Travel extra june 2015 5mb

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WASHINGTON AER LINGUS RETURNS CHICAGO STILL SCAING THE HEIGHTS ROUTE 66 OLD ROAD, NEW JOURNEY Beiging stil 18 months away

Anthem of the Seas

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Shannon in profit

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IRELAND'S PREMIER SOURCE OF TRAVEL INFORMATION Free

JUNE 2015

VOLUME 20 NUMBER 6

USA issue What your clients should know about America 2015

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O UR LOUNG E IN ISTA N B U L IS B IG GER T H A N S OM E A I R PO RT S. Two floors. 5900m2. 12 bars. A spiral staircase. It’s a pleasure to get lost in.

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Page 003 News 11/05/2015 11:04 Page 1

www.travelextra.ie

Reign of Spain

S

Spain leads world tourism report for the first time

pain climbed three places to top the biennial Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report from the World Economic Forum for the first time. finishing first in cultural resources (1st ), and fourth in IT readiness and infrastructure.

Europe continued to dominate the top ten tourism-ready economies with France (2nd), Germany (3rd), Britain (5th), Switzerland (6th) and Italy (8th). The USA (4th), Australia (7th), Japan (9th) and Canada (10th) completed the list.

Ireland remained at the number 19 spot, and placed 11th in Europe. We scored high for tourism policy conditions (5th in the world),international opens (5th as well) and human resources (12th), but lost out when it came to price competitiveness (122nd out of 141) and natural resources (72nd).

Europe scored high for tourism service infrastructure, health and hygiene and integration, but the region is not making the most of its cultural resources and fails to prioritise new

K

NEWS

CSO says Irish residents’ trips outwards

were up 13pc in 2015 Q1 to 1.31mm the highest since 2010. Total trips to Ireland were 1.53m up 14% on 2014 (including a small bonus from Easter in 2015). British- resident arrivals were up 14% to 726,000, other European residents up 18% to 526,000, North Americans up 7% to 191,000 and others up 9% to 88,000. The CSO numbers show visitor numbers from all the major European markets up on 2014 Q1. All except the British figures are records, higher than any other year 20082013.

SPAIN, Portugal and Italy are the most

popular holiday destinations for Irish holiday makers to visit in summer 2015 according to Irish Travel Agents Association quarterly survey. Italy climbed two places since the same period in 2014 to claim the third spot, knocking the US down into fourth place.

SIMPSONS-themed Springfield atMalaga: Spain is the best place to run a tourist business South Africa climbed to 48th while the Seychelles (54th) and Mauritius (56th) were the other highest ranking countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Problems with infrastructure, health and hygiene prevent the region from seeing its full tourism potential.

trends. Regulatory restrictions are also holding Europe back.

The report recommends regional cooperation on visa policies in Southeast Asia if the region wants to further boost tourism. It said concerns about security continue to hold the Middle East and North Africa back.

NO LATES EXPECTED IN SUMMER

os is the new Falcon Holidays destination for summer 2015, reflecting what the company calls the spike in interest in Greece it saw last summer.

“We are really well sold going in to the summer, and don’t anticipate a lates market” head of TUI’s Irish operation Chris Logan said this month.”

“Kos is selling very well with our first two flights of the season now

JUNE 2015 PAGE 3

sold out. Our Falcon Holiday Village and Splashworld resorts here are proving very popular.

“As for other trends: demand for Greece overall is strong this year, and Sharm el Sheikh is proving popular again - providing high quality all inclusive hotels at good value for money. Spain is stil the most popular destiantion out of Ireland.”

“Following the successful launch of Rhodes in 2014, we have

launched Kos for 2015. There is a demand for Greece and we offer a great range of exclusive differentiated product for all ages on the island.”

For summer 2015 Falcon have added a new holiday village in Kos, three new Splashword resorts in Crete, Kos and Malaga and two new Sensatori resorts in Ibiza and Dalaman.

traction has opened at Universal Studios Hollywood.

NYC & Company’s latest NYCGO Insider UNIVERSAL

Guide features Manhattan’s Flatiron District .

is to open Nintendo themed rides and attractions at its theme parks.

HERTZ

added 235,000 new vehicles to

BENIDORM will apply for World

its US fleet.

SEAWORLD Orlando will open a 200 foot roller coaster next year. More details to come in May. Heritage status.

HELSINKI

celebrates its 460th birth-

GRACELAND

day on June 12.

announced that Elvis’ private jets, the Lisa Marie and the Hound Dog II, will permanently remain at the visitors centre.

HEATHROW Express installed platform gap fillers at its stations.

TEL AVIV Visitors can view the city from hot air balloon with the TLV Balloon.

BOOK NOW YOUR SUMMER 2015 HOLIDAY

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Page 004 Knowledge 11/05/2015 15:37 Page 1

JUNE 2015 PAGE 4

THE KNOWLEDGE Travel Extra Advertising & Subscriptions 59 Rathfarnham Road Terenure Dublin 6W Editorial Office Clownings Straffan Co Kildare Managing Editor: Gerry O’Hare gerry@travelextra.ie Editor: Eoghan Corry eoghan.corry@ travelextra.ie Publisher: Edmund Hourican edmund@bizex.ie Sales Director: Maureen Ledwith maureen@bizex.ie Accounts and Advertising: Maria Sinnott maria@bizex.ie Picture Editor: Charlie Collins pix@travelextra.ie Sunday Supplement & Online: Conor McMahon conor@travelextra.ie Chief Features Writer: Anne Cadwallader anne@travelextra.ie Contributors : Eanna Brophy eanna@travelextra.ie Marie Carberry marie@travelextra.ie Carmel Higgins carmel@travelextra.ie Cauvery Madhavan cauvery@travelextra.ie Sean Mannion sean@grafacai.ie Ida Milne ida@travelextra.ie Catherine Murphy cathmurph@yahoo.com

Travel Extra takes no responsibility for errors and omissions.

Distribution Manager: Shane Hourican shane@bizex.ie Origination: Typeform

Printer: WG Baird Limited Caulside Drive Greystone Rd Antrim BT41 2RS Contact +35387-2551675 if you have difficulty getting Travel Extra.

CONTENTS

www.travelextra.ie

3 News News Where to go, how much to pay 6 Hotels: News 8 Postcards: News from the trade

10 Destination: Norway 12 Destination: USA 20 Destination: Rivercruise 20 Car hire 2015 26 Afloat: A quantum leap 28 Flying: Airline and airport news

33 Ireland: Food the theme for Eden 38 Global Village: Inside the travel industry 36 Window seat: Our columnists 37 Pictures: Out and about

Nickel and dime watch W

hile everyone is complaining about new airline fees, the hidden charge has moved into the hotel industry Last year, US hotels took in a record $1.75bn in ancillary charges, up from $550m in 2002.

Though not the preserve of the Americans, extra charges seem to develop and expand at a faster rate on the other side of the Atlantic than in Europe. Roger Dow of the US Travel Association told Travel Extra during a press conference at Pow Wow 2012 in Los Angeles that his thinking on excess charges is that the market will prevail and tourists will avoid the resorts that impose excessive surcharges.

Customers call them hidden charges, hoteliers call them profit points.

No longer are expensive telephone systems a profit point as cell phones and internet services such as Viber and Skype make them redundant.

We are not just talking about the gratuity dance that takes pace for every service in a US hotel by underpaid employees. In some cities, employees are not paid at all and required to subsist on gratuities.

Even if the employees are paid the legal minimum wage, the US tax system expects them to be earning a substantial stipend in tips, effectively asking the hotel or restaurant guest to pay the wages of the employees.

Older fees were more straightforward. Use the phone, the mini-bar, room service, or the in-room

A place to shop in Boston movies, and it's going to cost. Nowadays the game is much more about wi-fi charges

PARKING This is an old an enduring gripe. Valet parking has been mandatory in many hotels since the mid noughties (that is if they know you have a rental car, some customers simply avoiding declaring it) and it can be as much as $50 a night, a notorious fee charged in San Francisco. You then have to tip the valet guy $2 for the trouble of brining you back your car.

PACKAGES

Has someone sent you a delivery? It can cost you $5 for the hotel to accept a package delivered to your room.

DAILYResort charge rates can reach $25 plus taxes per night per room in some hotels. The charges have been extended to cover services

that would be regarded as the norm among many people’s holiday expectations, things like towels and showers as well as services that many guests would be unlikely to require. A typical list of services covered by the resort charge in one hotel is: local, toll-free, and credit card calls. Internet access, coffee and tea, nightly turndown service, use of the spa, access to self parking facilities.

SAFE: Some hotels are charging for having a safe in your room even if it’s not used. You can hardy demand that the safe be removed form your room either.

AIRCON: With

higher energy bills, hotels are charging up to $80 a day for turning the air conditioning on in your room.

MINIBAR: You don’t have to consume

anything from your mini bar to be charged for using it anymore, you get charged from minibars with sensors that bill guests if they move something around. Hotels then charge a “restocking fee.”

WIFI

An old bugbear. The norm is $10 a day but can be up to $30 an hour in certain five star hotels. An anomaly is that the higher grade the htoel the more likely it is to charge for wifi.

Small family run hotels and motels are less likely to charge for wifi. One Hyatt Travel Extra has encountered charges $20/day whilst guests could find free WiFi at the window from adjacent coffee houses.

BACK EMPTY: A new development for 2013 has been the requirement from certain car rental companies that the car is returned empty,

instead of the old out full, back full system.

The idea is that the car rental company will do you “a favour” by allowing you to return the car empty, then hit you with a massive surcharge for the fuel costs. The traditional model for car hire is that the vehicle is expected to be returned with same amount of fuel as when it was picked up: usually “out full, back full”, occasionally “out empty, back empty”. With competition between rental companies intensifying, many firms have moved to an “out full, back empty” rule with customers paying inflated rates for petrol or diesel that they may not be able to use. Some contracts commit customers to paying an unavoidable charge with no refunds, with no idea how much the charge may be. This month Travel Extra’s editor was quoted three rates by a car hire company, $4.33 a gallon at the local pumps, $3.89 a gallon for a ‘no refunds’ fill to go, and $7.88 a gallon if the car had to be filled on return.

SUNBEDS A

common complaint from the sun resorts of Florida is the excessive charge for use of chairs and cabanas especially given the rates that are charged for accommodation.

CHECKOUT A late check-out charge can take on a different meaning when check-out is moved to early in the morning.

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Eoghan Corry reports from Durban

JUNE 2015 PAGE 5

INDABA 2015

FAIR TRADE

in tourism was the theme of an excellent speed marketing session.

In the most memorable contribution to the conference of all, Lara Mostert, marketing manager for Monkeyland told delegates: “it is WRONG to pose with monkeys or any animals to put pictures on your wall.”

NEW to Indaba this year was a tech zone

INDABA 2015 had fewer buyers (2,000) and a bloggers’ conference.

and sellers (1,000) than in the past, but the media presence (750) is a record as is the breadth of representation from 20 African countries. Thulani Nzima said that the emphasis was on quality, and 10,000 meetings would take place

INDABA is about to change dramatically even further Minister Derek Hanekom says that Indaba will be tendering for industry partners to create a pan-African show, based in Durban, which will rank third in the world behind WTM and ITB.

INDABA’s social scene is amongst the South African Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk speaking at the Indaba 2015 Opening ceremony

The visa riddle

S Africa visa situation unlear as deadline looms

B

uyers who came to Indaba 2015 in Durban were disappointed if they expected the long awaited clarification on South Africa’s controversial new immigration rules,

The situation is as confused as ever.

Negotiations are still ongoing and Minister said while he was concerned it was the Home office. Parents travelling with a child must produce an unabridged birth certificate for the

child; copies are acceptable. The new rules state that an affidavit will be required if both parents are not travelling with the children, or court order or death certificate for a deceased parent.

DIRECT FLIGHTS NOT A PRIORITY

J

ohannesburg is the fifth biggest indirect destination out of Dublin but a direct service is not a priority for the South African Tourist Board.

South African Tourism CEO Thulani Nzima said he “does not care” how tourists come to South Africa.

IN a separate interview Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom said that protecting South African Airways was not a priority of the government at the expense of greater air access, but that open skies on the continent of Africa had a long way to go.

According to Tolene Van der Merwe, London based

CEO of South Africa tourism Thulani Nzima and Eoghan Corry at Indaba 2015 in Durban two-country manager for ing urban lifestyle attracIreland and Britain for tions, musical experiences, South African Tourism Ire- food, fashion and wine and land is expected to grow in the vibrancy of the city 2015. destinations, as well as the The country is popular traditional safari product with the traditional older which drives most 43,000 market, they are highlight- visitors from Ireland each

year, although theswe are down from our peak of 43,379.

It makes Ireland the twelfth most important European market for South Africa and well down the world charts in 34th place, although Ireland’s spend per capita is among the highest.

“It is a case of demand in both directions.” Bashni Muthaya said. “Given the access via other destinations in England, the United Arab Emirates, France etc), I think this is something we'd need to work on by growing the demand significantly first.”

best on the circuit. The opening event, a cross between a Eurovision interval act and the Late Late Toy Show, a multinational extravaganza with classical singers, the Afro tenors, the Jaizel brothers, gospel choirs, and dancers, was brought to a crescendo by Beatenberg that had the delegates dancing in the aisles. The renowned Saturday night beach party had gotten washed out once too often and is no more but there were 24 dinner events instead.

UGANDA sponsored the ATTA dinner (no awards this year) in Moyo while some of the media were hosted by Thoko Jili of Wisdom Tours at a venue with a difference, Max’s Lifestyle in Umlazi township.

SOUTHERN SUN hotel develop-

ments include a R1.8bn expansion at Suncoast Casino and Entertainment, a R110m refurb at Garden Court Marine parade, refurbs at the Waterfrond in Cape Town, and a new 500room Sunsquare and Stayeasy, Sandton in Johannesburg will be completed in September.

It was 21 years to day since Nelson Mandela was sworn in as South Africa’s first democratically elected President, and it was a special moment for Travel Extra’s editor Eoghan Corry, who was present in Pretoria representing the Sunday Press, to see a white minister for tourism led to the stage by Zulu dancers.

SOUTH AFRICA tourism hosted 20 fam trips prior to Indaba, bringing delegates from new markets such as Turkey for the first time. Turkish operate a flight from Istanbul to Cape Town, with a 40-minute stay-on-board stop over in Johannesburg. This opens a onestop option for Irish people travelling to Cape Town with improved connections since Turkish went double daily last month. Nina Farrimond hosted a tour ops group in Limpopo, the hidden jewel of the north “real Africa” as South Africa specialist Richard Lamont of Zeta Tours described it. Kgomotso Ramothea hosted tour operators and one journalist in the Zulu battlefields.

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HOTELS

BELFAST has 16 new hotels in the development pipeline.

www.travelextra.ie

QUALITY Hotel in Youghal was bought

out by management, headed by GM Allen McEnery for €540,000.

CLONMEL PARK Michael McElligott’s Tetrarch Capital purchased the Clonmel Park Hotel in Tipperary.

HOTEL DOOLIN won the Green Tourism and Entertainment award at the 2015 Green Awards. Picture shows Cara Augustenborg, MD Impact Research Management, Bord Iascaigh Mhara presenting the award to Lisa Fearon and Raquel Noboa of Hotel Doolin.

STARWOOD Hotels will launch a new brand called the Tribute Portfolio.

MARRIOTT International will open the first of two Edition properties in New York next month, located in the city’s clock tower building opposite Madison Square Park.

MARITIM German group Maritim Hotels announced plans to build the 34-story Maritim Hotel Amsterdam in the Overhoeks neighbourhood, scheduled to open in 2018.

The property will contain 579 rooms and suites, three restaurants and two bars.

SIX SENSES Hotels Resorts Spas opens its first European resort on July 15: Six Senses Douro Valley, Portugal.

IHF Shannon region said it is experiencing a

boost in business thanks to a resurgence at Shannon airport.

IRISH COUNTRY HOTELS Carpenters, soap maker and artisan food producers attended Irish Country Hotels’ Meet the Buyer event, co-hosted by Guaranteed Irish at the Fitzgeralds Woodlands House Hotel in Adare, Co Limerick.

HILTON Worldwide launched a market-

STARWOOD Hotels & Resorts' new Apple Watch app will allow guests to open their hotel rooms. ing campaign and website for its Curio brand.

HILTON will introduce the Embassy

brand in China with a new property in the Hainan province, scheduled to open in 2019.

RITZ-CARLTON will open its second hotel in Saudi Arabia, the Ritz-Carlton Jeddah.

MELIA Hotels International will open its

IRISH COUNTRY HOTELS first Me brand property in Italy this month.

and Guaranteed Irish invited local suppliers to pitch their goods and services.

HILTON Worldwide opened its first

Hilton Hotels and Resorts property in Rio de Janeiro.

RED ROOF Hotel chain Red Roof

plans to open 40 new hotels in Canada over a 20 year period. The first four properties are expected to open in 2016.

IHG Rewards Club are to add a new top membership level in July 2015.

Ashford Castle

Ashford reborn

Mayo hotel completes €47m restoratoin programme

A

shford Castle Hotel has reopened following a €47m restoration that involved repointing the stone walls to tackle heat loss in the hotel.

Stanley and Beatrice Tollman’s Red Carnation Hotels purchased the 82 bedroom for €20m in June 2014 and the Ashford Lodge in January 2014 for €1.8m.

A new spa and swimming pool will open in July. An old coal bunker in the basement has been converted into a wine cavern.

The nine hole golf course, fishing, shooting, and archery facilities have all been restored.

Red Carnation Hotels, a familyowned collection of sixteen luxury hotels, acquired the Castle in June 2013 and committed to enhancing its guest facilities and levels of luxury and comfort.

They say their programme takes a three phased approach. Eight guestrooms have been completed in the Victorian and East Wings, including the grandest suites in the castle, furnished by a dynamic design team headed by Beatrice Tollman, Founder and President of Red Carnation Hotels, and her daughter Toni Tollman.

Rooms feature a luxurious mix of furnishings and original artwork with antique furniture, fabrics, bespoke carpets and marble bathrooms.

The second stage focussed on the hotel’s existing public areas and 30 further guestrooms.

Parts of Ashford Castle date back as early as 1228, so restoration work included an intricate overhaul of the building’s infrastructure, including stonework, windows and roofs, to ensure the castle’s long-term future. The restoration enabled the castle to now be fully air conditioned, wifi enabled throughout and with flat screen television sets and a variety of connection points installed in each guestroom for the best connectivity.

A double aspect new Library was created in the vaulted area near the entrance hall with walls of books and cosy window seats. By the end of the second phase of the refurbishment, the existing public areas and more than 30 guestrooms were complete.

Behind the scenes, the castle’s kitchens were moved and completely rebuilt on a different level closer to the dining room, facilitating a more efficient and timely service for future diners.

The third and final phase of the renovation saw the remaining guestrooms completed, a 32-seat indoor cinema, a billiard room and a cigar terrace, as well as a children’s game room. The new facilities will help to extend the outdoor activities to include falconry, horse-riding, water sports, clay pigeon shooting, catchand-release fishing, hiking, golf and tennis.

A full service spa and large indoor heated pool will be next part of the ambitious enhancement of the castle.

Restoration to the 350-acre sprawling estate included walled and herb gardens, to the tennis courts, falconry centre and nine-hole golf course, the drainage of which was overhauled to ensure guests could use it year round.

The Cullen’s at the Cottage pub and nearby buildings were renovated and the surrounding area re-landscaped.

There are further plans to restore the old boathouse on the shores of Lake Corrib. The building has already been fortified and retiled to prepare it for future guest use, as a secluded and private honeymoon suite.

Staff levels will be significantly increased, boosting employment within the local area. All new and existing staff will undertake Red Carnation’s training and development programmes to ensure that the service delivery across the hotel is second to none. Local artisans and suppliers have been identified. In-room amenities will be by organic skincare range VOYA from nearby Sligo.

Jonathan Raggett, Managing Director of Red Carnation Hotels, said the restoration will take Ashford Castle to another level, beyond its already world-class standards.

Ashford Castle celebrated its 75th anniversary as a hotel in 2014. The renovation will protect and enhance this iconic property for the next 75 years, and beyond.

