Travel Extra June 2017 by Travel Extra

HARTFORD GUIDE TO NEW DESTINATION NORWEGIAN WHO SAID STEWART? PHILLY BELL & WHISTLE STOP Shannon’s autism initiative

South Africa ﬁesta of fam trips

Rivercruise ﬂows

R U YO DE A R R T PE PA

IRELAND'S PREMIER SOURCE OF TRAVEL INFORMATION Free

JUNE 2017

See you later

VOLUME 22 NUMBER 6

What your client should know about USA 2017

PHUKET 24x33cm ING.indd 1

06/04/17 14:57

JUNE 2017 PAGE 3

www.travelextra.ie

The Braga boom

Ireland to Portugal ﬁgures up by 22.3pc in 2017

reland was the third fastest growing market to Portugal so far in 2017 with growth of 22.3pc, behind Brazil and the US, with visits up 22.3pc and bed nights up 23.7pc. Fastest growing area was Central Portugal with guests up 335.5pc and bed nights up 250.7pc. Second fastest growing was Porto & Northern Portugal with visits up 55.7pc and bed nights up 50.4pc. Next was Lisbon, with visits up 28.4pc and bed nights up 26.5pc, while visits to Algarve were up 23.2pc (bed nights 40.8pc) Alentejo up 18.9pc and Madeira up 9.5pc (bed nights 18.7pc). The new tourism strategy 2027

PORTUGATHERING

Central Portugal +335,5pc Porto +55,7pc Lisbon, +28,4pc Algarve +23,2pc Alentejo +18,9pc Madeira +9.5pc Overall Portugal +22.3pc

Antoinio Padeira and Ana Celina Tavares of VisitPortugal accept the award for best destination from Yvonne Muldoon of category sponsor Aer Lingus at the Irish Travel Industry Awards in Dublin’s Mansion House listed Ireland as “a priority market the territory; to boost the economy; to continue to explore the market’s knowledge enhancement; to create growing affinity for Portugal and networks and connectivity and to further invest in the bilateral rela- give Portugal visibility.” The CSO tionship, increasing our presence and survey on Irish trips abroad in 2016 relevance in the Irish market, mainly was even higher, 481k (up 54pc). during low season”. Porto will host the Irish Travel The strategy is designed to pos- Agents Association annual conferition Portugal “as one of the most ence on October 12-15, the first time competitive and sustainable tourism Portugal has hosted it since 1999. destinations in the world and based Portugal hosted the ITOF conference on five strategies: to add value to in 2006.

12 EMERGING DESTINATIONS 2017

AGADIR Already served by Sunway, Air Arabia will join them on the route 2w in winter AMSTERDAM Now

Ryanair and KLM (4 daily) are competing with Aer Lingus.

DOHA The big marquee new

destination for 2017, there is a visafree stopover available.

HARTFORD Daily from Aer Lingus since September.

NEWS DISNEYLAND Paris staff/cast

performed a one-day spectacular to celebrate 25 years since the park’s opening, including a musical number performed by some of the 15,000 employees of France’s largest single-site employer. New for 2017 is Star Tours: The Adventures Continue which takes passengers on an intergalactic voyage in 3D and Star Wars: Hyperspace Mountain, which replaces the original Space Mountain: Mission 2, and three new parades new Parade Disney Stars on Parade, The Starlit Princess Waltz, and the nightfall Disney Illuminations.

AUSTRALIAN PM Malcolm Turnbull abolished the Australian 457 visa programme which allowed a skilled worker who got sponsored by their employer to live and work in Australia with their partners and children for up to four years. At the end of last year there were 6,139 Irish people living in Australia with a 457 visa. The scheme will be replaced with a two to four year Temporary Skill Shortage initiative. Hospitality is one of the biggest users of 457 visas, with 2,051 chefs hired since 2014. PASSPORTS applications for Irish passports to March were up 26pc with applicants in Britain up 68pc.

