for the highest concentration of Ireland’s
best visitor prospects. It also seeks a more efficient mix
of traditional and new media; an aggressive focus on e-space
information channels and improved online presence.”
Minister
O’Donoghue noted that “American tourism to Ireland
more than doubled over the latter half of the 1990s, peaking
at almost 1 million in 2000, giving Ireland a 7.4% share of
U.S.-to-Europe travel. 890,000 Americans visited the Emerald
Isle in 2005 - 70% of these were on vacation. Preliminary
results for 2006 point to double-digit growth over last year
- an excellent performance by any standards.”
Highlighting
key results of the market research project carried out by
Tourism Ireland in the United States, Minister O’Donoghue
said “The review has shown that Ireland’s tourism
marketplace is changing, and changing rapidly. The changes
present both challenges and opportunities for Ireland’s
tourism industry.”
“One key finding”, he noted, “is that the
level of interest in visiting Ireland has never been higher
- over half (56%) of U.S. outbound pleasure travellers say
they are ‘extremely or very much likely to visit or
re-visit Ireland’, according to the research. And nearly
half of those who expressed strong interest in visiting Ireland
say they are likely to make the trip in the next five years.
The market data reveals that the profile and provenance of
Ireland’s American visitor is changing. Almost one-in-six
of our best prospects live in California, for example, and
only just over one-third claim Irish ancestry. Their profile
is more upscale than current U.S. visitors to Ireland visitors.”
Mr.
Joe Byrne, Executive Vice President for Tourism Ireland based
in New York, told the gathering “The scale of the challenge
in growing the market should not be under-estimated. The island
of Ireland enjoys a consistently high level of awareness of
place and people. However, cultural or historical associations,
the core appeals of travel to Europe for North Americans appear
to be limited in the case of Ireland and our plan is clearly
focused on dealing with this important issue.”
Mr.
Byrne added “There is a great marketing challenge facing
destinations in the U.S. marketplace, particularly a secondary
European destination such as Ireland. We must alter our marketing
approach because that is what is demanded by changing consumer
attitudes, increasingly fragmented segmentation of the market,
the increase in communication channels, the declining effectiveness
of traditional media and a constantly-expanding travel sales
distribution network.”
Mr.
Byrne added “As Ireland does not enjoy the same level
of high-profile destination marketing by international branded
carriers, hotel groups, tour operators and other intermediaries,
the spend by Tourism Ireland is proportionately more important,
particularly in regard to ‘above-the-line’ consumer
marketing, in a high-cost media market. The new environment
calls for greater focus and co-ordination of marketing effort
between the public and private sectors.”
Minister
O’Donoghue, in his presentation, noted that Tourism
Ireland’s “best prospects for growth consists
of this more sophisticated target audience - frequent travellers
to Europe who are better-educated, better-off urban and suburban
dwellers interested in the ‘finer things’. These
consumers are not necessarily driven by price when selecting
a vacation destination, although they are conscious of value-for-money.
More crucially, they seek an authentic tourism experience
and with that they want an individualized and personalized
service and have little tolerance for low standards.”
Media
Contact:
Ms. Ruth Moran
Publicity & Communications Manager
Tourism Ireland
Tel: (212) 418 0832
Rmoran@TourismIreland.com
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