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Red white and blu Irish visits back to 600,000 as French trade recovers

A

tout France reported 84.7m international tourist arrivals in 2014 generating €42.2bn in revenue.

Overall tourism represents 7.4 percent of France’s GDP. The figvures were released at Rendez Vous de France 2015 which was held in at the exhibition centre known as the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles in the XV arrondissement in Paris.

The event attracted 920 international tour operators, buyers and journalists attended from 67 countries.

Atout France reports over 23,000 business meetings were booked via a dedicated event website for the 2-day trade show.

Overall 750 tourism representatives in France showcased 158 exhibits from the various regions.

The top three regions represented were: ■ The south of France with Aquitaine, Auvergne, the MidiPyrnees, among others (32 percent) ■ The North with Ile de France, Picardie and Nord Pas de Calais. (24 percent) ■ The East with Alsace, Lorraine, and Champagne-Ardenne among others. (18 percent) Afterwards, 420 tour operators participated in one of the proposed 36 FAM trips scheduled in 17 regions across France.

Air France and SNCF/Rail Europe, partner carriers of Rendez vous en France facilitated transfers throughout France.

On the second evening the Centre Georges Pompidou, that bastion of art was transformed into a showcase of

JUNE 2015 PAGE 7

NEWS

PORTE DE VERSAILLES

attracted a record 7m visitors last year to the 160 events that it hosted. The MICE venue near Lousi XIV’s capital has embarked on an expansion scheme. Highlights of the development include a triangle tower which will cost €500m, the same as the entire park. Pablo Nahle-Cerruit showcased the development plans for the venue for invited journalists at Rendez Vous France 2015.

PARIS The highlight of the capital city’s openings in 2015 is the €400m investment in the Philoharmonie, a concert hall built with the care and attention to detail of a violin. There are 4,000 instruments in the park, and it is designed so that visitors can access the roof without taking a single stair.

IRISH visits to France have increased from 570k to 600k in 2014. The Toulouse area was one of the key areas of growth from Ireland (“rugby helps,’ Agnes Angrand from Atout France says) .

Christian Mantei, Director General of Atout France, Agnes Angrand of Atout France in London responsible for the Irish market and Matthias Fekl, Minister of State at the French Dept of Foreign Affairs with responsiblity for Tourism French products. The gallery’s main atrium served as abackdrop for a twolevel smorgasbord of amuse bouche and wine stations with some of the finest wineries from Bordeaux, Alsace and the Rhone Valley showcasing their vinifera.

Singers in golden attire sang the popular “I love Paris” medley toasting the crowd with sparkling wine.

Guests were granted an exclusive viewing of the Jeff Koons exhibition, the first major retrospective of the controversial American contemporary artist’s work in Europe.

On the third night, the Galeries Lafayette Haussmann was trnsformed into an international buyers’ market as

invited guests arrived to the retail emporium to graze the fine food and mingle over more champagne and amuse bouche with Occidental flavours.

The Galeries Lafayette Haussmann recently introduced a concierge service in a private lounge setting available for travel professionals. Located on the second floor the sleekly designed lounge has quiet nooks to relax in this retail therapy environment.

Find beverages, snacks, free wi-fi, and cozy chairs to sit back and catch your second wind. The lounge also has a hotel delivery service, a tax refund area, and the English-speaking team can assist in sightseeing tips.

VAL d’ISERE Spa expansion has been the story in Val d’isere in recent years.

The Ski resort now has 13 spas and the Yule five star hote is due to open on the snow front for the 2015-16 seaosn. The Grand Paradis has also been rebuilt

PARIS The capital city will seehe opening of the Louis Vuitton foundation.

Rendez Vous France hosted 44 journalists on the media programme this year.

LIDO Guests at rendez Vouse de France were hosted at the revamped Lido show, with less can-can and fewer feathers. The new show is choreographed by Franco Dragone, the maverick director known for his blockbuster shows with Celine Dion and Cirque du Soleil. The show Paris Merveilles is a reflection on the city that weaves emotive songs from lead singer Manon Trinquier, a French version of Adele, in voice and delivery, complete with sword swallowing red corseted tattoo-riddled performer and the ice skating dynamic duo.

Reactions were mixed but the overwhelming sense was that the show has moved on to cater for the tastes of a new generation.

EUROPEAN RAIL WITH VOYAGES-SNCF For all of your leisure and business rail requirements across Europe TGV (high speed trains in France) Thalys (Paris, Brussels, Cologne and Amsterdam) TGV Lyria (France to Switzerland) Eurostar (London to Paris and Brussels) TGV France-Spain (France to Spain) Renfe (Spanish trains) Italo (trains in Italy) TGV France-Italy (France to Italy)

Book e in onlin w fe just a ! k clic s

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POSTCARDS FROM THE TRAVEL SCENE

aurice Shiels and Carol McGilloway from Topflight hosted winning travel agents on a VIP trip to Group in Italy Topflight’s summer 2015 charters programme sees increased capacity on both the Naples (serving Sorrento , the Amalfi Coast and the islands, Capri and Ischia) and Verona (serving Lake Garda and Venetian Riviera including Lido di Jesolo) routes, where Topflight see a

M

continued upward swing.

The he Company, which is wholly Irish owned, and run by Chairman and founder Tony Collins, has continued to position itself as Ireland’s Italian Specialist. . the group visited Sorrento and Lake Garda on a VIP trip with excursions to Pompeii and Vesuvius, boat trips on Lake Garda, an afternoon in Verona and a visit to Malcesine castle with wine and limoncello tasting.

he Spanish Tourist Board and Canaria Tourism hosted agents on a fam trip to Fuerteventura, Although Fuerteventura is traditionally the quietest and least visited of the four main Canary Islands the island has more visitors than many countries, direct flights form Ireland and has long been a favourite of the Irish travel trade Picture shows Shane Cullen of Killiney Travel, Loretta Mooney of

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O’Hanrahan Travel, Mairead Morris of Sunway, Borja Bedoya of Spanish Tourist Board, Lucie Velka of Club Travel, Belinda Donegan of Budget Travel, Michael Kelly of Keller Travel, and Josephine McGuane of GoHop pictured at Fuerteventura Beach on the Spanish TB agents fam trip to Fuerteventura, April 18-25, 2015

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Travel and Bernie Colgan from Majorca with Jacinta McGlynn and Laura McCormack of Click and Go at the workshop in Dublin Picture shows Marian Benton of Map Travel and Bernie Colgan from Majorca with Jacinta McGlynn and Laura McCormack of Clickandgo at the Canary Island workshop.

he Canary Islands hosted travel agents in the trendy Dean Hotel in Dublin’s Harcourt Street.

Canary Island hoteliers updated Irish agents in Limerick and Dublin outlining in a market that attract 400,000 Irish tourists a year.

The tourism authorities have launched a new trade website and products.

Picture shows Marian Benton of Map

he inaugural Irish Tourism Industry Awards attracted 525 people to the Doubletree by Hilton.

Award winners on the night included Shannon Airport for its marketing initiative, Inis Meán Restaurant for the best design in tourism, the The Food Summit with Good Food Ireland for best food experience, Kerry County Council for best local authority innovation, Vagabond Adventure Tours for adven-

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ture experience, Fab Food Trails for urban experience, Lough Boora in Offaly for environmental innovation, Glasnevin Cemetery Museum for cultural experience, Guinness Storehouse for leisure innovation, Adventure Travel World Summit 2014 for business tourism and CIE Tours International for international marketing. Picture shows MC Mary Kennedy watching Minister Paschal Donohoe’s speech.

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2016, the first journey will be a four night tour: ‘Legends and Loughs’. Travelling from Cork to Killarney, Galway and Westport including the lakes of Killarney, Connemara national park, sporting activities at Ashford Castle, sheepdog trials and traditional Irish music and crafts in Galway. Picture shows John Scott, Minister Paschal Donohue and Gary Franklin at the launch.

U

Baron von Trapp, whose story inspired "The Sound of Music", in Salzburg’s Mirabell Chapel.

Picture shows Elaine Massey of Killiney Travel, Leonie Donovan of JustSplit.com, Bernie O’Callaghan of J Barter Travel, Tim Carey of The Travel Boutique, Rosemary O’Connell of Lee Travel and Margaret McKenna of O’Hanrahan Travel.

he Belmond Grand Hibernian launch was one of the most high profile travel events of the year

so far.

The luxury train service is described as new Celtic sister to Belmond Royal Scotsman and the first luxury touring train in Ireland. Reservations are now available for the exclusive two, four and six night itineraries throughout Ireland.

Launching on the rails in August

niworld hosted agents on board the luxurious River Beatrice on the Danube.

The itinerary offers history, grand architecture, graceful music, food and wine and a taste of both Eastern and Western Europe.

On select departures May through September, guests will experience an exclusive performance by Elisabeth von Trapp, granddaughter of Maria and

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POSTCARDS FROM THE TRAVEL SCENE

ileen O’Mara Walsh includes a memoir of her days in the travel trade of her book, the Third Daughter.

The story is of Eileen’s unconventional Limerick childhood to years spent in Dublin, London and Paris, returning to Ireland in the 1970s to pioneer a burgeoning tourism industry. Three chapters of the book are concerned with her role in inbound and outbound tourism.

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She describes how single motherhood galvanised her into establishing her own company and how she found herself at the forefront of Irish corporate life during the 1980s and 90s. .Picture shows the former O’Mara Travel team at the launch at the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin: Niamh Burns, Eileen Kelly, John Healy, Eileen O’Mara Walsh, Susanne Monks, Fiona Herald and Grainne Cryan.

he Travel Industry Golf Society president Audrey Headon and sponsors Etihad hosted their largest golfer’s gathering in recent years at Druids Glen, with 84 golfers taking the field.

It was the biggest turnout in the recent history of TIGS and dinner guests filled two rooms of the Druids Glen championship clubhouse. Tributes were paid to Ray Treacy and Sean Daly at the event.

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It is likely that the Trinity Cup, in which Ray Treacy was a participant, wil be revived in his memory and played between travel industry golfers in Spain, Portugal and Ireland.

Winners were Oliver McCann and Nicola Burns, pictured with Audrey Headon President of TIGS and Beatrice Cosgrove, Ireland country manger of event sponsors Etihad.

ravel Counsellors Ireland looked back at their ten year history at their conference in Carton House where 55 out of the 62 travel counsellors and 29 partners convened.

It was the first conference since last November's management buy out of the home working group, which turns over €22m in Ireland.

The supplier workshops featured 11 airlines, 12 tour operators, six tourist

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boards, seven cruise lines, three bedbanks, a GDS and DMC from Asia, a car hire company, insurance and attractions.

Steve Byrne Group Managing Director of Travel Counsellors gave the keynote speech.

Picture shows Nessa Hurley, Bernie Whelan, Cathy Burke and Ciara MacConnell from Travel Counsellors Head Office arriving at Carton House for the event.

isit Florida hosted travel media in Dublin where they outlined new events across the length and breadth of the state.

Featured destinations extended from Panama Beach in the north west to Amelia Island on the north east and down to Oonagh McCullough’s southern coast. Kissimmee is the most central, offering zip line adventure rides within he Orlando city limits and close to the

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major theme parks such as Disney. Kenneth Morgan-Schleuning spoke about the attractions of the state in general and introduced the speakers.

Picture shows Kenneth MorganSchleuning of Visit Florida, Hope Sarzier of Amelia Island, Brooke Fleming of Pensacola, Rochelle Siegel of Kissimmee, Dan Rowe of Panama Beach and Oonagh McCullough of Naples, Marco Islands and Everglades.

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lobster sandwiches to school while the rich kids scoffed on corned beef.160 lighthouses and 27,000 recorded shipwrecks, Nova Scotia has a strong pub culture, and offers golfing and winter surfing experiences. Picture shows JeanFrançois Dominiak, CEO of Europe Airpost, Catherine Grennell-Whyte, MD of ATTS, and Martin Skelly, President of the ITAA.

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will include the Irish Open in Royal County Down.

Picture shows Declan O’Connell of Lee Travel, Noel McAuliffe of Travel Focus, Kieran Collins of Heffernan’s, Michael Doorley of Shandon Travel, Anita Thomas of Emirates, Paul O Connell, Mary Jones of Lee Travel, Sarah McCarthy of Travel Counsellors and Cian Bohane who were hosted by Emirates at the Munster Rugby Awards.

ean-François Dominiak, CEO of Europe Airpost, stopped by to celebrate the new route from Dublin to Halifax in Canada at Dublin’s Brasserie Le Pont restaurant.

Europe Airpost’s 737-700 service originates in Paris CDG and continues via Dublin direct to Halifax once weekly between July 9 and Sept 11. Back in the day, Lindsay said, lobsters were in such an abundance that the poor kids brought

mirates will continued their series of agent promotions over the summer months..

Emirates are the only airline to offer a first class service out of Ireland, and Emirates flies a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, 360 seats in a three-class configuration - eight seats in First Class, 42 in Business Class and 310 in Economy Class. Big upcoming events which involved trade and corporate customers

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etting there by degrees. On no other voyage do you have the same sense of place, the same sense of your progress being measured on some great global chart, like you do on the Hurtigruten Arctic cruise.

Every time you wake up on a cruise ship on the Hurtigruten line it is important to check what is happening, what has changed.

It is not just the stunning scenery. Can scenery continue to stun when there is such a plentiful supply of it?. The scenery becomes almost routine on a trip that has styled itself for a hundred years as the most beautiful voyage on the ocean.

It is also important to check how far north, how far east, how many degrees further form the norm.

Nowhere does this sense of excitement and enthralment become more important than you have passed the north Cape.

This piece of rocky headland is on the top left hand corner of Norway.

Next stop will be the North Pole or, more likely, Svalbard, which, for all intents and purposes, may be the same thing.

The journey then does something unexpected, it ratchets up the excitement and introduces a sense of enhanced anticipation and expectation about

Blissful Borealis Eoghan Corry cruises the Arctic circle with Hurtigruten Husky driving at Kirkenes, last stop on the Hurtigruten Arctic trail going east, and starts putting our noses into the ear of the Russian bear, as it were.

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ur journey in March 2015 was an eventful one.

Most of the customers that had come were charter passengers sent by Irish travel agents in anticipation of the northern lights and a solar eclipse.

Both performed to some degree. We saw the eclipse on the shimmering waves through a gap in the clouds.

The Northern lights were fashionably late arriving, like a beautiful woman, and did not re-

veal enough to remove our sense of anticipation and desire to return to see more.

That may have been a good thing, because the lights are seductive and really should take many dates before they have been wooed and won.

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he Northern Lights, the far famed aurora borealis were peripheral to the experience. The voyage did something even more spectacular. It tossed us and turned us and threw us in the air.

The captain announced one night that he was going through a force

twelve.

The ship rocked outrageously. The most expensive berries in the world, cloud berries, had been served for desert, and many of them ended up in unexpected places, decorating the drains along the deck and in the lavatories.

Our small group of battle hardened journalists from Ireland drank the Hurtigruten red wine, watched the carnage, and enjoyed the rock and roll, jive and swing, like teenagers at their first dance.

The ocean and the climate here are harsh, they are supposed to be. We saw the ocean for three successive days at its

harshest and it proved a greater highlight of the voyage than the Northern lights could ever have delivered.

As for the climate, we got a blast of that too.

When we rushed to deck at night in response to every reputed sighting of the northern lights, sounded out over the tannoy like an air raid warning, we got sand blasted with tiny particles of ice on our faces. The enthusiasm never abated. If he had said the ship was sinking there would not have been such a scramble to the deck.

And we pretended we enjoyed the experience.

Some of us even did.

The wind was cold as a brass monkey’s mammalian protuberance. The passengers wrapped and double wrapped in the layers they were told to bring and raised eyebrows at each other in the absence of any other means of communication.

I had my long standing weather-beaten Antarctic Hurtigruten jacket and it stood, as might be expected, the worst of the excesses of the weather.

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hen, a surprise.

The longer you stayed to face the Arctic the more rewarding it became, the greater the sense that you were in

Clockwise: Nordlys departs Tromso, midnight concert in Tromso Cathedral, the northernmost in the world, happy Arctic dip participants Michael Hirschel, Eoghan Corry and Rachel Guy, the Arctic dip certificate, and Nordlys in Kirkenes.

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DESTINATION NORWAY one of the last pieces of a planet that had not been tamed by what the marketing departments of tour odorators like to describe in their brochures as “experiential tourism.”

It didn’t get any more experiential than a minus 25 wind chill on a dark night in the Barents Sea. What to do to enhance the experience further?

Having a personal and national reputation to protect, I had to swim. They led us ashore, Michael Hirschel from Dusseldorf, Rachel Guy from Dun Laoghaire, and Eoghan from Straffan, like the international revolutionary “viva cold water” ringleaders been brought to the firing squad.

We togged out in a gymnasium, and were led along the dock to a basket, akin to those they use for shark dives in South Africa and Australia.

Except this time WE were the spectacle, and any chad that had decided to stop by to spend a Sunday afternoon inshore with their wife and chadlings was going to have a great laugh as our expense.

I went first, as is my wont, plunged and reemerged from the water, probably too quickly.

More than anyone else, I should know that water that is still liquid is going to be warmer than the air outside.

It was warm, a balmy plus two and a half. And the wind when it came to

bit further up the coast.

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Astrid Lund in the Narnia-like Snow hotel in Kirkenes whip my bared shoulders and legs after I had reemerged from the water was not as harsh as I had anticipated. It was like the Barents Sea had warmed me up so much that the cold wind outside would have no occasion to worry me, at least for a few minutes.

Michael stayed longest, stretching his legs, and wiggling his toes, and I wished I had done the same.

They gave me a certificate to show that I was in the Barents Sea for a swim. All I could think of was the “here be dragons” warning in the medieval seafarer maps, or perhaps those old Ord-

nance Survey maps which always featured a wing of the workhouse called the idiots wing.

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on't tell anyone about to book a Hurtigruten holiday, but the Northern Cape is a fraud.

The real Northern Cape was too inaccessible and provided too great a difficulty to build a visitor centre there, so they picked another spot instead.

Not that it matters, it is like being shown the site of the true crucifixion or the tomb in Jerusalem, or the Battle of Clontarf at Heddigan’s pub. Exacti-

tudes do not concern international tourism.

Instead the Norwegians have done a terrific job.

They have built a visitor centre which is where most of the cruise shoreexxers to the Northern Cape will spend their time. Because, when the fog comes down which does 27 times an hour, judging by what happened when we were there, there is not much to see.

True, in between the cloud will lift and this amazing Arctic scene will

come dancing before the eyes of the visitors. But hanging around waiting for pretty stuff is not really an option in a wind of minus 25.

So what next, but to drop in to a visitor centre that starts and ends, like all visitor centres do, with the gift shop, and along the way offers some interesting displays, a church, a Thai temple and a video depicting this coastline in all its glory.

It doesn't really matter if the real Northern Cape is a lump of stone a little

efinitely the coolest call of the week was to the snow hotel in Kirkenes, where three time zones meet, (like the words of a Brendan Shine song), Russia is two hours behind, Finland just one hour behind. IN theory you can run around the marker and confuse your smartphone.

Astrid Lund showed us through the snow hotel, the pride of the area’s bed stock, all ice sculptures and filter lights..

Why the fire extinguishers? “We are still a hotel and subject to hotel regulations,” Astrid says, “the politicians in their wisdom require us to have them.”

A worrying development, coolers have had to be used to keep the snow hotel at the required temperature in recent years due to global warming.

Others went husky driving along the ice, the dogs with their tongues sideways form their mouths, occasionally barking with excitement.

Some of the cruise ship excursionists look like they are about to do the same.“We call it boiling point,” said Astrid, “70 degrees north and 30 degrees east.”

■ Hurtigruten's Northern Lights Promise, has been re-introduced for next Winter. There will be a direct departure form Dublin on March 22 following the success of the director charter flights from Dublin to Tromso in 2014.