IRISH visits to Germany reached a record 205,504 last year. The number of overnights was up 9.3pc to 476,115.

VENICE announced plans to change for entry to its historic city centre.

PHUKET New one-stop option via Istanbul from July

JAMAICA tourism said wedding and honeymoon numbers from Ireland are up 40pc. Falcon Holidays ﬂights direct from Dublin to Montego Bay resume in June.

KRABI One stop through Doha

vice commences 2w in winter.

were massacred reopened with a new name.

MIAMI Aer Lingus’s marquee

gian ﬂights from four Irish airports.

ICELAND New ﬂights from Cork and Belfast, Iceland tourism has trebled in recent years. from July.

route from the autumn, opening up Florida and cruise opportunities.

MUNICH Ryanair and Transavia now compete on a route dominated by Aer Lingus and Lufthansa.

OUR SUMMER 2018 COLLECTION IS NOW ON SALE! Featuring the sunniest shores of the Mediterranean & Cancun. Falcon & Thomson are fully bonded and licensed by CAR (TO 021).

NAPLES New Ryanair ser-

TUNISIA the hotel where 38 tourists

PROVIDENCE Norwe-

TAIWAN was named best expat destination in the world ahead of Malta and Ecuador. Ireland ranked 56th. Kuwait, Greece, and Nigeria are the bottom three.

SPLIT New Aer Lingus service

to Croatia.

WESTCHESTER the

Stewart International hinterland.

GREECE has formally completed the transfer of 14 regional airports to a consortium led by Germany’s Fraport AG.

SU M M E R ‘18 BROCH URE S N OW IN STOR E

JUNE 2017 PAGE 4

THE KNOWLEDGE

Travel Extra Advertising & Subscriptions 6 Sandyford Office Park Dublin 18 (+3531) 2913707 Fax (+3531) 2957417 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-

CONTENTS

3 News Where to go, how much to pay 6 Hotels: News 8 Postcards: News from the trade 10 USA: Volcano Bay & other eruptions

www.travelextra.ie 14 Connecticut In the middle 18 Philadelphia Bells on it 20 Miami New for 2017 18 New York Climbing high 20 River cruise: Flow increase

24 Car hire: Changing gear 26 Afloat: The Eclipse show 28 Flying: Airline and airport news 34 Global Village Inside the travel industry 36 Window seat: Our columnists

High dollar demands

ith the dollar rising to €1.10 and the effects of the Trump slump impacting on visitor numbers, it is important to make sure your holiday spend in the USA goes as far as possible. Sadly American hoteliers are doing their best to squeeze as many extras out of European visitors as they can. Last year, US hotels took in a record $2.4bn in ancillary charges. 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 mobile 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, effect-

Towels will be extra, sir ively 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 inroom 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 bringing you back to your own 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 hardly 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 any more, you get charged from mini-bars with sensors that bill guests if they move something around. Hotels then charge a “restocking fee”.

WI-FI 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 hotel the more likely it is to charge for wi-fi. Small family-run hotels and motels are less likely to charge guests for wi-fi access. One Hyatt that Travel Extra has encountered charges $20/day whilst guests could find free wi-fi at the window from adjacent coffee houses.

BACK EMPTY: A new development for 2017 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. Recently 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.

15703 DUB Trade ad.indd 1

3/6/17 9:06 AM

JUNE 2017 PAGE 6

HOTELS

www.travelextra.ie

STEPHEN’S GREEN

Dublin City Council granted Brown Table Solutions planning permission to convert Loreto House on Stephen’s Green into a nine-storey 95-bedroom boutique hotel

ATHLONE Springs Hotel is for sale for €3.5m.

HISTORIC HOTELS The Tannery in Dungarvan, Belleek Castle in Sligo, and Hilton Park in Co Monaghan are among 11 new additions to the Historic Hotels of Europe group. MAP Travel say the Parador at Nerja will be closed from the end of October until March 2019 for renovations, therefore becoming heavily booked. BREHON Paul Smith had been ap-

pointed the General Manager of The Brehon in Killarney.