Clockwise: cruising through the ice, reindeer in Kirkenes, the northern Cape, Tromso’s bridge by night, and the first ad for a Hurtigruten cruise in a Dublin newspaper sets the tone in 1908

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DESTINATION USA

ALASKA with

the National Park Service turning 100, visit and explore Alaska’s 15 national parks, preserves, monuments and national historical parks. For more information on Alaska’s national park service,

ANN ARBOUR is highlight-

ing dining experiences and cultural events.

ARIZONA developments include the opening of Western Spirit: Scottsdale's Museum of the West in January 2015, a new 180-room Sheraton Hotel Mesa that opened March 2015 and that work will begin in June 2015 on the Legoland Discovery Center at Arizona Mills, which is due to open 2016.

ARIZONA:

Scottsdale has got a new vibe, with a new live music experience, LiveWire. This 14,000square-foot space in the Entertainment District downtown features a broad spectrum of favorite artists, comedians and national touring acts: Wiz Khalifa, DJ Steve Aoki and Boyz II Men are already on the calendar this spring.

BOSTON Mario

Batali has opened one restaurant in the Seaport with much bigger plans for the Back Bay, RunBase opened its first US location near the Marathon finish line, the EMK Institute has been unvleiled, and a great lineup of Spring Forums is on tap at the recently re-opened, and upgraded, JFK Library.

CALIFORNIA: The California Official State Visitor’s Guide for 2015 is ready for its close-up. Get the scoop on the best places to explore, maps, expert tips, planning guides and dozens of other helpful ideas and tools. It’s

What’s new USA

available free online or order a printed copy.

Contact: www.visitcalifornia.com

CALIFORNIA: The much-anticipated opening of The Broad, LA.’s latest museum, is now scheduled for fall 2015. The inaugural exhibition of this spectacular museum will focus on the renowned contemporary collection of Eli and Edythe Broad; it will feature a roughly chronological timeline, with works from the 50s

by Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg; 60s Pop Art by Andy Warhol, Ed Ruscha and Roy Lichtenstein; and 70s and 80s works by Keith Haring, JeanMichel Basquiat and Jeff Coons. Contact: www.thebroad.org CHICAGO Sky-

deck Pie in the Sky package which is a three-course meal catered by Giordano’s on our 103rd floor. It is a great idea for a romantic date night or a fun treat for the whole family with VIP access to the 103rd floor and the glass Ledges that extend 4.3 feet outside of the building. The package is offered daily after we close to the public, so reservations are for 10:30 PM April through September and 8:30 PM October

through March.

LAComing this spring

to Universal Studios Hollywood is Springfield – The Simpsons Ride, a new attraction that will bring to life the hometown of America’s most famous animated family. It will feature famous spots such as Krusty Burger, Luigi’s Pizza, Moe’s Tavern and Duff’s Brewery.

FLAGSTAFF is hosting a 66 kicks on Route 66 promotion. We will be rolling out the program at Pow Wow for media and tour operators to begin planning for.

We have plenty more to talk about at Pow Wow this year, from additional brewery tasting rooms in the downtown area to new hotel developments that have already broken ground and remodels in the works.

HENRY FORD

Museum and at the Ford Rouge Factory Tour features Roadside America – Through the Lens of John Margolies. Visitors to the Rouge Complex will get a reimagined view inside the automotive and social innovations taking place at the plant producing Ford’s all-new aluminum-based F-150, winner of the 2015 North American Truck of the Year at the North American Interna-

tional Auto Show.

FLORIDA In Sep-

tember, 2015 the City of St. Augustine will be celebrating its 450th Birthday with street festivals with live entertainment , historic reenactments, commemorative ceremonies, fireworks, birthday cake and more. We’re even expecting royalty! But you do not have to wait till September to be part of the celebration. Through 2015 visitors to Florida’s Historic Coast can experience the excitement in the Nation’s oldest city at nearly 60 authentic attractions and historic sites and explore 42 miles of pristine Atlantic Coast beaches.

FLORIDA: Saw-

grass Mills in Ft. Lauderdale now has a complimentary Shop N Drop service where your purchases can be stored in a safe location without dragging the bags throughout the center as you continue shopping.

Add to that perk new concierge-level assistance, with friendly, multilingual ambassadors offering directions and tips, and a new Sawgrass Mills Circle Bus that runs throughout the day and evening, connecting guests to each of the mall’s main entrances.

FLORIDA: The

historic Everglades Wonder Gardens in Bonita Springs—one of Florida’s original roadside attractions—has reopened after a major renovation. The lush, 3.5-acre botanical jungle features newly created paths, a pink flamingo pond, an alligator pool with 40 gators and a swinging bridge above them, and a butterfly house, among many other attractions. An art gallery features the landscape photography of award-winning local photographer, and new manager, John Brady.

Admission is $12.95 for adults; $10.95 for seniors; $7.95 for children 3-12; and free for children under 3. Group rates for 10 or more are available. Contact: www.evergladeswondergardens.co

FORT WORTH

National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame has begun renovation of its galleries and public spaces using hologram technology to bring Annie Oakley alive and share her story in her own words. Three international firms are collaborating on the project; renovation of the first floor is already underway and scheduled to reopen summer 2015.

HAWAII: Hula les-

sons, imu ceremony, complimentary cocktails, expansive buffet, dynamic revue, they all come together at “Voyagers of the Pacific,” a new luau show at the Royal Kona Resort on the Big Island. With a backdrop of Kailua Bay, the sunset revue showcases the stories, song and dance of Hawaii’s ancestors, capped by the thrilling, and dangerous, Samoan fire knife dance.

Show days are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. The cost is $88 for adults; $41 for children 6-11; children 5 and under, free.

MUSEUM attrac-

tions in the USA—New York’s Museum of Modern Art, The Guggenheim and The Frick Collection, as well as the Hirshhorn Museum and, soon, the entire Smithsonian collection in Washington DC are banning the selfie-stick, a relatively recent invention that allows smartphone users to extend their reach by several feet when they attach their smartphone to it in order to take selfie photos. Perhaps the best rationale is contained in the brief policy statement regarding all photography by The Frick Collection at One East 70th Street in New York City: “Still photography without flash for personal use by means of phones, hand-held cameras and tablet devices, is permitted only in the Garden Court, and may not include objects there which are explicitly prohibited by notice. Selfie sticks are not permitted.

Videography and use of a tripod are not permitted at any time. When taking photographs, please be courteous to other museum visitors by not blocking their view or impeding their movement.”

HOUSTON re-

ports growth on the culinary, retail and art fronts.

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DESTINATION USA

signer stores, Atrium event center, elegant food market, tourist welcome center and other amenities. The Mall is located next to Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport."

More than $1.5 billion is being invested in the area around the George R. Brown Convention Center alone, including a new Marriott Marquis Hotel and improvements to the convention centre.

LAS VEGAS

Bellagio and MGM Grand have redesigned their thousands of rooms and suites with a combined investment of $325m while the Stripfronts of New York-New York and Monte Carlo also have been updated to become more pedestrian friendly with indoor-outdoor restaurants and bars (including the popular Nine Fine Irishmen) and will become the epicenter of future Las Vegas as a new treefilled park (the first on The Strip) connects the two resorts and a new $375m, 20,000-seat arena (opening spring

MAMMOTH

Las Vegas remains popular despite not having direct flights from Ireland 2016). In addition to multiple new restaurant concepts and chefs making Las Vegas a tasty destination to explore, Sin City is answering the growing demand for immersive entertainment experiences with the introduction of larger-thanlife music festivals such as Rock ‘n Roll Wine Amplified, Electric Daisy Carnival and Route 91 Harvest Festi-

val; in May 2015, one of Brazil’s most popular music festivals – Rock in Rio – will make its U.S. debut in Las Vegas.

LOUDOUN 25

miles from Washington, DC, is highlighting a year of spirits, wine and beer in historic buildings set along the rolling countryside. At Catoctin Creek Distillery, see a working craft distillery

in action while enjoying a flight of American made whiskey, brandy or gin. Or, venture to one of Loudoun’s almost 50 wineries and breweries to try Virginia Bordeaux blends and handcrafted beer.

MALL OF AMERICA will open a $350 expansion this fall featuring a deluxe JW Marriott hotel, 50 high-end de-

Mountain was named the official training mountain of the US Winter Olympic Snowboard and Freestyle teams.

MINNESOTA

Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska is gearing up to stage the Ryder Cup in 2016.

NEW YORK

New for 2015 are guided tours of the 9/11 Memorial. Join a staff member on a 45-minute tour of the plaza, exploring the symbolism behind the Memorial's design, the historical significance of the World Trade Center, and learning about what

happened on 9/11.

NEW YORK

Whitney Museum of American Art opens May 1 having moved from its Upper East Side location to a brand new building in the Meatpacking District. Designed by Renzo Piano, the architect behind the Shard, the building sits right alongside the High Line, which opened its final section in September High Line at the Rail Yards so this will be the first summer season the entire park will be open to the public The threefloor One World Observatory, on floors 100-102 of the One World Trade Center, will open to the public on May 29th. Lower Manhattan new shopping options this year include Westfield World Trade Center and Brookfield Place which opened in

For all you need to know about the USA 01 4429556 & info@visitusa.ie www.visitusa.ie

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DESTINATION USA March 2015. Aloft Manhattan Downtown Financial District is accepting reservations from June 5.

Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration formerly known as Ellis Island Museum will open to the public on May 20th .

Headliners include Eric Church, Lady Antebellum and award-winning country music trio Rascal Flatts, among other big names and up-andcoming stars. Three-day passes are on sale now, with VIP options available. Contact: www.CarolinaCountryMusicFest.c om

NEW YORK: Love New York? You’ll love it even more with the I LOVE NY app. It’s an easy way to check out thousands of attractions, events, restaurants, wineries and much more.

Available free at the iTunes App Store or Google Play. Contact: http://www.iloveny.com NEW YORK

States’ free I LOVE NEW YORK mobile app is now available including Path through History and Taste NY locations

NYC HOTEL BEA-

CON celebrates the 2nd Anniversary of the opening of its chic BEACON BAR, Tuesday night jazz, as well as contemporary piano entertainment on Wednesday and Friday nights, has created a buzz. In mid-May, guests can watch the world go by as they sip cocktails at the new Beacon Bar (sidewalk) Café.

ORANGE

COUNTY CALIFORNIA new features for 2015 include a behindthe-scenes look into the world of chocolate making at the ChocXo Bean to Bar Chocolatier.

Irvine now has the most open space in all of Orange County with 16,000 acres offering 54 miles of off-street bikeways, along with hiking trails.

OXNARD is highlighting Channel Islands National Park, the Oxnard Salsa Festival and their the beaches– no crowds, no noise and NO STICKER SHOCK! PORTLAND

Bridge of the People is nearing completion and Portland has 2,000 rooms slated to come on-

ST PETERSBURG/CLEARWA-

The rree that made Paul Hewson famous

line in 2015.

ROUTE 66 is

turning 90 next year all eight states will be organizing events to commemorate the Mother Road!

S BARNARDINO

County’s latest campaign highlighsts its status as California’s Outdoor Playground and the outdoor recreation facilities at Big Bear Mountain, Lake Arrowhead, Joshua Tree and Death Valley National Park.

SAN FRAN

will host Super Bowl 50 on Feb. 7, 2016 43 miles (69 km) south of San Francisco in the heart of Silicon Valley in Santa Clara at Levis Stadium which has the largest high definition outdoor screens in the world.

Football fans can experience the stadium by taking a guided tour or visiting the 20,000square-foot 49ers Museum presented by Sony which celebrates the 49ers past, present and future. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) to reopen and double in size in 2016.

SANTA CRUZ has opened the Grateful Dead Archives on the

eve of their 50th anniversary,, a permanent exhibit at UC Santa Cruz – free and open to the public. Celebrating the towns status as the birthplace of mainland surfing in the United States.

SARASOTA

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide will open its first property in Sarasota County August of 2015. Both in the City of Sarasota with bay views and within walking distance to shops and restaurants, the Aloft will offer 139 rooms and the Westin will offer 255 rooms. . Craft breweries are making their home in Sarasota including JDubs Brewing Company serving new beers on a weekly basis, Big Top Brewery and Mandeville Beer Garden where many of the local brews can be found on tap at their newly opened location in downtown Sarasota. These new breweries join Drum Circle Distillery, maker of award-wining Siesta Key Rum.

SOUTH CAROLINA: The first-

ever Carolina Country Music Festival debuts on the beach at Myrtle Beach on June 5-7, 2015.

TER. The 230-room beachfront Opal Sands Resort opens in Spring 2016. The nearby 450room Wyndham Grand Resort in two towers is set to become Clearwater Beach’s biggest property, has also broken ground.

Ocean Properties is planning a 77-room Gulffront luxury resort in Treasure Island. In downtown St. Pete, a 174-room Hyatt is in the pipeline.

Summer will see a new finale to the attraction’s iconic Studio Tour: “Fast & Furious – Supercharged,” based on the action movie series. The dynamic ride catapults guests into the underground world of fast cars with hyper-realistic special effects, as state-ofthe-art 3D-HD imagery is projected onto an expansive 360-degree screen that encircles the tour’s passengers. Contact: www.universalstudioshollywood.com

SUPER SHUTTLE

launched a mobile self check app that allows customers to find their van when they land. The transfer providers pen for business in Atlanta International Airport and we will be open at Salt Lake International Airport by May 15, 2015.

TENNESSEE:

is highlighting Dolly Parton's DreamMore Resort in Pigeon Forge, TN - opening in August, Bass Pro at the Pyramid in Memphis opening April 30 and the 90th birthday celebration of Nashville's Grand Ole

Opry in October.

TEXAS Sherlock Holmes (or Forensic Files) fans take note: The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes opens Feb. 14 at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas.

Visitors will be transported to 19th-century Victorian London as they become detectives, using hands-on forensic techniques and tools to solve a baffling crime. Presented in English and Spanish, the exhibition runs through May 10, 2015. This special exhibit requires a surcharge along with general admission for a total of $29 for adults (18-64), $23 for seniors (65+) and $21 for youth (2-17). Contact: www.perotmuseum.org

VISITORS The United States welcomed a record 75m international visitors in 2014, fivem more than the year before-a seven percent increase over 2013. The result is a 5th consecutive record for total arrivals. In 2014, the top inbound markets continued to be Canada and Mexico. Overnight volume from Canada was 23.0m travelers in 2014, a two percent decline from the 2013 record. At the same time, Mexico greatly improved its position with 17.3m visits, an increase of 19 percent. In 2014 Mexico easily surpassed its previous record set in 2007.

The England (+4pc), Japan (-4pc), and Brazil (+10pc) rounded out the top five inbound markets. In 2014, 16 of the top 20 inbound visitor markets posted increases in visits, seven accounted for double-digit increases and 12 set record visits to the United States. The top 20 markets accounted for 88 percent of all international visits to the United States. Travel spending by the international visitors in 2014 was a record

$220.6 billion in the United States, up 3pc over 2013. This is the fifth straight increase for travel exports for the country, and the fifth straight record for spending by our international visitors. International visitor spending within and to the U.S. again outpaced U.S. spending abroad resulting in a $74.0 billion trade surplus. The U.S. has enjoyed a travel surplus every year since 1989.

Numbers of Visitors to Key U.S. Destinations 2014 Destination Number of Visitors pc Change vs. 2013 NYC 56.4m +3.9pc Chicago 50.2m +3.5pc Los Angeles 43.4m +2.8pc Las Vegas 41.1m +3.7 pc.

WASHINGTON DC‘s

Watergate Hotel in Washington, DC will once again open its doors on Sept. 1, 2015 following an extensive remodel. The hotel will feature 342 luxury guest rooms, a 20,000-squarefoot spa and fitness center, 27,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space, a rooftop bar with 360 degree views of the Capitol and the Potomac River, and a casual and fine dining restaurant. The first of three phases of CityCenter DC, a $700m mixeduse development, has opened. Called “a modern-day Rockefeller Center” by The New York Times, the 10-acres welcomes luxury retail such as Carolina Herrera, Caudalie Spa, and Paul Stuart and restaurants like Momofuku and Milk Bar this year. Existing retailers include Kate Spade, Burberry, Tumi, Allen Edmonds, Hugo BOSS, Longchamp, Zadig & Voltaire.

YOSEMITE Na-

tional Park is celebrating its 125th Anniversary this year with numerous events and the National Park Service is celebrating its centennial in 2016.

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DESTINATION USA

C

hicago is among the most walkable of city centres.

But using the public transport system to reach what is beyond is another story.

Whoever designed the urban transport could not be accused of joined up thinking. The Metra lines do not meet.

The bus system is effective but only if you travel to essential points.

Getting from suburb to suburb, even from attraction to attraction, requires meticulous planning and, more often than not, departing public transport to get a taxi.

To understand Chicago, take to the water. The river whose course was reversed is one of the first great engineering marvels of a city which still celebrates its engineers and architects.

The architecture tour, appropriately, things place on a boat because this is the best position from which to view the towering structures of shining glass and collision between mid century modernism art deco and millennial flamboyance that erupts around you as you travel from block to block, bridge to bridge, through the watery artery of the city.

Chicago no longer builds the great skyscrapers of the world in their own city.

The Willis Tower, formerly the Sears Tower, and the Hancock building, one of the most iconic built structures in the world, will not be supra seed by anything higher in the immediate future.

But that does not stop

My kind of town

Eoghan Corry finds some tall tales in skyscraper city

was like to live in the city when this was the most happening place in the world, its population bulging and doubling every 10 years with immigrants, wave after wave of them changing the character and pace of the city every few years.

The Irish were amongst them, infatuated with how much money could be made and how lives could be transformed emotionally and psychologically as much as by the freezing winter temperatures. The brother of an uncle of mine, Donal Campbell, once told me when he went to Chicago from Clare as a young man he could pit and hear the clunk of the ice as it hit the ground.

W Cloud Gate or The Bean by Anish Kapoor in Chicago’s Millennium Park Chicago. The towering buildings of Taiwan, Dubai, and potentially, Saudi Arabia, are designed and connived here in the heart of American architectural culture.

Look up, it is Chicago.

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o experience the soul of the city seek exactly that, the music.

The blues clubs of the city centre places like Blue Chicago are as genuine and authentic as Vegas is fake.

On our night visit to Blue Chicago one of the audience members was invited to take the microphone with sophisticated and suave set that would take the breath away of

the most cynical tourist.

Chicago is still a hard drinking city, perhaps a relic of some of those extreme waves from beer swilling north Europe. it is a good place to party and tan easy place to find convivial conversation over a few beers.

I

t was in Chicago, where else, that I learned of Al Capone’s contribution to world health.

Al had grown up in the poor neighbourhoods of Brooklyn, the wrong side of the tracks, before moving to Chicago, the town that invented the phrase.

It was said a relative became ill and died after drinking spoilt milk.

THINGS TO DO: PLACES TO SEE

■ Hancock Tower: One of the world’s most important buildings with views to the lake. Visit at dusk ■ Art Institute of Chicago, one of the world’s greatest art collections and home to American Gothic.

■ Museum of Science and Industry: Signature attraction is the intact german u-boat installed inn the basement.

■ Shedd Aquarium: The world’s first salt water inland aquarium, frat with penguins and swim with belugas.

■ Cloud Gate: Anish Kapoor's beanshaped sculpture and centrepiece of Millennium Par is selfie heaven.

■ Willis Tower: No longer highest in the world but by some distance the world’s best tall’ visitor experience.

Capone opened soup kitchens during the depression, acquired his own dairy and lobbied his client politicians, Mayo William Hale Thompson, to pass a law requiring an expiration date on milk.

When the milkman’s union objected, he had the chief kidnapped and used the $50,000 ransom paid to open his own dairy.

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here are four people from Chicago that are well known internationally: Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, Barack Obama and Al Capone. Chicago is reluctant, to put it mildly, to celebrate its gangster history. The warehouse where the Valentine's Day massacre occurred is now a green swathe of parkland with no commemorative features. Al Capone’s house can be visited but is not promoted as a tourist attraction.

But one landmark of the history of the gangster era is definitely worth a look: the Biograph cinema outside which John Dillinger was shot. Most of the bars around here started out life as speakeasies.

Today they are landmarks on the streets of Armitage known for their Bohemian flavour and birthplace of icons of Chicago hospitality such as Charlie Trotter’s restaurant.

Away from the neckache city centre sunblock skyscrapers, this is as good place as any to explore and get under the skin of Chicago.

Access is easy from the city centre loop line. If the best place to see Chicago it's from its water courses, the loop line comes a close second.

Some of the stations have been restored in all their period splendour to give a flavour of what it

hen the wooden city burned down, as wooden cities usually do, in 1871, the Irish were blamed, or to be more exact, Daisy, Catherine O’Leary’s cow of 137 De Koven Street (the block is now the site of the Chicago Fire Academy.).

The cow was pardoned by the city council in 1997, injustice victim of an over-zealous journalist who first spread the story that the cow started the fire by kicking over a kerosene lantern.

Chicago being Chicago, the journalist, Michael Ahern, was also from Cork.

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he lake is clear blue, like it was created by a painter. Not by design, zebra mussel ate all the marine life which left the environmentalists unhappy but makes for better pictures.

That’s Chicago. A series of accidents, some unhappier than others.

Ask Daisy the cow.

■ Aer Lingus fly twice daily between Dublin and Chicago O’Hare at 11.30 and EI125 at 15:45 Fares start €309 each way incl charges. www.aerlingus.com

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JUNE 2015 PAGE 16

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DESTINATION USA

he winter was long so the leaves were late. Sprinklings of lavender could be seen along the roadside.

The smell, though, was of burning, for since the days of the native Americans they burn the prairie each year to keep the cedar trees from seizing this ground.

The burning lasts for weeks, and sometimes locals grow tired of the smell. But they know there will be a reward.

Lush green grass they come to fill the vacuum and the black will turn to green.

The surviving prairies of the Flint Hills define the image that Kansas conveys to the world.

Dorothy and the tornado won’t be dislodged from popular culture very easily but now there is an alternative icon of Kansas for everyone to talk about.

The quick explanation goes like this: the hills were too stony to yield to the plough, so the USA was left with something approaching a preserved belt of prairie land. It took ages for anyone to pay attention to this legacy, and, now they have they wonder why it took so long.

People of the prairie and proud of their landscape and love to show it off to whoever passes through.

This is one of the world’s great drives. The grain silos are the skyscrapers of the rural countryside, like cathedrals in the skyline.

A wing and a Prairie

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Eoghan Corry in Kansas and Oklahoma

Burning time on the pirairie in Kansas

he glamorous Route 66 of the 1950s, its neon lit motels and diners where girls with tossed hair and flouncy dresses hung out, was largely a myth. But we knew that..

The gritty Route 66, where the car would be stuck behind a slow-moving, smoke-belching truck, unable to pass for mile after mile, was something a lot less glamorous, something that tourists even if they could experience it, would find less enjoyable than the romantic version that they have imagined and reimagined and these reimaginings have been reinforced by marketing

campaigns crewed by people who were not even born when Route 66 was at its heyday.

It is in the small towns that you find Route 66 at its most original and glamorous, red brick, red tiled roofs the signage from all ages and vintages, large trucks ferrying produce, it gives you a sense that the Route 66 golden age was not long ago and they even be just beginning.

Susan Pordos welcomed me to the Route 66 Interpretive Centre at Chandler to try to get my head around it. She showed me the paraphernalia of a culture that had just found motorized

transport a little ahead of the rest of the world.

Route 66 has become a tourism cliché, of course.

But the cliché mongers are happy to confine this to the roadside cafes and merchandising opportunists all of whom have attached imagery declaring their allegiance to Route 66 (the legend) rather than do with anything that would interfere with the relentless march of modernisation and covering up the past that is such a delicious feature of the America we know

and love to visit.

There is enough real stuff flying by as you drive to convince you the journey is worthwhile: AJ's gun and pawn shop, Sonic, Star Tyres, Donut palace, stop and shop markets, Golden Arches, spirit bank and American flags inside the houses with porches. The ubiquitous churches, lots of Baptist but not just Baptist, Methodists occasional Presbyterian or Catholic and the Episcopalians who still own America.

■ Circle S Ranch and Country 3325 Circle S Lane Lawrence, KS 66044 P: 785 843 4124 mary@circlesranch.com www.circlesranch.com ■ Woolaroc Ranch www.woolaroc.org ■ Standing Bear Pkw Ponca City, OK 74602 P: (580) 762-151 ■ National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum ■ Chickasaw Cultural Center Sulphur, www.chickasawculturalcenter.com

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o really see this country, ditch the car and saddle up.

My companion Mary Cronemeyer of Circle S Ranch and Country Inn near Lawrence could not have been a more experi-

Eoghan Corry flew to Chicago with Aer Lingus, for lowest fares see aer.lingus.com, and onwards to Kansas City returning through Chicago from Dallas/Fort Worth. Aer Lingus fly twice daily to Chicago from Dublin.

THINGS TO DO PLACES TO SEE

■ Flint Hills Discovery Centre Manhattan, www.flinthillsdiscovery.org/ ■ Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve http://www.nps.gov/tapr/index.htm ■ Schlitterbahn waterpark Kansas city.

■ Flint Hills Discovery Centre: nice interpretatin of the signiicance of the Prairie in Manhattan: “the little apple” ■ Wichita Museum of World Treasures http://www.worldtreasures.org/

The question is how much of Route 66 has ANY historic value. The road has been repaved so often the bundaries between myth and realtiy, then and now, no longer exist.

The world’s most famous road

Page 016-017 USA Kansas 07/05/2015 11:21 Page 2

JUNE 2015 PAGE 17

DESTINATION USA enced horsewoman. For Mary fell off a horse before she was one year old.

Her mother, apparently, brought her riding at the front of the saddle as she tackled the chores at the farm on horseback. One day the little baby fell off the front of the saddle where she had been perched. She did not land on her head, or so it would appear, so all ended well.

And Mary still loves to ride. When I came to her ranch on a sunny day in April, it was still cold and the last residue of winter wind was gusting across the prairie.

The wind has such a presence here, it is like an extra character in every story.

I assured her I was made of strong stuff, and we took to our horses.

With great scenery, great conversation, and lots to talk about, it may have been one of the best after-

noons I have ever spent in my rambles across seven continents.

Mary grew up on rural farm in Kansas but the canvas was enormous.

Her hobby was bringing home stricken animals, a coyote Route 66 turns 90 next year cub, a nest of baby skunks. teenager knows exactly Her parents patiently tol- what hay is best for. erated Mary’s multispecies menagerie. here’s the Nowadays the menagerie beef? Everyis still around. You can where you hear the coyote’s relatives look in every direction,. howl at night under the There is much converbig wide open, starry sky. sation at every stop of the Was it lonely? She laughs percentage of prime beef it off and tosses her hair they serve up in the local to tell me that in summer restaurants. “Enjoy what time the farm boys would the soil round you has come to mend fences and produced, Kansas fed help with the hay. grass beef,” Jeff Schauf And everyone who who runs a food truck in comes from a rural back- Wichita says. The top 2pc ground who has been a of premium beef, they

W

say, they keep for themselves, a local carnivore secret that is revealed only to visitors.

Americans like huge portions. In Oklahoma I found the biggest portions I have ever sat beside. It is beside the Arbuckle mountains (Chickasaw Country Marketing Association says “for Oklahoma these are mountains for other states they are speed bumps”) in Smokin’ Joe’s Rib Ranch. They serve up - 3,000 lbs of meat of

Isabel Harrison Shannon Airport

Declan Power Shannon Airport

meat each night, and much of it was on my plate.

Nearby Nancy Fulton makes the best fried pies on the far side of the Atlantic.

Abeline Kansas is where slider burger was invented, The founder of White Castle burger joints was from Wichita, and apparently stole the burger idea.

Lots of places claim the best barbecue. Kansas City is a contender and this is a serious claim for the barbecue is a six hour cook, and has to be manned because it is charcoal while a slab of Sunday is cleanup time.

A previous visit to Cattleman’s in Oklahoma served up one of the best steaks I had in the world, but there were several others to dispute the claim.

There is more to please

the taste buds. Bill Copeland has put Tulsa on the chocolate map with his confectionary in the revitalised Bricktown downtown area.

Then something unexpected: an Oklahoma winery using Oklahoma grapes.

“You have to listen to the grapes,” Tulsa wine maker Chris Girouard says. “Oklahoma gets 40 inches of rain a year compared with 30 in most wine regions, it is too humid for the classic grape varieties.”

Chris’s father bred some wild local vines varieties with the more familiar grape vines, with interesting results. “They grow in open clusters which enables them to dry out more quickly and means they are not susceptible to black rot.”

His winery is a work in progress. I will be returning to taste.

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Page 018 NEW USA Washington 11/05/2015 11:35 Page 1

JUNE 2015 PAGE 18

DESTINATION USA

A

mong the things that distinguish Washington DC from other American cities are the famously low-lying skyline and the prevailing sense that this is the big smoke to which country people come to play.

The skyline is not going to change anytime soon. Buildings cannot be ten feet taller than the width of the street upon which they are built.

Not is the course of the city’s unique atmosphere: the tide of people that come from all over the USA to the playgrounds around the Capitol and White House.

Think of Dublin on All Ireland hurling final weekend. The residents of the city carry on which disregards far the bit big events that is happening within the beating heart of its existence.

The fans arrive, fill the restaurants and sidewalks, and leave again without having made any long lasting impact on the culture or prevailing mood of the city.

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n Dupont Circle you come across a little bit of Ireland, an embassy of hospitality to rival the political embassy which

Eoghan Corry on the resumed Aer Lingus trail to Washington

Ace DC

you will find a speakeasy, The Gibson/Marvin is a dimly lit bar which specializes in handcrafted cocktails.

Here Brendan Murphy hosted us there and talked through the differences between whiskey and rye, and all the other ingredients in his range of cocktails. Drink doesn’t just inspire the conversation here. It IS conversation.

W Thje Washington memorial has reopened to the public after restoration due to earthquake damage is at the heart of the city’s socio-diplomatic circle.

The local Irish pub bears the name of James Hoban, architect of both the White House and Leinster House. And across a little green space was our home for the duration of our short stay.

Mark Roche Garland GM of the Du Pont Circle Hotel, part of the Doyle Collection showcased his new $55m development, level nine, with 15 suites and elite-tier business fa-

cilities. Nine of the suites on level nine, which has a nice pallindromic ring to it, have their own private terraces overlooking the city. All of the rooms on the floor have their own spa tub and shower. The rest of the house is shower only. Bathroom floors are heated which is popular in Washington’s winters.

The hotel’s executive chef David Fritsche is increasingly sourcing food locally.

PLACES TO EAT, STAY AND PLAY

■ Dupont Circle Hotel with its sleek design, eclectic artwork and coveted location is surrounded by The District’s bestt restaurants, nightlife and entertainment and some of the city’s most treasured monuments and eponymous parks.

■ Bike and Roll, 955 L’Enfant Plaza, provides an overview of the city as you bike to and learn about the major sites on and around the National Mall and Capitol Hill, including the Capitol Building, Supreme Court, Smithsonian Museums, World War II Memorial, and Washington Monument +1202 8422453 www.bikethesites.com ■ Odyssey Cruises 600 Water Street SW offers a distinctive three-course menu, prepared fresh onboard daily and the chance of a spin around the dance floor with live music. +1866 4048439 www.odysseycruises.com/washingtondc

■ U DC Metro Food Tours offer culinary tours of U Street, known as "Black Broadway", and once the home of Duke Ellington, the cuisinefollows the history of the neighborhood, www.dcmetrofoodtours.com ■ Award-winning chef Jose Garces helms Rural Society, an Argentine steakhouse, at Loews Madison Hotel 1177 15th Street NW. Check the eggs benedict or steak and egg specials.

■ Great breakfast option is Muze at Mandarin Oriental, Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, local produce combined with the distinctive flavors of South-East Asia, try the Chessapeake crab caks breakfast, www.mandarinoriental.com ■ The Gibson, 2009 14th Street NW +1202 232-2156, as close as you get to a speakeasy while staying on the right side of the law. The atmosphere anhances the flavour of the signature cocktails.

I

f there is a surprise awaiting those who have been awaiting the Lingus return, it will be a culinary one.

According to Alicia Malone of destination DC, there are 2,000 restaurants and more than 100 opened in one year.

Washington DC, with its influx of America’s legislators, lawyers, bureaucrats and general hangers-on, was always a place to get great steak (it was my father’s abiding memory of his visit to the city in 1968). Capital Steak on Pennsylvania Avenue is virtually a monument to celebrity steakdom.

“Ten years ago the steak restaurants were THE restaurants,” says Mark McDonnell, Artane born chef at the Mandarin Oriental. “A lot of money

was coming from the government side and they went to steak restaurants.”

There are lots of great places now and belt insiders, once prey to the curious for what was happening behind the scenes in politics, are valued for their insights into the city’s culinary scene.

Dukem on 12th in Georgetown was recommended by more than one Ethiopian taxi driver (Ethiopia’s largest ex pat community is in Washington). The Japanese restaurant Daikaya was also a favourite.

And an Irish chef, Cathal Armstrong, steward of the Eden Centre, is among the city’s most highly rated.

Behind an inconspicuous locked door on 14th street and up the stairs

ashington DC attracts 19m visitors annually, 1.6m of them international. They come to marvel at the monuments on the mall (there was a monumental mall in Washington long before the word was hijacked by the retail trade).

They come to see the museums, most of them free and all of them among the best presented on the planet, Who better to introduce the museums than Aaron Goldbeck who conducts bicycle tours by Bike and Roll, a way to see the key monuments on a two hour pedal.

The American History Museum with the star spangled banner, the Natural History Museum with the Hope Diamond, the National Gallery of Art, the American Indian museum with the best food of any Smithsonian. the Hirshhorn, the modern art gallery which is his personal favourite and the National Air and Space Museum “which probably has the highest concentration of 12 year old boys per square foot of anywhere on the planet.“

■ Aer Lingus fly 4w form Dublin to Washington DC. four times weekly summer service from Dublin to Washington-Dulles operating from 1 May 2015 to 4th January. Flights are operated by Airbus A330 aircraft and will depart Dublin at 12.45 arriving in Washington at 15.35, with the return flight leaving Washington at 17.20, arriving in Dublin at 05.30. Aer Lingus customers travelling to Washington via Dublin will be able to connect from 17 European destinations, with 34 onwards connections across North America available with partner airlines from Washington. Current lead in fare from Dublin to Washington is €299, valid for travel from 01 May to 15 Jun and 01 Sep to 31 Oct. ■The Washington service and newly introduced business class service. Also further details below on Washington schedule and fares. The route has been extended to operate to 4th January. It was originally planned as a summer service, to finish end of October.

Page 019 Michigan 07/05/2015 11:30 Page 1

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DESTINATION USA

T

he first thing I learnt about Michigan is that it is not pronounced as I thought with a hard Mitch, but like Mishigan, much softer than I expected.

It comes from the Algonquian Indian term michigami, or misschiganin, meaning “big lake.” That big lake was never far from the trail I took north through Sugatuck, Holland and Grand Rapids, to Traverse City.

The people who came to spread along this lake shore were different from the other ones who came west. Yes, there are Bible towns. Yes there are attempts to recreate a distant European, homeland (the town of Holland has six miles of tulips).

But there was also a sense that debauchery was celebrated here, that weekenders from the windy city blew some smoke in their time.

They are proud that Al Capone came out here for his holidays and stayed with a mistress who took his great secrets to the grave with her. This side of America has a short history but one full of ambitions and dreams.

Outposts turned to settlements, turned to towns, turned to cities, with alarming speed.

They tell visitors that there was conflict too, between the wealthy week-

Lake & State

Eoghan Corry on Michigan State’s lakeshore

break in and the stairs used by the Saigon evacuees in that famous last helicopter out of Saigon photograph.

Frozen lake at Grand Haven enders who came from Chicago and the locals who stayed and endured the hard winters. This was rich farmland, with adequate water to keep industries like cherry sustained.

At the Top of the Park, a skyscraper on the lake in Traverse City, they serve desserts laden with the local delicacy.

“Cherry Capital of the USA,” proclaims their sign. Almost every town in the USA has to be capital of something, Life is a bowl of cherries here, apparently. nsalted is the slogan. They use it copiously, like the Great Lakes district was a menu and it was there to counterbalance the cheese from Wiscon-

U

sin or the deep pan bounty from Chicago.

If you believe the locals, Michigan IS a restaurant, if the food providers and the flag wavers for the local restaurant scene are to be believed.

The lake shore is its beauty spot, lung for a state better known for manufacturing automobiles and, in later years, the documentaries on screen of Michael Moore chronicling the demise of same. In Michigan they will tell you that the people are its greatest asset.

“They are friendly,” they say and invite the comparison, in contrast when Chicago (people who are friendly are always in contrast with some neighbouring state).

■ Aer Lingus fly twice daily between Dublin and Chicago.

Fares start at €309 each way including charges. www.aerlingus.com

The shadow of Chicago is everywhere. A Sean Glynn from Tuam runs a beautiful period hotel, the Belvedere Inn in Saugatuck, a little hibernating town where you can get the bus everywhere for a dollar and take paddle boat tours of the lake. Chicago is a culinary capital, but Sean gets them here with the quality of his tasting menus and wine weekends.

T

hings get better as you go north in Michigan,” our guide Dave Lorenz commented. “Tip of the Mitch is a six hour drive.” But we weren’t going that far.

He is as much at home on a kayak as a tour bus, but I was with a group of international tour operators and media of varying

interest and ability, so there was going to be no white water this trip.

The best we did was to bash dunes. At we joined a crazed circuit of 4x4 Schumachers who were determined to keep their boy racer status into middle age, a playground of 500 acres of sand dunes to play in.

E

very museum, wherever you go in the world, has two artifacts, the two that, if you are in a hurry, you can nip in to see and rub your hands together with satisfaction that you have done your duty.

The two in the Gerald R Ford Library and Museum in Grand Rapids are two of the strangest, easily selected and easily seen, the tools that were used in the Watergate

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hat was the abiding memory? It came early in the visit, in one of the first stops on the shores of Lake Michigan, still frozen over. The lake froze this winter for the first time since 1979.

The state bird of Michigan is the robin, and that rhyme about the cold wind doth blow seemed appropriate as we gazed from a shredded beach on to the frozen lakescape.

It was almost cold enough to swim.

The locals said you should see it in summer.

I didn’t feel the need.

That frozen lake is in my memory for ever. I wanted to keep it that way.

Clockwise: Kayaking on Lake Michigan in summer, Lake of the Clouds, Dune bashing at Silver Lake Sand Dunes, Sean Glynn from Tuam shows off his period residence in Sugatuck and Eoghan Corry by the frozen lake at Saugatuck. Top right: The Gerald Ford library in Grand Rapids.

Page 020 Rhine Rivercruise 07/05/2015 11:38 Page 1

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DESTINATION RIVERCRUISE

Days of Rhine and Roses

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ruising the rivers of Europe seems like a perfect antidote to the big-ship world of ocean cruising.

You won’t get sea sick, the ship is never far from shore and the berths and towns are all on a smaller scale than their big sea cousins.

The same advantages apply: unpack once and stay in a moving bedroom. There is more to see as you move on a river cruise. The view is s a two way process. Make sure to have the curtains closed as you exit the shower to avoid startling the cattle.

They can cost considerably more than ocean cruises but people are flocking to them in dykebursting numbers. There are now 308 passenger cruise ships plying the rivers of the world, up from 125 in 2000, with 46,200 berths in total.

So what is all the fuss about? The arteries of river cruise are just a two hour flight away from Ireland.

So we headed for Basel to follow the course of the Rhine through the storied cities of France and Germany: each one of them a headline of history: Basle, Strasbourg, Heidelberg (not technically on the Rhine but a shore excursion), Cologne, Amsterdam. “I know the route” the captain told us at the welcome meeting.

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e set off from foggy Basel on board the AMACerto, modern flagship of the AMA Waterways group which was founded and sold on by Dubliner Jimmy Murphy.

The Rhine is as much a motorway as a scenic byway. While the scenery action, the stuff of the screensavers and postcards, is to be found between Bingen and Bonn, the real role of the river in history is much more evident from the concrete plants and massive chem-

ical plants along the rest of the river.