PREFERRED Hotels & Resorts has launched a new mobile app to enhance and simplify its iPrefer hotel rewards programme.

STR Global reported occupancy in Europe in Q1 2017 was up 4.1pc to 63.5pc, Average daily rate up 2.3pc to EUR100.94 and RevPAR up 6.5pc to EUR64.06.

PREM GROUP Jim Murphy’s

Prem Group plans a €11m redevelopment of new acquisitions, the Osprey in Kildare, Tulfarris in Blessington and Cahernane House in Killarney.

GALWAY Michael Maye is planning a €60m 200-room hotel and Covent Garden-style covered marketplace on Market Street in Galway. TIVOLI Plans for a 283-bedroom

apart-hotel on the site of Dublin’s Tivoli Theatre will include a performance space.

NAMA is reportedly readying the four-star Carton House hotel resort in Co Kildare for sale within the next two months. The Sunday Times reports that Nama is close to selecting an agent to market the property, which is being earmarked as potentially one of the biggest sales of 2017, adding that the hotel was once in the Project Tolka portfolio, but was stripped out of the portfolio sale last year.

GIBSON Garret Marrinan’s appointment as General Manager of the Gibson Hotel on Dublin’s docklands was publicised. ARMAGH An Australia-based Irish

immigrant revealed plans to turn a run-down estate in Co Armagh into a €10m hotel and spa resort.

MANOR HOUSE Buswells’ Paul Gallagher won the Manor House hotel of the year award. The group reported revenue was up 21pc. Meghan and Margaret O’Sullivan, The Castle Hotel, Macroom, Coy Cork, won the ‘Best Service Excellence Award’.

LOUGH RYNN The 44-bedroom Lough Rynn Castle in Co Leitrim and 84-bedroom Kilronan Castle in Co Roscommon recorded profits of €2m in 2015.

Mount Wolseley in Carlow is among the hotels on sale

Hotel sales rush

Three major properties on offer after slow start to 2017

BRE say seven hotels, with a total value of approximately €26m, traded in the first quarter of 2017. Hotels which went on sale in April include the Mount Wolseley Resort in Carlow; the Knightsbrook Hotel in Trim for €18m; the Connemara Coast Hotel in Furbo for €12m; the Strand Hotel & Bar in Bray for €2.2m; the Athlone Springs in Athlone (€3.5m); the Abbey Hotel on Middle Abbey Street (€3.5m); and the Abrae Court Guesthouse in Rath-

BRIDGE HOUSE

Hotel in Tullamore has appealed to An Bord Pleanála against the decision to reject plans for a new 86-bedroom hotel and the development would see the conservation and redevelopment of the Malt Kiln and Malthouse.

OVERCHARGED

Research by HRS with the GBTA Foundation found that 11pc of travel managers are charged more by hotels than the rate they’d agreed.

HILTON Hotels & Resorts

brand announced at MIPIM 2017 in Cannes, the world’s luxury property conference, that it will add a second property in central Paris, Hilton Paris Eiffel Tower.

GLEN OAKS Hotel in

Galway has been granted planning permission for a first and second floor extension by An Bord Pleanála with revised conditions.

gar for €1.5m. CBRE say An Bord Pleanála recently granted planning permission to JD Wetherspoon for a 98-bed hotel and pub on Camden Street in Dublin 2, while planning was also granted for a new 234-bed hotel at Dean Street in Dublin 8. A 249-bed hotel is planned by the Kajani family for River House on Chancery Street, Dublin 7. Meanwhile, Tetrarch have lodged planning for a mixed-use development at Townsend Street in Dublin 2, which will include two hotel developments

(a 393-bed hotel and a 202-bed aparthotel) having applied to develop 30 additional bedrooms at The Marker Hotel at Grand Canal Dock. Outside of Dublin city centre, Gannon Properties lodged planning permission to develop a new 209 bed hotel at Clongriffin in north Dublin. According CBRE research, there are now 9,075 hotel beds at various stages of the planning process in the Greater Dublin Area. It predicts that 5,700 of these are due for completion between 2017 and 2021.