There are long stretches of agricultural land, trees and hedgerows carrying on like they did in napoleon’s time.

Amacerto came with a small deck pool and a giant chessboard where we whiled away our time and the evening entertainment was lively, given the size of the audience (150) and average age: many of the guests have had their bus passes for quite some time.

■ Eoghan Corry travelled to Basel courtesy of Sunway, who run the AMA Waterways programme out of Ireland, offering rivercruises on the Rhine, Danube, Douro and Mosel. +3531 2311800 www.sunway.ie or your local travel agent.

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cean cruise companies like to boast about the ship as destination. River cruise companies have less to work on but rightly stress their fine dining options, some of the best perch and tenderloin I tasted in a long time, and superior shore excursions.

In many cities you are walking distance from the town so you can explore on your own. Even when you are not, bussing to and from a city is less a herding experience than for ocean goers.

After that it is up to the local guides to perform, which they did. The complicated politics of Strasbourg were brought to life

by Gianni Cariani. He talked about the river as you would describe your first lover, forgiving its faults and proud of its role in world affairs.

The favourite story from Strasbourg concerns the dancing plague of 1518, when a group of citizens became so energised they danced until they dropped dead.

P

eak season is the July-September period when Americans travel, especially the west coast Americans who have fallen in love with river cruise, But the key is to travel off peak, and some of the companies have kept

their ships running past season’s end to take in the Christmas markets.

That is where the best prices will flash up on your window or your travel agent’s. Don’t keep the curtains closed for that.

Page 021-023 Rivercruise 07/05/2015 11:41 Page 1

What your clients should know

JUNE 2015 PAGE 21

RIVER CRUISE 2015

The 308 ways to roam the rivers M

ore of us are taking to the rivers than ever before. One of the fastest growing sectors of the travel industry has been the rush to river holidays, a fast-changing sector in itself.

There are now 308 passenger cruise ships plying the rivers of the world with 46,200 berths in total, up from 125 in 2000, and 20pc of them are younger than five years old.

There are just 840,000 river cruisers (36pc of them German) compared

with 21.3m ocean cruise passengers.

In the past four years two of the major players on the Irish market moved further into all-inclusive to include alcoholic drinks.

Agents said that all inclusive cruise and river cruises are one of the biggest trends in 2015 so far.

The secort continues to grow. Rivercruise shiplaunch champions Viking splashed back into action with another megalaunch day this spring: naming 12 new river ves-

sels in one day, eight in Amsterdam and four in Rostock, bringing its fleet to 60. Amsterdam was the venue of the naming of eight 190-passenger Longships while two more were named in Rostock as well as two scaled-down 96-passenger vessels customised for the shallow Elbe River. Godmothers were some of the longest-serving Viking employees.

Viking, which launched 10 vessels in 2013 and 16 in 2014, has six new river vessels on order for 2016, with the option to build

more based on demand.

Uniworld asked a descendent of Maria Theresa Princess Anita von Hohenberg, to name its newest river ship, the 150-passenger Maria Theresa at a ceremony in Amsterdam. Amenities include a swimming pool with floor-to-ceiling modesty glass that frosts over when passengers walk through the door to have a dip, the line's signature Leopard Bar next door with its animal print interior, cinema, spa, fitness room and complimentary bicycles and

Interested bystanders Nordic walking poles.

The Maria Theresa will cruise the Danube River with itineraries including the 14-night European Jewels voyage from Budapest to Amsterdam, springtime Tulips & Windmills and winter Christmas market cruises.

UNIW

Avalon Waterways named the 128-passenger Avalon Tapestry II in the Normandy village of Les Andelys, one of four launches for the group this year. Tapestry II will join the 140-passenger Avalon Creativity on the Seine River. Avalon will

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Page 021-023 Rivercruise 07/05/2015 11:41 Page 2

JUNE 2015 PAGE 22

RIVER CRUISE 2015 launch two further river vessels in 2016, the Avalon Passion on the Danube and Avalon Imagery II on the Rhine, and new itineraries in Holland and Belgium.

Emerald Belle will launch in early 2016, Europe's newest river cruise line will build its fifth new ship in three years.

O

utside balconies have become the norm on river cruises and schedules are tweaked to offer the finest scenery during daylight.

In fact 2015 will be the best year ever for river cruise out of Ireland, well ahead of the Celtic Tiger days. This follows five years during which this segment of the industry has seen already high growth rates increase year on year out of the Irish market, The age Group buying cruises tends to be over 65 retired people with disposable income. Although the recession created a demand for discounted holidays, River Cruise passenger numbers have kept growing each year.

With all this growth, it is important for River Cruise customers to understand that they need to book well in advance so they can book the most popular cabins (those with balconies) as ships are smaller than the ocean going variety.

Consumers have become more familiar with the product, air access to the main riverport cities increases,, the boats become more luxurious and the major players in the river cruise industry become more innovative.

River Cruising is growing in popularity because: ■ Clients want something different to an Ocean Cruise ■ Word of mouth is greatly spreading for this product ■ The ship is your floating luxury hotel ■ Fewer passengers (average of 150) than ocean vessels

What your clients should know

No ocean cruise can match the views on the Rhine ■ More personal space on board ■ More intimate environment for sharing experiences and developing new friendships ■ No lines for embarkation/disembarkation ■ No tendering ■ No seasickness ■ Fine Dining with wine included ■ Internet, Hollywood movies, satellite television and music library included at no charge ■ City Tours with professional guides included ■ Visit destinations that ocean cruises cannot reach ■ No checking in to hotel after hotel ■ Unpack once and settle in for a relaxing vacation.

■ No riding in buses for hours on end; no traffic ■ Most long distance travel is done in the evening so daytime can be spent visiting cities, towns, museums and historic sites ■ Time in cities and towns is maximised on a river cruise versus travelling to/from destinations by coach.

E

urope's waterways can be experienced in a variety of ways including self skippered boats, short tour-cruises and canal barge. But it is the river cruise sector that has seen the biggest change.

These may range from older ones whose price points have been driven

down by the rush to more luxurious craft by the big lines, to the newest ships, inspired by classic ocean yachts, which have spas, gyms and, wi-fi access. A few of the newest have pools, though these are sill a rarity for river cruise vessels.

River cruise combines the advantages of an ocean cruise with those of a bus tour, river cruises show you the best of Europe, Russia and China, and bring passengers small quaint villages as well as the large cosmopolitan cities.

One of the main comforts is that you only have to unpack your bags once, and that all you need is provided on board.

Most offer all-inclusive meals and many have additional services such as spas featuring relaxing massages and facials.

Some also include wine with dinner.

The cruise lines offer local evening entertainment, lectures and demonstrations.

Shore excursions hosted by an English speaking local guide are part of the experience.

These may be charged separately and it is worth checking before you book for a client as it can have a significant impact on the price. More companies are including excursions as part of the package price, in contrast to what is happening in the ocean cruising sector.

The major European routes are the Danube and the Rhine. Uniworld’s

Castles on the Rhine tour is one of their most popular cruises, while Enchanting Danube takes passengers from Budapest to Passau, and European Serenade voyages from Vienna to Amsterdam.

Other cruises include Paris and Normandy on the Seine and the Duoro River in Portugal.

In Russia you can cruise Moscow and St Petersburg. Ama has introduced an African River Cruise and Safari that visits the Chobe River, South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Tanzania

U

niworld’s new river ship SS Catherine was named by French actress Catherine Deneuve in Lyon this spring.

Like its sister ships, the SS Antoinette and River Beatrice, the SS Catherine is an elegantly appointed vessel with a bright, cheerful decor full of personal touches brought in by the Tollmans.

It follows the pattern of Uniworld design and decoration with original hand-selected art, classic furnishings, and old world antiques rich in character. The two-deckhigh lobby of features an elaborate Murano chandelier, a cascading waterfall and a glass-enclosed elevator. Among the unusual features is an interior pool SS Catherine will sail Uniworld's seven-night

Burgundy & Provence itinerary, which includes visits to Lyon, Avignon and several other destinations in southern France.

Uniworld have been especially active in the Irish market, with the team headed by Sharon Jordan. Their big selling point is the fact that shore excursions are all inclusive.

Uniworld are regarded as European specialists with ten ships plying the waters of the major European rivers, In business for more than 30 years, their launch of the allsuite River Beatrice in 2007 changed standards through the industry.

They have expanded to become a world wide operations with more than 20 countries on their itinerary, and more than 500 sailings a year. They have interests in Asia and Egypt, offering cruises on the Yangtze, Mekong and Nile Rivers Uniworld also operates (though does not own) the famous MS Litvinov, a sleek 220-passenger, 423 foot cruiser that is a popular Russian river cruise vessel.

All cabins on Uniworld’s river cruisers are outside. They range from standard cabins to luxury suites and the deluxe rooms include floor to ceiling windows.

Uniworld is one of the few river cruise companies to handle all of their own hospitality and hotel management efforts, as well as food delivery. “At the forefront of everything we do is attention to detail” Sharon says.

“No corners are ever cut at the expense of our guests. With the popularity of river cruising growing and more ships being built, Uniworld’s goal is to not be the biggest but to deliver a consistently outstanding experience to our guests.”

Uniworld offers cleaning service twice a day and the beds come with wool blankets and fluffy duvets.

Dining aboard consists

of breakfast and lunch buffets. Dinner is open seating and menus often feature country-specific themes.

Many ships have spas or fitness facilities and a few have pools.

Medical facilities, beauty salons, lounges, and large sun decks are options on which Uniworld boat you chose.

Entertainment is of the quiet variety, and is often by local musicians, guitar players and/or singers.

Shore excursions with local guides can be arranged with the Cruise Manager.

Next up for Uniworld is the SS Maria Theresa, due to launch in spring 2015, named after the Archduchess of Austria and Queen of Hungary and Bohemia, who reigned from 1740 to 1780.

The ship will sail this very region on Uniworld’s European Jewels itinerary from Budapest to Amsterdam. She will also sail on Tulips & Windmills, European Holiday Markets, and Grand Christmas & New Year’s Cruise.

“We are delighted to name our new 2015 Super Ship after such a great historical figure as Maria Theresa who had a wonderful and long legacy,” said Sharon Jordan, Country Manager Uniworld.

Uniworld continues to be a trade only supplier with no direct booking function on their website.

Sharon says this means agents can recommend the Uniworld website to clients with confidence knowing that the website is purely an information service.

For 2015 Uniworld is turning 100pc all-inclusive following in to footsteps of luxury ocean cruise liner SilverSea.

S

tephen Sands’ Riviera Travel have allaunched their 2016 River Cruise products, lead in price for eight days are €1,239 and 14

Page 021-023 Rivercruise 07/05/2015 11:42 Page 3

What your clients should know

JUNE 2015 PAGE 23

RIVER CRUISE 2015 days from €1779 . Medieval Germany, The Main to the Danube is a new itinerary for 2016.

Riviera offerings include the brand new fivestar MS Jane Austen, MS Charles Dickens, fabulous five-star MS Lord Byron, MS William Shakespeare, MS Swiss Sapphire, MS Swiss Corona and MS Swiss Tiara, or the four-star superior MS Swiss Ruby and MS Douro Spirit, with 84pc of our cabins boast French Balconies affording superb views; breakfast in the cabin; on-board classical concerts in Vienna highlighting the city’s musical heritage and tea and coffee making facilities in all cabins.

According to Stephen “Our clients often tell us we have a style unique in tour operating - a real family ambience; we have been told by clients

The Duoro is the new Danube ‘it was like travelling with family’ and ‘it was like coming home’.

“This is what we set out to achieve: treating our clients as individuals, tailoring our service to be flexible and catering for all needs. Our staff operate at the ‘sharp end’ with managers spending significant time overseas, researching, checking and meeting clients to ascertain likes and dislikes.

“If you want to take part in everything that’s

fine, but if not, that’s fine too. If you want to see the sights on your own, no one will put any pressure on you not to.

“This is something our clients really appreciate – the freedom to explore.”

“We are passionate about being an independent company, not part of a large, multinational, impersonal organisation.

This independence and our investment in research and people mean we’re free to create the

cruises, and provide the best value for money. “

A

ma Waterways founded in 2002 by river cruise pioneer Rudi Schreiner, are represented in Ireland

by Sunway.

Destinations have increased. AMA began cruising the Rhine and Danube. Now we cover Russia, Portugal, France, Vietnam and Cambodia, Kenya and Myanmar was intorduced last year.

River Cruises are pretty much sold out for Summer 2015 although there is still availability on our Rhine and Danube Christmas Market Cruises..

Ama uses 14 ships in Europe with six ships based elsewhere and operates exclusively for the English speaking market.

Ama offers spacious cabins, French balconies and marble appointed bathrooms and most offer fitness centres, beauty salons, gift shops, and splash pools.

Ama has made great efforts in its European fleet to incorporate additional dining venues, and it has maintained that tradition here: An alfresco dining area adjacent to the main restaurant can seat 32 passengers for a separate three-course dinner. Seating in this dining area must be reserved in advance.

Four & Five-Star River Cruising Rhine, Danube, Moselle, Main, Rhône, Elbe, Seine or Douro Selected departures up to November 2015 & April to November 2016 8 days from €1,239pp or 14 days from €1,779pp lNX^\ XS^UJ]\La ! 5'648; ?>#!67 %8:< $4-=>; ! )'.46>%4==/ .99:>;6'* %:48&76.8 749'8>:8 .;* @3'&76.8 ,.->;7 2>6! !:6'= 76.;*.8* -'*7( 98>3.6' -.6!8::<7 .;* 8>3'8 3>'27 ! "1,'96>:;.= %4== -:.8* ,4>7>;'

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sLG [ ZGLYSDGW& EL YSWYP [C[RO[ZRORE@ LG EL ZLLP v[OO 7A )7* 0-77 LG CRFRE{ HHH+NXIX\N`KN`I\U+X\ Holiday organised by and subject to the booking conditions of Riviera Travel, Chase House, City Junction Business Park, Malahide Road, Northern Cross, DUBLIN 17. Fully licensed and bonded by CAR (T.O. 257). Per person prices based on two sharing a twin cabin. Single cabins available at a supplement. Additional entrance costs may apply.

Images used in conjunction with Riviera travel. Cruise duration dependent on selected itinerary.

Their limited hours drinks package is cheaper than other all-inclusive River cruises and cocktails are very cheap (about Eu6.50) outside of these hours when the clients are usually on excursions.

AMA recently addeda package of unlimited beer, wines and soft drinks with lunch and dinner (until 2013 it was just dinner).

Avalon Waterways has a fleet of 15 ships offering river cruises to Europe or China. It has partnered with Globus, to offer shore excursions.

The Victoria Anna and Jenne are beautiful ships sailing in China while the Royal Lotus sails the Nile River. Avalon Panorama, is described in the marketing material as the industry's first "Suite Ship.”

Page 024-025 car hire 07/05/2015 11:46 Page 1

JUNE 2015 PAGE 24

CAR HIRE 2015

A

business dominated for many years by the big three rental firms has become more interesting in recent times. Today’s agent has about 20 firms to choose from, and each has a unique attraction of interest to your client.

First thing to point out is that the cheapest car hire deal may not necessarily be the best one for your client. Many will arrive in the agency concentrating solely on price.

They can almost always save money and safeguard against expensive unexpected charges by going through a travel agent.

Point out that, with the help of an agent, charges are shown up front at the time the booking so consumers can make the right choice and compare prices easily. Going it alone offers no such safeguards.

Tease out what they will need from their hire car - for example, how many passengers and bags do they need to fit into the vehicle?

If they are travelling with children, they may want a family hire car with five doors while if they are travelling to a destination with high temperatures, air conditioning will be a priority.

Don't assume that they will pay the same price for identical extras with the same car hire company in different destinations. A car seat in Faro costs Eu20 more than in Nice. A satnav costs Eu40 more in Nice than in Faro.

D

riving a rental vehicle abroad can be stressful and expensive if they don't prepare. Get a check-list for your client: Check the driving licence is valid and make sure they have all parts of it together and ready to pack before they go away.

And, well in advance, find out whether they'll need an International

What your clients should know

Wheels of fortune Beware of a nasty surprise on the return to the Aeropuerto Driving Permit (available form the AA) to drive where they are going. A credit card is necessary to leave a deposit at the rental desk.

Research what is legally required to have in the car when they are driving in their destination and remind them to check these items are in the hire vehicle before they set off. Not having certain equipment, such as reflective jackets, can result in fines.

Remind them to get the emergency number from the rental company in case of a breakdown.

Not knowing the driving laws - such as speed and drink driving limits in the country they are visiting could result in inadvertently breaking the law.

As you would at home, shop around for petrol when away and look out for competitive prices in local supermarkets and petrol stations rather than relying on motorway stations. Find out whether the vehicle runs on petrol or diesel as well as what the fuel is called where they are.

Research common road signs in the country visited. Remembering to stick to the correct side of the road for the country they are in and being aware of road signs in a different language will

help navigate around a new place without stress and worry.

Warn about unexpected extra costs. Fuel is an increasingly prominent one.

M

any car hire companies now have fuel empty policies where consumers are charged for a full tank of petrol when they pick up the car and told to return it empty with no refund for unused fuel.

Consumer research has shown that unavoidable fuel charges can triple the price of a rental, turning what seemed like a good deal to potentially a very expensive one.

When clients pick up their hire car with a full tank of petrol they are charged for it at a price set by the car rental company, not the local pump price which is almost always lower.

They are then expected to return the car with an empty tank at the end of their rental period. So they are aware what the company's policy is, check with it before booking, Some of the extras the client simply won't want.

Others are more obvious.

C

ar hire excess insurance (also known as excess

waiver insurance) is useful to buy as it prevents having to pay any excess charges should their hire car be damaged or stolen.

Many drivers who have had their fingers burnt will be wary of dropping this. This can add on as much as Eu45 a day. Excess insurance to bring their waiver costs to zero costs a typical Eu120 for a week but one company is charging Eu200 in Barcelona If they don't take it they could be liable to pay a typical Eu2,000 if the car gets damaged or stolen or even more: one company's starting excess in Faro is Eu3,000.

Taking out excess waiver insurance here in Ireland rather than with their car supplier is generally cheaper. A standalone policy is significantly cheaper and gives they greater levels of cover and protection in case of accident or damage to their vehicle.

If clients wait until they get to the rental desk to purchase this, they're likely to be met by a pushy salesperson trying to an expensive policy.

Standalone car policies are available at a better rate for the client and commissionable for the agent.

lients travelling with children or needing to rely on a sat nav while they are can prevent steep daily rental charges by prebooking.

Hiring a child's car seat costs a typical Eu60. The most expensive was in Milan at Eu100.

Borrowing a satnav typically costs around Eu75. It is most expensive at Eu120 from one company at Heathrow. If they already have a portable satnav, they can usually buy a card compatible with the country they are visiting to put in it. Alternatively, they can buy a new satnav that covers both the UK and Europe for around Eu50Eu60.

Adding an extra driver, particularly one under the age of 25, can raise the price of their car hire significantly in some cases more than the price of the actual hire.

An extra driver over 25 costs around Eu60. This can vary: with one company in Barcelona they pay Eu90.

C

locations, head office in Wexford and our European Services Centre in Swords, as Paul Manning says, “making us your local Car Hire Company for the road ahead.”

“We are humbled to have been voted Best Car Hire Provider and promise to respond to this accolade with further improvements and promotions throughout the year.

“We are constantly striving to improve our products and services through initiatives such as Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, Carfirmation, Hertz Collections and many other offerings which are all designed to make the car rental process faster, easier and more pleasant.

With Hertz your customers can choose from premium on-airport locations to multiple downtown locations throughout the world, transparent rates with no catches, competitive one way fees and much more, giving you more options when making your car hire reservation.”

H

A

ertz won the Irish Travel Industry Award for 2013, succeeding the 2011 and 2012 champions Holiday Autos.

They say they experienced excellent growth and positive feedback from trading partners throughout 2013 which continues into the start of 2014 and they plan for further integration with the travel trade to ensure that all agents have a point of contact here in Ireland that can deal with any queries promptly.

Paul Manning says “we see the Travel Trade as a valued partner now more than ever as customers turn back to their local Agencies for advice and value that they can trust when reserving their travel arrangements.

Hertz also employs over 1,200 people in Ireland through their rental

ffordable Car Hire is growing rapidly in Ireland. CEO Angela Day says the commitment to offering comprehensive training to agents was the key to its success.

The e-learning programme comprises training modules that are designed to help agents build add-on revenues by making car hire easier to sell.

The courses are boosted by weekly training alerts and monthly free prize draws for those who pre-register.

Angela said that its Affordable Complete Affordable Car Rental System website makes it easier to book car hire and compare prices between models and boasts a host of innovative timesaving features.

Pages have a series of enhanced features that

Page 024-025 car hire 07/05/2015 11:46 Page 2

What your clients should know

JUNE 2015 PAGE 25

CAR HIRE 2015 allow web users to find more easily on the car results pages details about fuel policy; excess policy; airport location; and availability.

Webinars last between 20 and 40 minutes and are designed to be fun.

The modules cover topics such as how to book, insurance options, up-selling and overcoming obstacles with local supplier charges.

Affordable also run courses on specific destinations and can even arrange in-house training for agency teams who want to build their knowledge in a specific area.

Agents can discover the secrets of selling car hire, upselling insurance and children’s car seats, as well as go through a step-by-step guide to understand the website and the booking process to ensure they are confident and knowledgeable.

The latest webinars to be added to the e-learning suite are booking car hire with Budget and Dollar in

picking up many travel trade awards in the past few years for its work.

I

the USA, and booking with Goldcar in Spain and Italy.

The company now works with a network of 583 car rental suppliers in more than 193 countries and more than 15,210 lo-

cations worldwide.

In January 2013, the company formed a partnership agreement with ATTS in Dublin, Ireland’s leading travel representation solutions company, and has gone from

strength to strength, working closely with agents across Ireland to ensure they gain the skills they need to sell car hire to their customers.

In the 18 months since it established a presence in Ireland, Affordable has won a string of high-profile outlets, with new sign-ups more than doubling and car hire revenues showing a steady increase.

Agents can download “Nitty Gritty Guides” and “How to Book on our Website” pamphlets, which are useful handy counter guides to answer clients’ questions.

Commission rates, which average 15pc,

mean agents want to acquire the skills to sell well.

“Their customers and clients will only want to buy from someone who has all the answers at the fingertips so it is important that they understand how each of our suppliers work so they can answer any questions,” she says.

“We do what we can to respond to the needs of the travel industry and believe that is central to our success.”

Affordable was launched ten years ago by CEO Angela Day and has grown to become one of most respected independently owned car hire companies in Britain,

nternationally the big trend in the car hire market is the comeback of car-sharing after a false start ten years ago.

The roadscape for car sharing was transformed when Zipcar and Flexcar merged to create a single brand in 2007. In 2011 Zipcar’s IPO valued the company at $1bn and the big boys started to sit up and take notice. Other companies are now contending that car-sharing can be the future of car rentals.

In America, startups FlightCar and Hubber recruited airline passengers to make their own cars available for short-term rentals while they were out of town.

Avis Budget paid $500m last year for leading car-share operator Zipcar and its 750,000 members. Hertz added self-service technology (Hertz 24/7) for hourly rentals to thousands of cars in its fleet. The service is now available in some 300 locations in six countries.

Enterprise got into the act by combining several acquisitions to create Enterprise CarShare, and then acquired Zimride, which matches drivers with passengers online.

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Page 026-027 Afloat 11/05/2015 11:20 Page 1

JUNE 2015 PAGE 26

AFLOAT

PRINCESS Cruises announced a collaboration with the Oscar-winning Broadway and film composer, Stephen Schwartz.

Schwartz will write four musicals that will be performed across the fleet over the next few year. The first is called Magic To Do.

CRYSTAL Cruises is introducing two itineraries for 2016 inclusive of flights from Belfast International, an 18-night Hawaiian Serenade fly/cruise round trip from San Francisco onboard Crystal Serenity. Departing May 28, 2016, and a ten-night fly cruise round trip from New York departing on October 2, 2016.

FRED OLSEN

headed up in Ireland

by Alan Lynch’s Cruisescapes, offers nine different embarkation points on its Braemar cruise in October.

CROISEUROPE says 60-passenger Princesse Apsara will sail the Mekong, while two new 24-passenger canal barges, MS Daniele will cruise on the Briare Canal, between Burgundy and the Loire Valley and MS Deborah will take a route along the Garonne Canal from Toulouse to Damazan.

DUBLIN is to get 86 cruise ship calls

this year with three further calls to Dun Laoghaire. A further 17 ships will dock in the bay and passengers will be tendered off.

ROYAL CARIBBEAN 's newest and largest cruise ship Harmony of the Seas will spend the start of the 2016 summer season sailing from Barcelona and Rome, visiting Palma, Florence and Naples. Independence of the Seas will return to Southampton in 2016.

ROYAL CARIBBEAN will base

fly by Ripcord on Anthem of the Seas

Game changer

Anthem of the Seas launches in Southampton

A

nthem of the Seas, was named as Sunderland travel agent Emma Wilby.

She sang Katy Perry's "Firework" with Welsh boy choir Only Boys Aloud, who were preceded by the Reading Scottish Pipe Band.

They were joined on stage by ship’s captain Claus Andersen and

Michael Bayley before the godmother named the 4,180-passenger ship with the words: "I name this ship Anthem of the Seas. May God bless her and all who sail on her," before pressing the button to release a bottle of Perrier Jouet Champagne to smash against the hull.

Two groups of travel agents toured

the ship on separate two day mini cruises, and sampled activities such as the North Star and Virtual sky dive.

Stuart Leven of Royal Caribbean said Anthem of the Seas is six weeks ahead of schedule, while Quantum of the Seas was four days behind scheduled when it hosted the ITAA Conference last October.

all three of its Oasis-class cruise ships in Florida in 2016. That same summer Anthem of the Seas will sail its first summer season out of Cape Liberty, visiting Bermuda. Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas will sail alternate seven-night Western and Eastern Caribbean itineraries out of Port Everglades. In autumn 2016 Harmony of the Seas, which launches April 2016, will not sail Caribbean itineraries to begin with, but will replace Oasis of the Seas in Port Everglades in autumn 2016 when Oasis of the Seas moves to its new winter homeport of Port Canaveral.

SPLENDOUR of the Seas will move IRISH Continental Group, owners of Irish to Thomson Cruises in the summer 2016.

Ferries, reported passenger numbers are up 4.8pc in 2014 to 1.643m. Sea passenger numbers were up 2.6pc, to 3.2m passengers. Profits for 2014 were up 9pc to €32.7m. Pre tax profits were €56.7m

SCENIC

Tours is adding more ships in 2016, Scenic Amber for the Rhine, and Scenic Azure for Portugal's Douro River. In addition Scenic Spirit will cruise the Mekong and Scenic Aura will cruise the Irrawaddy.

HOLLAND AMERICA 's new Koningsdam, due to launch April 2016, will feature a three-deck atrium and steel artwork sculpture meant to represent a string quartet.

DYNAMIC DINING ‘HERE TO STAY’

Bionic bar on Anthem of the Seas

D

ynamic dining is here to stay. Royal Caribbean have introduced a dine-around, where passengers have the same waiter and the same table as you rotate through the four main restaurants.

Royal Caribbean has delayed plans to roll out the concept (no set dining times and no formal nights) across the fleet, but Royal Caribbean’s Michael Bay-

ley said it is proving popular with new to cruise passengers, in reply to the very first question at the Anthem press conference from TRAVEL Extra’s Eoghan Corry: “Dynamic Dining is a good idea, and everything has to change. This incredible choice and flexibility is the future. We are seeing new to cruise customers who love the idea, and this

is the way cruising is changing.”

Michael Bayley said “We want to provide customers with what they want. Here on Anthem 36pc of our customers are choosing the classic choice which we thought would be somewhere around that number. Again we have to be careful with percentages but that leaves 60pc of our customers who would be

happier choosing whatever they want to do. The other 40pc like the idea of set times. Classic choice is part of the choice. You chose to have a traditional cruise dining experience and we want to provide you with what you want.”

“My sense is that over time people will engage with the new concept. As that happens we will start to expand.”

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JUNE 2015 PAGE 27

AFLOAT

Staircase on the refurbished Explorer of the Seas

Explorer gets a new look Royal refurb with new features

he 15-year-old Explorer of the Seas arrived back from its 40-day refurbishment with 86 added cabins, increasing passenger capacity from 3,114 to 3,288.

The new cabins include 24 new “panoramic ocean view” cabins occupying a new section of superstructure added to Deck 12. Symphony, Explorer's three-deck-high main dining room, has been refitted with stylish black and white chairs.

Virtual balconies, a feature of Quantum class

has been added to 81 inside cabins.

The FlowRider surf simulator and a 220square foot cinema screen above the midship pool.

The upper level of The Chamber nightclub, on Deck 4, has been converted into a 62-cover Giovanni's Table. Windjammer Marketplace has new table tops; a Chops Grille steakhouse has replaced the Portofino restaurant on Deck 11, and the port side of the Viking Crown Lounge now accommodates an

Izumi Japanese sushi restaurant. Aquarium Bar is now The Tavern and the Champagne Bar on Deck 5 has been renamed the R Bar. The ship is the latest Royal Caribbean ship to emerge from a fleet-wide $300m revitalisation programme. Navigator of the Seas went through the exact same refurbishment programme in February last year. Explorer sails from Southampton this summer to the Canaries, Norway and the Mediterranean.

R

ciality cruising continues to thrive and that “passengers are at the helm.”

The group said cruise ship capacity grew by 18pc from 2009 to 2013.

CLIA estimates the industry is worth $117bn worldwide.

Cruise passengers listed the chance to sev-

eral locations as the single biggest advantage of taking a cruise.

The report noted: ■ Ocean cruise was rated first in the list of best overall holidays ■ 89pc of cruisers were highly satisfied with their cruise vacation.

T

AGENTS THE KEY

esearch released at Cruise Shipping Miami that the average cruise traveller is 49 years old, married, and earns $114,000 pa.

The report concluded that travel agents are still key influencers in the cruise industry, that spe-

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Page 028-032 Flying 11/05/2015 11:25 Page 1

JUNE 2015 PAGE 28

THE FLYING COLUMN

MALAYSIA Airlines is looking at terminating or drastically reducing A380, B747, B777 and all long-haul freighter operations with implications for much of its network.

Jetstar is planning to launch new routes and add extra flights to Sydney from Avalon Airport as part of a new ten year deal with the Victorian Government.

COLM BARRINGTON

is retiring from his role as chairman in September, after seven years in the position. He said "it's very hard to appoint a new chairman when you don't know who the owner's going to be.”

VLM started operating its 12w WaterfordLuton and 4w Waterford-Birmingham services.

IAA announced a 15.5pc increase in its operating profit to €29.7m for 2014. The aviation authority paid a €6.5m dividend to the State.

AER LINGUS posted a Q1 loss of

AER LINGUS REGIONAL €48.4m, similar to the same period last year.

An AAIU report praised an Aer Lingus Regional pilot and co-pilot for their quick-thinking by flying into a rain show to clear sea salt which had caked the ATR-72 windscreen.

BELFAST will host the Routes Europe NEWQUAY Aer Lingus Regional aviation conference in 2017.

launched its Dublin-Newquay service. Initially the service will be 3w, operating Monday, Friday and Saturday, increasing to 5w in June.

RYANAIR announced a deal with

Adobe which will see Ryanair update its app and website using Adobe software.

DELTA Air Lines restarted its services AIRBUS

from Shannon to New York this weekend. reported Q1 revenues of

AVOLON delivered its sixth B737-800 to Aeroflot, which will be operated by the subsidiary Pobeda. $13.3bn.

RYANAIR Michael O’Leary told

French newspaper Le Journal Du Dimanche that Ryanair’s average fare will be €40 by 2016, a decline of 10-15pc.

GERMANWINGS CEO Thomas Winkelmann was appointed CEO of Austrian Airlines, effective June 1.

ETIHAD will promote its brand campaign with Nicole Kidman at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai.

KLM The world’s first commercial aircraft

KLM DC-3 visited Belfast City Airport April 24 to publicise the launch of KLM flights from Belfast on May 18.

MALAYSIA Airlines started marketing

some B777-200ERs and A330-200Fs to potential purchasers.

EMBRAER reported Q1 revenues of $1bn with net loss of $61.7m.

TURKISH Airlines has commenced carrying air cargo from Shannon to Chicago.

Aviation with Gerry O’Hare

Runway success

Parallel runway back in the plans for Dublin airport

D

ublin’s parallel runway will be built within five years if growth at the airport continues at the current level, DAA CEO Kevin Toland says.

In reply to a question from Travel Extra at the DAA results for 2014-15 he said “the parallel runway was always on the agenda. We continuously review the plans and we have passed the trigger pints for updating those plans at the moment, particularly as Dublin takes a different complexion on long haul and as a hub.

This is a medium term project we are updating. One of the great things that people who were in the business before us did was they got all that land together so the land. We continuously review where is that.

We have planning permission which will come up in the next period. Some of the things in that won’t be suitable for us so we will have to work our way through that.

We will probably go through the trigger in the coming years where if we have One of the things is how quickly and cheaply.

We are in a good position. If you look at how quickly and what cost it would be for us compared with anyone in London, the next runway at Dublin could be a twentieth of the cost and three times quicker. This gives us a competitive advantage as we continue to grow in Dublin.

You are now racing, carefully

Kevin Toland presents the Dublin airport results working through them. Probably next year we will The regulator has allowed €247m in the last determination for the runway.

Dublin airport is now having to cope with growth, cope with the business and cope with long haul.

Coping with growth was not a problem two or three years. This summer we will be over 2pc in terms of our capacity in peak week compared with our peak in 2008. When you consider a proportion of that was domestic traffic which will never come back, like for like we are 6pc over peak. Out peak hour on the runway last year was 20pc over the peak in

BEIJING ROUTE It is down to the airline deciding that they actually want to come. There have been personnel changes in the past two years .I would still be hopeful it will happen in 18 months. I had forgotten how slow China can be. We had built out with out relationships in the market through Enterprise Ireland, Tourism Ireland, the IDA, Justice Department.

MESSAGE TO CHINA We want your

business and we will do all the things to get your business. We are working with airlines, which is the tough part because they are very methodical to say the list. It is down to the airlines because they have their own a=internal challenges and are very methodical, that is the best way of describing it.

LONG HAUL With all these long haul routes

when you like at the numbers to begin with, it generally after a year it is twice as big as the projections.

DUTY FREE Two standouts in that were Beirut and New Delhi. Beirut was a real standout because it was so close to the conflict zones only 40 to 50 miles away from our duty free shops.

2008.

When you are out in the airport will notice we have a lot of things on to cope with that growth. If you are flying with Ryanair and you look out to the right you can see we are building ten new stands which will be in place for next season.

We have reconfigured, 10pc more stands through better use of our airfield.

We have more bussing, new lanes in security, quite a lot of things .to cope with growth. Our challenge over the next couple of years will be staying ahead of growth as Dublin develops as a hub.

REGULATION There has been a revolving

door, they are looking for their third regulator within a year, we will be happy to see an end to the regulatory regime, work with out with your customers like any normal business.

REGULATION Regulation is not working.

The regulator reduced our prices by 19pc over five years. We are already 22pc cheaper than our European peers. If we get an inadequate return it is a simple wealth transfer to the airlines. We had a simple strategy was to keep the price down and invest in the future. It took €80m of capital away on the way.

APPEAL We have agreed with two major home based airlines, Ryanair and Aer Lingus that there will be no appeal, maybe the first time ever we have agreed on anything. Everyone is unhappy for different reasons.

Everyone is in unanimous that the appeal does not work. Even if everything goes your way it goes back to the regulator to decide whether he agrees with it or not.

A full regulatory review has been announced and we will be taking an active part.

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THE FLYING COLUMN

Aviation with Gerry O’Hare

Tour op Ryanair?

Is reduction of golf club fees the first step into leisure?

R

yanair has reduced the cost of checking in sports equipment in a move that could see the low cost airline re-entering the leisure market.

Ryanair reduced its fees from a €50 flat rate into five different categories; bike, large sport, skis, golf bag and small sport, a move it says will make it easier for customers to travel with their sporting equipment.

Ryanair customers can now book the following options: ■ Bicycle - €60 each way ■ Large sport (including but not limited to surfboard, canoe, kayak etc.) - €60 each way ■ Skis - €40 each way (reduced from €50) ■ Golf bag - €30 each way (reduced from €50) ■ Small sport (caman, fishing rod, racquet, hockey stick etc.) - €30 each way (reduced from €50) Unlike other recent developments, the golf clubs change will increase handling charges for Ryanair at European airports, something it has stringently tried to avoid in previous measures. Ryanair has historically

A

D

RYANAIR won support from the Canaries Government Fondo de Desarrollo de Vuelos for support of route development for Las Palmas-Bologna and Krakow. Offers to support routes to Toronto, Moscow and Shannon produced no results.

AIRPORT CHARGES Indecon International Economic Consultants have been awarded the contract to conduct a major review of the system for regulating airport charges in Ireland, which will commence immediately and be completed before the end of 2015.

Skis and golf club fees have ben reduced been successful in changing customer habits to help tackle costs over which it has no control, such as baggage handling.

Ryanair says this is the latest in an on-going series of Ryanair customer experience improvements including the launch of the new Ryanair website, a new app with mobile boarding passes, allocated seating, a second

aircraft will bring the team to important matches around Europe.

In addition, four leading Irish Internationals, one from each of the four provinces, will become ‘Aer Lingus Brand Ambassadors’, taking part in a number of events throughout the year as well as lending a helping hand to a new safety

carry-on bag allowance and a dedicated family service, Family Extra, with further improvements to come in 2015 , including a new website and app, new cabin interiors, new crew uniforms and inflight menus, ‘hold the fare’, destination content and fare comparison services.

After tax profits increased by 41pc to €40m.

When exceptional items are included, after tax profits declined by 50pc to €19m in 2014. The decline was due to the impact of a €21 m exceptional charge, relating in part to a €72m investment that was made to resolve the long-running pensions-related issue at

CARGO Flown cargo tonnes at Dublin Airport increased by 12pc during 2014 with double digit growth every month from April.

DUBLIN

is the most affordable European route for US travellers, according to cheapflights.

JAPAN Airlines expanded its European

codeshare coverage to Ireland, which sees JL code being placed on BA Heathrow-Dublin and Finnair Helsinki-Dublin services.

AIRPORTS Professor Aisling Reynolds-Feighan, a transport economist in UCD, says the problem is Ireland has too many regional airports offering essentially the same services. "Unfortunately we have far too many airports with overlapping hinterlands, it makes their long-term sustainability very doubtful," ATLANTIC Aviation Group, Shannon, launched its 2015 Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Apprenticeship Programme

demonstration video which will be shown on board transatlantic flights later this year.

The four ambassadors are: Rob Kearney (Leinster), Robbie Henshaw (Connacht), Tommy Bowe (Ulster) and Conor Murray (Munster).

DAA DEBT REDUCTION CONTINUES

AA turnover increased by 13pc to €564m in 2014, aided by higher revenues from aeronautical charges and increased income from commercial activities both in Ireland and overseas.

Earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation increased by 13pc to €182m last year.

AER LINGUS lost €44m from having a base at Belfast International Airport, CEO Stephen Kavanagh told the Belfast High Court. He said costs which directly applied to the operation of the base cost €21m with the difference between the two figures based on corporate overheads.

AIR Contractors had the B737-300 which operates on its charter services from Ireland repainted into its own colours. It had previously flown in the livery of Europe Airpost, another ASL subsidiary.

AER LINGUS LAUNCH RUGBY SPONSORSHIP

er Lingus announced a threeyear deal with the IRFU, which will see it become the Official Airline of the Irish Rugby Team.

As part of the sponsorship agreement it will re-name A320 EI-DEO 'Green Spirit' and transform it with IRFU and player branding. This

JUNE 2015 PAGE 29

Mike Rutter and friends

the company.