BUNDORAN hotelier and long-standing friend of Travel Extra Sean McEniff died last weekend. He had been in an induced coma after collapsing into water whilst on holiday in Puerto Rico de Gran Canaria in October 2016. He was Director of Bord Fáilte between 1993 and 1998, owner of the Tyrconnell hotel chain and joint owner of the McEniff hotel chain.

LONDON Britain’s Adver-

TARA ST Johnny Ronan is

planning a 17-storey 110-bedroom hotel with rooftop restaurant and bar at Tara Street. The height is 88m compared with Liberty Hall’s 59m.

BULLITT Beannchor group plans to build a sister hotel to the Bullitt Belfast on Capel Street.

POWERSCOURT The five-star Powerscourt Hotel Resort & Spa in Co Wicklow launches a one-year partnership with Jaguar Land Rover Ireland to ferry guests in two cars.

tising Standards Authority upheld a complaint over the use of a travel company’s own star ratings to describe the grade of accommodation.

BELFAST The Scottish Mutual Building in Belfast is to become a 15m luxury hotel, one of 23 hotels in Belfast under construction or being expanded.

PREM GROUP Jim Murphy’s Prem group appointed Joanna Doyle as group sales and marketing manager, Ireland & Britain.

HASTINGS is to spend €62m on the North’s biggest hotel METROPOLE Despite

the odds of being once known as Ireland’s alcohol-free hotel, Cork’s Metropole hit its 120th birthday.

KERRY A third hotel under

Shangri-La’s Kerry brand (no connection with the county) opened in Hong Kong.

EVEN MORE EXTRAORDINARY, THIS YEAR AND NEXT BOOK SELECTED 2017 & 2018 CARIBBEAN OR EUROPEAN SAILINGS

30% OFF CRUISE FARES

UP TO $1,000 TO SPEND ONBOARD

BOOK BY 3 JULY 2017 LOOK OUT FOR OUR LATEST BROCHURE Our shiny new 2018/19 Royal Caribbean Brochure is out now. With more imagery and useful information, your customers will love it. And with these new features, you will too: • Includes top tips on selling to new-to-cruise customers • Each itinerary has its own web code so it’s even easier to find on our website • Includes a feature on a typical day onboard with Royal Caribbean

GET YOUR EXTRAORDINARY 2018/19 ROYAL CARIBBEAN BROCHURE TODAY.

VISIT CRUISINGPOWER.IE Full terms and conditions apply

JUNE 2017 PAGE 8

POSTCARDS FROM THE TRAVEL SCENE

eginald Charlot and Tryphavana Cross of NYC & Company and eight trade partners hosted the Irish travel trade at two events in Dublin. Reginald Charlot reported visits from Ireland to New York city were up 15pc in 2016 to 250,000. New York has never been better served from the Irish market with eight flights each day to the city’s airports.

ine partners in Romania’s burgeoning tourism industry hosted the Irish travel trade at a lively event in Europe House in Dublin. Romanian ambassador Manuela Breazu told Travel Extra how Transylvania and the Danube delta are some of the most impressive tourism destinations in Europe and why she has never watched a single Dracula movie.

rystal hosted 13 representatives from ten different travel agencies on a four-night trip to Austria with two nights in Söll and two nights in St Johann. The trip was hosted by the four star Hotel Tyrol, Söll, and the four star Hotel Park in St Johann. The ski market in 2016-17 saw a welcome return of first-time skiers, and a recovery in bookings to levels last seen

JFK has 28 flights a week this summer, 14 from Aer Lingus, seven from American Airlines and seven from Delta. Newark has 21 flights a week, seven from Aer Lingus and 14 from United Airlines, and Stewart/Newburgh will have seven flights a week from Norwegian. e Picture shows Tryphavana Cross photographing Reginald Charlot speaking at the event.