DAA continued to reduce its debt levels during the year, as net debt decreased by €14m to €600m. Since 2010, the company has reduced its debt by €164m. Operating costs increased by 13pc to €282m, which was due in the main to the impact of an overseas acquisition.

Costs at daa’s Irish airports increased by 4pc, while passenger numbers at Dublin and Cork airports increased by 6pc to 23.9m last year. Shareholders’ funds at year end were €1,006m, up from m. Return on equity is reported as 4pc, up from 3pc in 2013.

GALWAY County Councillors have voted to allocate €50,000 towards Ireland West Airport Knock, as part of a plan for seven local authorities in the West to invest €7m each in Knock in return for a 17.5pc equity share in the airport.

ENBIO has received funding worth €2m

from the European Space Agency to develop technique and to build a space technology centre in Clonmel, having won the contract to produce heat and radiation shields used on ESA’s solar orbiter satellite, to be launched in 2017.

The satellite will fly inside the orbit of Mercury, breaking the record for how close an orbiting satellite has got to the solar surface.

PARC Aviation announced a partnership

with Hainan Airlines to recruited experienced Captains for its B737, A330 and B787 fleets.

They are offering both type rated and non-type rated positions with bases in numerous locations.

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JUNE 2015 PAGE 30

THE FLYING COLUMN

DIT BEngTech degree in Aviation students presented their final year projects to an invited audience from the aviation industry.

Aviation with Gerry O’Hare

STANSTED Airport invited journalists to see phase two of its £80m investment to transform the terminal building and improve services and facilities. Phase three, which will see the opening of 16 new retail units, 13 stores and three pop-ups, should be ready by the end of this calendar year.

AIRBERLIN’s new CEO Stefan Pichler is considering expanding long-haul services non-stop to Asia instead of just routing passengers via the Abu Dhabi.

NORWEGIAN Air Shuttle for 2015

Q1 reported 5.0m passengers up 2.0pc on 2014 Q1. Average sector was up 10pc and passenger load factor up 6 points to 83pc. Revenue was NOK4034, +14pc and total operating costs NOK4757m with an operating loss of NOK722m compared to a loss of NOK777m a year ago. The pilots’ strike cost 190,000 passengers and NOK350m.

AMERICAN had the largest capacity

decrease in the region among the three large US global airlines of 8.6pc. United reported a 5pc decline and Delta recorded a 4pc increase.

UNITED The trans-Atlantic was United’s best performing geographical entity in 2015 Q1 as a 4.4pc increase in yields help lift unit revenues by 6.9pc

RYANAIR announced a new partnership with Adobe, which will allow Ryanair to further enhance its app and website and deliver a world class digital infrastructure by using Adobe software.

DUBLIN came second in Europe in the ACI passenger satisfaction survey.

LAN Airlines may move to direct flights between Sydney and Santiago, skipping the current Auckland stop-over, sometime after the airline's new B787-9 debuts on the route in September.

KENYA Airways CEO Mbuvi Ngunze has initiated talks with an airline from the Middle East in a bid to raise cash in exchange for equity. Kenya Airways will not purchase the remaining three of nine of Dreamliner jets it had ordered from Boeing in 2006 but would instead lease the aircraft from Irish company AWAS Aviation Trading Ltd. CHRISTOPH Mueller said:

“my experience is it's very difficult to create a winning team from existing management. There's nowhere more obfuscation than in the boardroom at the beginning of a turnaround.”

DUBLIN airport report that 864,000 from the six counties came through the airport last year, up 50pc year on year.

QATAR Airways increased its 5w Edin-

AER LINGUS load factor for April burgh-Doha service to daily.

was up 2.4 to 78.2pc.Short haul increased 2.6 to 76.8pc while long haul was up 2 to 79.9pc.

Éilis Gallagher and Dermot Lee of Aer Lingus demonstrate the new business class seat to Lorraine Cunningham of Lorraine Cunningham Travel at the Travel Industry Business Show at Citywest,

Business Lingus

New flatbed seats now installed on all long haul craft

F

ree wifi, bigger flatbed seats, more storage, upgraded food, upgraded entertainment and fast track security. It is all going to happen for Aer Lingus business class passengers which went live on all aircraft by March 29.

Travel Extra sampled the new product on Aer Lingus’s 7 hours and 12 minutes inaugural flight from Dublin to Washington.

There are more seats in the business class cabin than originally planned, 23 in the A330-200 and 30 in the A330-300, in 2-2-1 configuration.

The single throne seat will be the most coveted. Be sure to move early to secure seats 3K and 5K on the alternating 2-2-1 330 cabin,

T

The new Panasonic ex2 entertainment system will be available gate to gate. The film options, currently 12 in each direction, will see 50pc more new releases and 100pc more TV including box sets such as Game of Thrones.

And the good news is that the upgraded business class, based on a four room concept, is cheaper than competitors, starting at €899 one way.

Food is comparable with the top restaurants, the workspace in the new seats will be enhanced, Overall €25m was invested in developing the business class product.

A €2.5m marketing campaign will publicise the new business class product over the coming months.

The product follows the Lingus tra-

dition of being made in Ireland. Portadown company Thomson aero seating supplied the seats, and Botany weavers the finish.

The new seats have evolved somewhat since your correspondent first saw them. The finished product will have a cosy laptop and tablet storage and a place for shoes.

It also solves one of those conundrums from the old Aer Lingus premier class, the tendency of a dropped mobile phone to disappear into the nether regions under the seat.

In some cases the seat had to be taken apart for it to be retrieved. If it happens now, the new seat can be slipped forward and the phone retrieved.

IRISH FLIGHTS INCREASE 1pc

he Irish Aviation Authority announced a 15.5pc increase in its operating profit to €29.7m for 2014, before changes in actuarial assumptions re lated to pensions including reducing projected pension liabilities. It confirmed it paid a €6.5m dividend to the State, up 35pc on the previous year.

Turnover increased by 2.2pc to €177.5m while operating expenses de-

creased by 0.1pc reflecting the continuing efforts of the company in the area of cost-effectiveness. Total assets increased by 12.7pc to €255.2m.

North Atlantic Communications flights increased by 3.8pc to 420,423.

Ireland’s en route traffic (flights that pass through Irish airspace but don’t land) increased by 1.0pc to 301,331 movements.

On the domestic front, commercial traffic grew by

6.5pc in 2014 at the three State airports of Dublin, Shannon and Cork, with a total of 215,783 movements (with 81pc of the volume at Dublin Airport).

During the year, the IAA commenced work on the development of a dedicated Executive Jet register to compete with other authorities such as Aruba, Austria, Bermuda, Isle of Man, Malta, Portugal and San Marino.

The number of large air-

craft registered at year-end was 714 compared to 745 at end 2013 and 624 at end 2010. The numbers of small aircraft registered were 473, 476 and 617 respectively. The number of commercial pilots licenses at end 2014 was 6,897 compared to 4,652 in 2010 and of general pilot licences was 1,420 compared to 2,085.

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Aviation with Gerry O’Hare

JUNE 2015 PAGE 31

ANA Japanese carrier ANA and APPLE WATCH

Toyota are developing economy class seats.

Today reported that airlines are scrambling to update their apps for the Apple Watch.

AMERICAN Airlines reported a Q1

VIRGIN Atlantic opened a Clubhouse lounge in T2 at Los Angeles International airport.

net profit of $1.2bn.

LUFTHANSA announced that it will rebrand its lowcost subsidiary Germanwings as Eurowings this autumn.

EMIRATES From the end of June, all

Cabin crew the inaugural Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Washington DC: Deborah Byrne and Lily Byrne, Elaine Seery, Daniella Black, Geraldine Thompson, Sarah Calper, Kayleigh Dempsey, Deirdre Eighan and Laura Henry

Lingus next step

After Dulles, LAX direct will return for summer 2016

T

he resumption of flights to Los Angeles in may 2016 is the next step for Aer Lingus.

The new route will mean that the three route lost in 2009 will all have been restored.

It follows the resumption of 4 weekly services to Washington Dulles this summer. Gate A23 in Dulles Airport saw a welcome sight on Friday:

The return of Aer Lingus to an airport it vacated as a direct destination from Ireland in 2009 and from a franchise service in 2012.

Aer Lingus’s marquee launch of 2015 is a 4w service that will operate from May until October. Connecting passengers from Hamburg, Paris, Birmingham and London were among those on the inaugural flight.

During the peak summer months, ten airlines will operate 164 flights each week to 15 North American destinations. The service will connect Washington to 18 European cities across Dublin.

A smooth 7 hours and 12 minute flight brought passengers and crew to a welcome reception at their destination.

AUCKLAND, BEIRUT BOOST ARI

A

er Rianta International is “ahead of schedule” in its plan to double profits, Chief Executive Jack MacGowan said.

ARI profits fell from €29.4m to €18.1m yearon-year, but the decline was mainly because the business had benefited in 2013 from the one-off impact of the sale of its operations in Russia and

Ukraine.

Like-for-like profits at ARI’s international locations increased by +50pc last year, while sales at continuing locations grew by +10pc and most operations delivered double-digit sales growth.

MacGowan said: “We had a plan to double profits by 2017, and we are ahead of that, at least by a year. If you take away the excep-

tional profits from the Russia/Ukraine exit, profits were up by +50pc and we have a very healthy, growing underlying business."

ARI’s joint venture operations in the Middle East continued to perform well, where Beirut Duty Free, in particular, demonstrated its resilience despite the impact on economic and travel activity in the region as a result of the conflict in

T The new Loop is outperforming expectations

neighbouring Syria.

A new franchise was successfully started in Auckland.

The trading performance in Canada was boosted by an upturn in activity as the year progressed at Montreal Duty Free’s new International Store, following completion in the Spring of a €2.7m capital investment programme there.

LOOP BOOST

he new Loop at Dublin Airport Terminal 1 has delivered sales growth of +35pc against passenger growth of +16pc in its first eight weeks, Aer Rianta International CEO Jack MacGowan said.

“The Irish business is doing

well, with passenger numbers now coming back close to their peak. The T1 store is ahead of expectations, with a shop design that is driven by consumer insights and data that allows us to target the different segments."

Emirates A380 aircraft will be equipped with redesigned headsets in economy class. Headsets will be rolled out on the B777 fleet later this year.

AIRBUS

predicted that the passenger aircraft fleet currently serving the Australia South Pacific region will grow from 700 aircraft to 1,200 by 2033 with a doubling in the number of wide body aircraft.

ALITALIA and Etihad Airways marked the opening of their join pavilion at Expo Milano.

BRITISH Airways and Iberia joined the

AMERICAN Airlines closed its Admirals Club lounges at Phoenix Sky Harbour International and São Paulo International airports for renovation.

European Low Fares Airline Association.

FLYBE launched a direct route from

QATAR Airways and car hire firm Avis Cardiff to Düsseldorf.

ETIHAD took delivery of its second announced a loyal scheme partnership.

NASA completed initial flight tests of a new morphing wing technology that is expected to reduce airframe weight, decrease aircraft noise and save in annual fuel costs.

A380 in the Facets of Abu Dhabi livery.

AER LINGUS' on-line timetable is

showing Dublin-Jersey next winter, Friday and Sunday.

RYANAIR’s Knock-Las Palmas route will not operate this summer due to “shortage of aircraft”.

RYANAIR said it is recording a load factor of 90pc on its initial services from Copenhagen to Dublin.

DAA will spend €14m on doubling the size of its T2 short-term car park. The extension will add four floors and 1,400 spaces to the multi-storey car park. Work is expected to finish in December.

CITYJET has partnered with Dublinbased aviation training company Simtech to train 22 new pilots this year.

ETIHAD and American Airlines are expanding their codeshare partnership..

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THE FLYING COLUMN

IAA The IAA extended the Point Merger ar-

Aviation with Gerry O’Hare

rival management system to Runway 10 at Dublin Airport.

AVOLON announced the completion of a $675m 8-year secured debt facility, which will finance 21 aircraft at a margin of 1.65pc.

Ryanair launched its Scotland 2015 winter schedule with 32 routes.

MALAYSIA Airlines will expand its codeshare partnership with Etihad on April 30.

Boeing is experiencing problems with seat production from Zodiac Aerospace, but the aircraft maker insists that this will not alter its ability to meet 2015 targets FINNAIR will offer hand luggage only

Light Ticket fares on flights from Ireland from May 5.

AER LINGUS Cargo appointed NetALITALIA expanded its codeshare with Delta Air Lines for summer 2015. work Airline Services as its GSA in France.

EMIRATES announced a $9.2bn order for Rolls-Royce engines for the 50 A380s ordered at the Dubai Airshow in 2013.

RYANAIR launched a new blog called BOEING

Dublin now has 163 flights a week to North America

Dub 6th in Europe One in five Dublin passengers is transferring

Into The Blue.

reported Q1 net earnings of $1.33bn on revenue, up 8pc to $22.1bn.

QATAR Airways will replace the A330 aircraft operating the Doha-Heathrow route with a, A380 from July 1.

The London Telegraph’s guide to stress-free

ALASKA Airlines will trial a premium

EMIRATES president Tim Clark said the airline will to continue its partnership with Qantas beyond the initial five-year period. economy service next month.

IBERIA and TAM Airlines extended their SHANNON airport launched its sumcodeshare agreement.

DELTA Members of Delta’s Skymiles loyalty programme will be offered bonus miles and 40pc savings each time they rent a car from Hertz at airports until July 31. mer service, with routes to 35 destinations.

RAIL capacity at London Gatwick is ex-

FLYBE Finland was rebranded as Nordic pected to double in the next five years.

EMIRATES received its 60th A380, with another 80 pending delivery.

Regional Airlines.

CITYJET plans to continue operating its Avro RJ85s, recently sold under sale/leaseback to Falko.

FLY Leasing acquired a B737-800 aircraft BOEING donated an original B787-8 manufactured in 2008.

FTV, serial 40691, to Pima Air & Space Museum.

W

hen Aer Lingus flew their inaugural flight from Dublin to Washington on may 1st, passengers on the flight came from Birmingham London, Amsterdam and Paris.

It is part of a larger story behind the record trans-Atlantic season for all the airlines on the trans-Atlantic corridor from Dublin.

Almost one in five passengers through Dublin now is a transfer passenger. Transfer business was up 37pc in 2014.

“One thing that is interesting,” Kevin Toland of DAA says, “from Heathrow you can fly trans-Atlantic from nine cities in England, Scotland and Wales whereas as of this morning you can fly to 26. “ Dublin has overtaken Rome to become Europe’s sixth busiest transatlantic hub, not far behind Madrid,

with a record 163 flights to North America per week during the summer peak.

The flights include seven daily to New York (5 JFK, 2 to Newark), four daily to Chicago, two daily to Boston, 18 weekly to Toronto, 11 weekly to Dulles, daily to Atlanta, Philadelphia, Charlotte, San Francisco, and St John’s, four weekly to Orlando, three weekly to Los Angeles. Altanta and weekly to Halifax.

“That means it is easier to fly transAtlantic through Dublin than through London from 19 cities in England, Scotland and Wales. It is not just an English story, Paris and Amsterdam are also in the top five locations for transfer passengers through Dublin.”

That is how we see it building out as we go forward.”

“We had a record year last year in North America and also business in

Canada doubled. We had a lot of extra flights to Canada last year and those flights filled. Our load factors were good, those flights filled. The Westjet flight to St john’s were full through the whole season.”

Dublin gets four new trans-Atlantic services this year, United going to O’Hare, Ethiopian into Los Angeles, the early morning Aer Lingus flight to JFK which enables people to have their lunch in new York for the first time, and Europe Airport to Halifax.

Dublin has 750 flights a week from England Scotland and Wales provincial and 1,000 flights a week from Europe (the figures doubles if you count both directions), we have an opportunity as one of the few airports that is connected with all the capital cities.

RYANAIR REDUCES AIRPORT CHECK FEE

R

yanair’s airport check-in fee has been reduced from €70 to €45, and its missed departure fee has been reduced from €110 to €100. These fee reductions follow an enhanced sports equipment service, offering 5 separate sports options and lower fees for smaller

items, with further services improvements and exciting digital developments to be introduced over the coming year.

Customers can look forward to a brand new personalised website and app with a ‘hold the fare’ feature, destination content and fare comparison services, as well as new

cabin interiors, new crew uniforms and new inflight menus, as Ryanair continues to offer so much more than just the lowest fares.

The latest initiatives comes in the second year of its three-year customer experience improvement programme.

The old days

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JUNE 2015 PAGE 33

DESTINATION IRELAND ATLANTIC Sea Kayaking and Wild Atlantic Walks in Cork was the overall winner at the inaugural Irish Responsible Tourism Awards. The full list of winners: Best Tour Operator -- Connemara Wild Escapes. Best Small Hotel or Accommodation -- Hotel Doolin. Best Transport Initiative -- An Taisce Green Schools Travel and Burren & Cliffs of Moher Geopark Partnership. Best in a Marine or Coastal Environment -- Dolphin Watch, Co Clare. Best Destination -- Loop Head Peninsula. Best Cultural Heritage Attraction -- Cnoc Suain, Co Galway. Best Local Food Initiative -- Archways B&B, Wexford.

TOURISM

Ireland’s May board meeting took place in the Sligo Park Hotel. Picture shows Paul Gunning with Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland Tourism Ireland board members and senior managers to Lissadell House.

FAILTE Ireland announced that Dublin will host three international conferences: Life Cycle Assessment of Foods Conference, October 2016, 450 delegates. International Network of Basin Organisations European Conference on the Water Framework Directive, November 2017, 750 delegates. Fire Safety for All in Buildings Conference, April 2016, 200 delegates.

MINISTER Michael Ring announced

Gastronomy is the theme of this year’s Eden awards

Eden for foodies Gastronomy the theme for Eden call-up for 2015

F

áilte Ireland has invited entries for the EDEN competition.

Held every two years, this year's theme is Tourism and Local Gastronomy.

The winning destination will receive a promotional photo shoot to

market itself as well as €5,000 to use to highlight its attractions.

The winning entry will also represent Ireland at an exhibition in Brussels later this year. Eligible destinations: Small destinations with lower visitor numbers in comparison

to the national average; destinations that offer authentic tourism experiences; and destinations that have a well-developed gastronomy that is characteristic of the region.

funding is being sought under the Community Tourism Initiative for the Diaspora, launched last year, which aims to build on the legacy of The Gathering 2013.

CLARE County Council announced that

it will lead an initiative to promote Clare as a county of culture for 2016 to coincide with Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, which takes place in Ennis in August 2016. Picture shows Rory Casey, Abbey Branch of Comhaltas, Gerard Dollard, Director of Service Clare County Council; Tom Coughlan, Chief Executive Clare County Council, Cathaoirleach, Cllr. John Crowe, Frank Whelan, Micheal O Riabhaigh and Joe Arkins all of the Abbey Branch of Comhaltas outside the headquarters of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann in Monkstown for the Ard Chomhairle vote on the Fleadh.

Romantic Escapes Relax and be pampered at a luxury spa, make a country estate your home, or savour mouthwatering delights of locally sourced produce in award winning restaurants.

Enjoy music and craic over a drink in cosy village pubs or take in the spectacular countryside, stunning mountains and wide open spaces.

Discover a special place to share special moments, when you visit Tyrone & Sperrins. find out more at: tyroneandsperrins.com

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Inside the Travel Business

JUNE 2015 PAGE 34

GLOBAL VILLAGE

TRAVEL COUNSELLORS

Ireland’s 62 Travel Counsellors celebrated their tenth anniversary with its biggest conference to date on Thursday and Friday next April 16-17 at Carton House Hotel in Maynooth. Travel Counsellors recorded a turnover of €22m in Ireland in 2014. Delegates will hear from a number of key management staff about future plans and developments to help support them and grow their businesses.

CARTRAWLER Bobby Healy’s

CarTrawler is to acquire Finnish technology and services company Cabforce.It looks is set to acquire US rival Auto Europe.

CRUISINGEXCURSIONS Former Falcon Irish and country manager Damien Mooney was appointed MD of cruisingexcursions.com.

ITIC Paul Gallagher took office as Chair of the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation. The Buswell’s GM and former IHF President was elected at the AGM of the Confederation, as Paul Carty ended to his two year term of office.

J BARTER Travel's exhibition commemorating their 150 years in business is on view in Cork Vision Centre

ITAA is to join with other EU Travel Agent associations to seek the refund of Malev payments, which have not been repaid.

TOPFLIGHT’s charter summer sched-

ule launched on Thursday with the DublinFunchal route. Tony Collins reported a 15pc increase in bookings so far this year. The charter services to Italy launch from May 23. There is extra capacity on both the Naples and Verona routes

ITAA is drawing annual attention to the

Benevolent Fund which provides confidential relief to current or past members of the Irish Travel Trade. The Benevolent Fund Trustees are Audrey Headon, Barry Walsh, Bepi Gaidoni, John Galligan.

VOYAGES-SNCF is celebrating

its 15th birthday by paying an extra 2pc commission to travel agents until July 15.

JACTRAVEL Sarah Lindsay for-

merly of DG Ventures is to head up JacTravel’s new Irish operation.

TURKISH Airlines hosted the trade at a

private screening of Russell Crowe’s The Water Diviner. Turkish will host several groups visiting the battle fields of Gallipolli.

DIGNITAS Gail O'Rorke was acquitted

of an assisted suicide charge in association with Bernadette Forde, who was 51 and had suffered with multiple sclerosis for ten years, ended her life at her home in Dublin in June 2011 after she had been forced to cancel a trip to the Dignitas Clinic in Zurich after the intervention of the gardaí who were alerted by a travel agent.

TRAVELPORT renewed its long term agreement with Deutsche Bahn.

License shock O

Travel agent applications late for May round

ver 43pc of license renewal applications in the May round have been late.

Sarah Fischer of the Commission of Aviation Regulation told the AGM of the ITAA that 48 out of 125 travel agent license renewal applications were late, 13 were protracted and 3 may not renew.

She said this was the worst year for late license renewal applications.

Her hard hiting statement was the highlight of the AGM at which the new board of the Irish Travel Agents Association was elected; ■ Cormac Meehan of Meehan Travel, Ballyshannon, Donegal.

■ Ben Greene of Arrow Tours, Drogheda, Louth ■ Valerie Metcalfe of FCM, Dublin ■ Rory McDyer of Rory McDyer Travel, Clontarf, Dublin ■ Jim McGonigle of Clondalkin Travel, Clondalkin, Dublin ■ Angela Walsh of CTM, Cork ■ Joe Tully of Tully Travel, Carlow ■ Clare Dunne, The Travel Broker, Clontarf, Dublin Martin Skelly of Navan Travel was re-elected President of the Irish Travel Agents Association at the ITAA annual general meeting in City-

The new ITAA board: Joe Tully, Pat Dawson, Angela Walsh, Ben Greene, Martin Skelly, Cormac Meehan, Clare Dunne, Des Manning.Not present: Valerie Metcalfe and Jim McGonigle. west. Des Manning of Manning Travel, Kilkenny was also re-elected as Treasurer.

Speaking at the AGM, Martin Skelly, continuing President said “I am delighted to have been elected President of the ITAA for a second year and I look forward to continuing my work in this busy but rewarding role. My aim is to build upon progress made in recent years to strengthen consumer confidence and ensure that all of our member travel

agencies are recognised for their expertise, dedication and knowledge.”

The ITAA represents Ireland's travel Industry, bringing together 100 member companies covering 161 outlets in different towns and cities throughout Ireland.

ITAA members are licensed by the Commission for Aviation Regulation and are fully bonded providing full financial protection for their customers.

BIG TICKET SIGNINGS LIKELY FOR SAVERS

T

ravelsavers are anticipating some big ticket singings in the coming months as the consortium turns its focus on recruitment in Ireland.

Speaking to Travel Extra at the ITAA Business Show in Citywest,

Jack Maraffi of Travelsavers said that the group had expanded in 32 countires and was going to step back from expansion.

Travelsavers has 48 agencies in Ireland with the recent recruitment of Matt Corcoran of King

Travel. The group, which has no memebrship fee, is the second biggest conetorium in the USA with 2.300 agents behind vacation.com which has 2,800 agents.

ITAA PLEASED WITH BUSINESS SHOW

T

he inaugural Irish Travel Industry Trade Show took place Friday 24th April 2015 in the Citywest Convention Centre. A combined initiative from the Irish Travel Agents Association and Business Exhibitions, the trade show featured 120 exhibitors

showcasing the latest in travel innovation, product demonstrations and new customer experiences.

CEO of the ITAA Pat Dawson said, “It was a pleasure to work with Business Exhibitions to present the first ever Irish Travel Industry Trade Show and we look forward to work-

jJack Maraffi

ing with them again next year. Our aim for the show is for it to be the best forum in Ireland for productive engagement between travel agents, suppliers and business partners.”

Popular stands on the day included the Aer Lingus stand where attendees could trial the benefits of

flying business class with an interactive display of business class seating and the Spanish Tourist Board stand, where free Paella was dished out throughout the afternoon. Many of the stands had free gifts for visitors and raffle prizes were doled out over the course of the day.

Page 034-035 Agent 11/05/2015 11:30 Page 2

Inside the Travel Business

JUNE 2015 PAGE 35

GLOBAL VILLAGE

DYNAMIC packaging features in 60pc of all bookings made through the travel trade in Ireland, according to Irish Travel Agents Association quarterly survey. Pat Dawson, CEO of the ITAA said, “In recent years travel agents have completely redefined their role in the travel industry to the point where I would now consider them mini tour operators. Any member of the public can walk into their local travel agents and have a dedicated professional create a customised package exclusively to suit their needs. They’re the personal shopper of the travel world, searching flights, hotels and destinations to match budgets and desires.”

ANA All Nippon Airways has appointed

Jerez will be the venue for the ITAA conference 2015, with activites planned from Sept 30 to Oct 4

Jerez-tu ITAA?

Aer Lingus charter will serve the agents’ conference

he ITAA Conference in Jerez on October 1-4 will be served by an Aer Lingus charter flying out on Thursday and back on Monday.

The conference programme is being finalised with Antonio Martin of Andalucia Tourism. The anticipated 150 delegates will be hosted at the Hotel Sherry Park. The nearby Kapote bar area is expected to cater for the breakout social life that is a feature of ITAA conferences. Items under discussion include the possibil-

ity of cards for tapa deals in the bars.

The programme will feature a round of golf in Sherry Golf in Jerez, a private dinner at El Bosque on Wednesday, golf at Montecastillo golf club on Thursday, After Friday’s conference programme, delegates will travel to the Real Escuela Andaluza del Arte Ecuestre equestrian school, and dinner at the Palacio Duque de Abrantes carriage museum.

Saturday excursions have been organized to El Puerto de Santa Maria,

J

ing up their expertise on those destinations so they become specialists on those destinations.”

The technology was designed in partnership with Peter Healy ‘s Vertical Systems. Peter is a director of holiday experts.

“More websites can be created for individual properties by demand, the more home workers that we bring on and what their demands at, what they are good at and their expertise.”

“We are looking at 30 destination websites but we need a core amount of people to sustain, deliver and manage their destinations well. If you are building a website we want people who want to sell it and have a passion for that place. If you don’t have a passion for a place don’t take it.”

“They can bring their own customers and we will provide them with customers as well.”

Home workers who have been recruited include Wendy Aiken, Esther

T

GLOBE EXPANDS HOME WORKER DIVISION

eff Collins of trade bed bank Globe Hotels says that both of his retail divisions Best4travel and the new home working group Holiday Experts will be expanding in the coming months.

The concept of the business is holiday experts who are experts who can deliver that expertise to an individual customer, Jeff Collins says.

The home workers will become experts on certain destinations and particular properties. They sign into the system when they want and work their own hours.” “Focussed selling drives the business into certain places and certain resorts with high end commissions, rather than trying to be everything to everyone.”

“The difference with us is that they are not on their own. They can bring in their own customers and we will supply them with customers as well.

I will be training the applicants and the people who want to join us, build-

to Cadiz and to karting activities at Jerez circuit. The gala dinner on Saturday night will take place at the Claustros de Santa Domingo.

On Sunday post-fams will take place to the province of Cadiz. Options include Conil de la Frontera, Vejer de la Frontera, whale and dolphin watching at Tarifa, Bolonia and the ruins of Baelo Claudia, Rota, Sanlucar de Barrameda, Chipiona and Donana national park, the largest in Europe.

Alan Sparling’s ASM as its GSA in Ireland. All Nippon Airways is the 13th largest airline in the world by revenues (2013) and the largest airline in Japan by revenues and passenger numbers. ANA has one of the largest fleets of B787 Dreamliner aircraft and a comprehensive European network to Japan

BRITISH Airways are to move its sales

support function in Ireland to England, which means Ger Hayes and Graham Aldren will leave the company. Front-line sales team in Ireland will increase from two to three people to reflect the growth of our business. The back office sales support service currently provided in Dublin will now be handled by an English-based team, which BA says will give Irish corporate customers and trade partners access to a larger team of support specialists and will boost the team dealing with customers in Ireland who can draw on the support of a larger back office team in England.

ITAA’s quarterly survey found that Spain

remains the most popular holiday destination for Irish holidaymakers, followed by Portugal and Italy, which climbed two places YOY and pushing the USA down to fourth place. Agents said that all inclusive cruise and river cruises are one of the biggest trends in 2015 so far.

WTC Audrey Headon’s decision is to leave World Travel Centre after 23 years sees her move into a new role in representation, although she says she has not established a name of the new company yet. Watch this space.

RED SEA Holidays is offering agents

the chance to win a 7 night holiday to Sharm el Sheikh on Facebook.

Jeff Collins Corcoran, Audrey Grennan, Paula Scanlon, Jill Sheeran, Mike Shinnors, Margaret Trainor and Denise Walsh.

Holiday Experts give 60pc commission for own client bookings, and 30pc for the driven business.

“It has worked well in England.

We have worked it for a year in Ireland and checked what the pitfalls are.”

Best4travel has also expandied in shopping centre retail locations.

TURKISH Airlines World Golf Cup

2015 has been expanded to include qualifying events in 65 destinations worldwide. The Dublin qualifying event took place at Killeen Castle Golf Club. The series of global amateur golf competition is designed to provide opportunities to network with senior business people from around the world.

SELECTIVE Travel Management completed an extension on its headquarters at Murray’s Exchange, Belfast.

AMADEUS Arrangements for the Amadeus golf day are under way and it is likely the tournament will take place on Sept 24 at Lough Erne.

Page 036 window seat 11/05/2015 11:32 Page 1

JUNE 2015 PAGE 36

WINDOW SEAT Last month in numbers

23.9m Dublin Airport 2014 passengers 97,000 Number of jobs supported by Dubliln

4,905 Capacity of Royal Cairbbean’s new AnAirport according to DAA analysis

167 Number of routes served from Dublin airport this summer them of the Seas at maximum occupancy

163 Number of weekly trans-Atlantic flights from Dublin this summer

75pc Proportion of parking spaces at Dublin airport now sold online

17pc Increased numbers at Dublin airport so far

SKIES THROUGH PILOT EYES

W

hen Mark Vanhoenacker became a management consultant because he thought it would let him spend most time on aeroplanes. After a few years he began training to become a pilot instead.

Today he flies a Boeing 747 for British Airways.

His book dscribes life in the cockpit, the vast emptiness of the night sky, the clouds in their fdifferent forms, the “hours in the high country, when lightness is lent to us,” observations from the strange zone above the ordinary world that pilots inhabit.

In one piece of genius he de-

BOOKS: Skyfaring: A Journey with a Pilot by Mark Vanhoenacker (Chatto & Windus)

scribes the scents above different cities that maqke their way into the cockpit: the “unique and rich, faintly smoky” smell of Indian cities, the “snow-air mixes with salt” of Boston.

He writes about the effects of “place lag” or “the inability of our deep old sense of place to keep up with our aeroplanes” something that apparently affects pilots much worse than standard jet lag.

Pilots don’t get jet-lagged be-

cause they rarely stay in one place long enough to switch from their home time. Their community is different from that of their passenegrs, it forms over dinners in Dubai, lunches in Los Angeles and breakfasts in Beijing.

At the end of one dayhe stands over his sink, and ponders that on his shoes “is the red of the soil under the South African tree, from the morning I saw the weavers and their nests.”

Busman’s holiday: Stephen McNally in 2015

Every month we ask a leading travel professional to write about their personal holiday experience. This month: Stephen McNally, President, Irish Hotels Federation and Deputy Chief Executive, Dalata Hotel Group

G

rowing up on a busy farm, I must admit get-away holidays were not high on the agenda when I was young. There were farm animals to mind, chickens to be fed and hay to be saved every summer. My favourite memories of summer were home scones and 99’ ice cream cones!

In the early 90’s, I spent some time in Glasgow and one holiday in particular that left a lasting impression was when a group of us took off for six days to walk the 100-mile coastal route from Glasgow City to Fort William, taking in the

stunning Loch Lomond shoreline along the way.

No phones, b re a th -ta k in g scenery, super company… and lots of blisters!

The entire experience was simply out of this world.

Now with two active teenagers, outdoor activities such as tennis and water sports are top of the list for our family holidays - as are beaches and good food. One of our more recent holidays was to Sivota in Greece, where we had a fabulous time in a seaside resort on a Neilson Holiday. Great if you have teenagers and lots of energy!

My favourite holidays, however, have always been short breaks in Ireland.

We’ve so much to offer as a destination with spectacular landscapes, amazing

Stephen McNally says that Loch Lomond was his favourite holiday spot

outdoor adventures and an abundance of cultural attractions. I simply love going to visit Ronnie Counihan’s Renvyle House Hotel in the west of Ireland. The

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

T

he travel industry is weighing up the impact of the British General Election, in which David Cameron confounded pollsters and pundits by winning a sensational second five-year term in office for his Conservative party.

The prospects are not great.

Making international travel easier is not something that is a big priority forthe conservatives. Their travel taxes are among the highest in the world. But something even

grimmer may be about to happen.

An English exit from the EU could be on the cards as early as 2020, with profound implications for international travel and a new set of hurdles for the tourism industry in and out of that country.

Scotland going its separate way will lessen the blow there, it is unlikely Scotland will opt to remain outside the EU. Wales and the most British inclined consituencies in the north, Antrim, North Down and

East Belfast will also face a dilemma.

We already face long treks to distant gates of Europe’s airprots becuase we are unable to join the Shenghen region. Brexit might be a step too far.

Is now the time for Ireland to position itself back in Europe, to consider becoming more tourist-friendly and join the Shenghen region unilaterally? Over to you Frances.

h i s toric country house hotel is so relaxing and it is like going back in time. The food is delicious and the local people know the meaning of Céad Míle Fáilte!

IN YOUR NEXT TRAVEL EXTRA: Available to Travel Agents or online June 15 2015

CANARIES ISSUE Lanzarote Gran Can Tenerife Fuerteventura WINTERSUN TRENDS

Page 037 pics 11/05/2015 16:55 Page 1

Out and about with the Travel Trade

JUNE 2015 PAGE 37

MEETING PLACE

ril McCarthy of Riviera Stephen Sands and Av ustry Business Show at Travel at the Travel Ind Citywest,

Collette Brennan and Seamus O'Dwyer at the launch of Anthem of the Seas in Southampton,

a Croke of Marble City Christine Scully and Lis h of Travel Focus with Travel and Ruth Haug d Helen McCormack of Michelle McDonagh an

Sharon Jordan of The Travel Corporation, Joh n Grehan of Justsunshine and Jenny Rafter of Royal Caribbean at the Travel Industry golf da y

Edmund Hourican of Business Exhibitions, Audrey Headon of WTC and Barry Walsh of Concorde Travel at the Travel Business golf day

Jenny Rafter and Jennife r Callister of Royal Caribbean at the Travel Industry Business Show at Citywest,

Mary McStay, Mary King and Pedro Garcia at the Caroline O'Toole of Fahy Travel and Annette m of at the launch of Anthe Travel Industry Business Show golf tournament Hynes of 1stop Travel n, at Citywest, the Seas in Southampto

Matt Corcoran of King Travel, Jack Maraffi of Travelsavers and Tm Kiernan of Ask Susan at the Travel Industry Business Show golf function

Adam Knight of A2B transfers, Dean Dexter of Flexible Autos and Ciara Mooney of Freedom Travel at the Travel Industry Business Show

Ann Pye and Marie Mc Carthy of Irish Ferries at the Travel Industry Bu siness Show at Citywest ,

a Croke of Marble City Christine Scully and Lis Anthem of the Seas in Travel at the launch of Southampton,

l Hol- Michael Doorley, Fiona Coghlan, Noel Mcauliffe, Maria Murphy and Cara Barry of CTM, Jeff rnie Groarke of Crysta Mary O'Grady and Be Anne O'Sullivan and Orlagh O'Hea at the Travel Collins of Globe Hotels and Deirdre Fit zgerald of ustry Business Show at CTM at the Travel Ind idays at the Travel Ind Industry Business Show at Citywest ustry Business Show , est Cityw

Clem Walshe of Lowc ostbeds, Don Shearer of Worldchoice, Declan Po wer of Shannon Airpo rt and Peter O'Hanlon of Travelfinders

Rebekka Johanni of Arecife, Anja Alles of Vik Hotel, Magdalena Tabaka of Gran Hotel of Atlantis and Helena Jimenez of Andalucia

d Sea Resorts, Michael Niall McDonnell of Re vel and Jeff Collins of Geraghty of Cavan Tra vel Business Show Globe Hotels at the Tra

Page 037 pics 11/05/2015 16:55 Page 2

JUNE 2015 PAGE 38

MEETING PLACE

Out and about with the Travel Trade

rer non Airport, Don Shea Michael Doorley of Shandon Travel, Gonzalo Ce- Jennifer O'Brien and Aoibhinn Smyth Isabel Harrison of Shan of Travel n no an Sh of r we Po n cla ballos of the Spanish TB, John Galligan of John Counsellors at the launch of Anthem of De d an of Worldchoice the Seas in Southampton, ustry Business Show Galligan Travel and John Keogh of Aer Lingus Airport, at the Travel Ind

Gillian Breen and Brend an Breen of E-travel at the launch of Anthem of the Seas in Southam pton,

of and Fionnuala Carter Paul Manning of Hertz ow Sh ess sin Bu ry ust Ind the ITAA at the Travel ywest, golf tournament at Cit

Olwen McKinney of Am adeus and John Gallig an of John Galligan Travel at the Travel Industry Business Show golf tou rnament at Citywest

Ann Davis of Abbey Travel and Anita Thomas of Emirates, with Jane Reddin and Audrey Headon of WTC at the Travel INdustry Business Show

bed, Matt Corcoran of Lee Osborne of Booka ffi of Travelsavers and King Travel, Jack Maha lf san at the Industry go Tom Kiernan of Ask Su

Anja Alles of Hotel Vik San Antonio with Geraldine Dolan and Corina Dolan of Society Travel at the Travel Industry Business Show

Dermot Merrigan of Iris h Ferries and Peter O'Hanlon of Travelfind ers at the Travel Indust ry Business Show golf tou rnament at Citywest

Paula Coghlan of Dawson Travel with Coro Miguel and Natalia Bel of Salou at the Travel Industry Business Show at Citywest,

Magdalena Tabaka and Helena Vazquez at the port, Eileen Doherty of Robbie Smart of Travel ael- Travel Industry Business Show at Citywest, , David Condon of Trv vel Tra on nn Ha r ea Eim on at Citywest, port and Eimear Hann

Ciaran Mulligan and Bre ndan White on board An Maeve Slalom, Philippa Tyrrell, Anita Smedley them of the Seas in So uthampton prior to its and Jackie Coghlan of Blue Insurances at the launch, launch of Anthem of the Seas in Southampton

and Elaine Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien of Nicola Fields of Falcon in of Anthem of the Seas Cruise Co at the launch Southampton

Roisin O'Neill of the ITA A with Francisco Armas and Gustavo Ekvall of Costa Sal in Lanzarot e at the Travel Industry Bu siness Show golf tourna -

at n Maxwell of The ITAA Lorraine Dunne and Jea rna siness Show golf tou the Travel Industry Bu , ment at Citywest

9 page 039 07/04/2015 13:21 Page 1

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