She says Dracula has given Transylvania a name for being a dark and frightening place when in reality it is rich in colour and nature. She also compared the Danube delta favourably with Kakadu National park in NT Australia. Picture shows Florin Crisan of Alis Holidays, Manuela Breazu Ambassador of Romania, Paul Nolan of APG/Blue Air and Razvan Marc Director Romanian Tourist Office Britain & Ireland.

prior to the recession in 2008-9. Picture shows Jackie Spain of JK Travel, Jodie McFeely of Falcon, Kaspars Kivlenieks of Fahy Travel, Orla Dunne of JustSplit. com, Olivia Flanagan of Navan Travel, Faye Lennon of Falcon, Isabel McGarry of Freedom Travel, Sam McCaughren of Thomson, Dave Farrell of Crystal Ski, Katarina Trnikova of J Barter Travel and Elaine Slator of Falcon.

ookabed and A2BTransfers acknowledged the support of the travel trade at an event in the Dean Hotel in Dublin. Lee Osborne said new branding would be available from Bookabed in the coming weeks. He said Bookabed had a good year in 2016 with a great start to 2017, with business up 30pc. “We are adding more staff. Hopefully

athryn Thomas stopped by to help Ciaran Mulligan launch his two-year Multi Trip travel insurance cover for Irish consumers. Blue says this is a first on the market for travel insurance and will allow consumers make further savings and avoid the hassle of having to renew their policies each year. Prices start from €31.99 and Ciaran says it will be cheaper than some

all Ships, JFK and quiet coastal towns: Massachusetts roadshow showcased their 2017 fare to Dublin trade. Visitors to Boston’s John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum will come home with a nugget of information that will impress those who thought they knew everything about his life. On display among such artefacts is a humble coconut – with a mayday mes-

the growth will continue and we will grow with it.” He thanked agents for voting Bookabed the best supplier team at the travel industry awards in January. A2B said it has been a strong start to 2017. The Irish market is up 10pc with the support of the travel trade. Picture shows Lee Osborne and Beverleigh Fly of Bookabed with Emma Male and Mathew Dakin of A2B Transfers.

comparable one year travel insurance products on the Irish market. Ciaran Mulligan said, “Historically, insurance companies are slow to move forward and be innovative. “In order to offer consumers better choice and build your consumer base you have to invest in technology, you have to offer new innovative products and you have to give your customers a convenient solution to their needs.”

sage carved by JFK himself. “This is the coconut he carved when he was shipwrecked after his boat was rammed in World War II,” explains Lee Statham. Picture shows Katie Aldrich of The Godfrey Hotel Boston, Patricia Purdue Massachusetts Tourism, Catherine Doran of Greater Boston CVB, Jackie Ennis of MOTT and Lee Stratham of JFK library at the Massachusetts event in Dublin.

JUNE 2017 PAGE 9

POSTCARDS FROM THE TRAVEL SCENE

icture shows Irish guests at a somewhat problematic opening of Ferrariland in Salou, attended by 1,500 travel media and agents. The third theme park within PortAventura World Parks & Resort, requiring a second gate and a separate ticket, was declared open by Arturo Mas-Sardá, who lauded it as the most ambitious project of the history of PortAventura World and a collaboration

gency Sales Manager Jeanette Taylor hosted a group of travel agents in Morocco. They spent three days in Club Med Agadir with a city tour and visits to neighbouring hotels, three days in Club Med Palmeraie in Marrakech and a final night in the five star Sofitel Thalassa Sea & Spa with private access to the beach. En route, the group lunched in Paradise Valley, Imi Ouddar Paradise

taly specialists Topflight brought their winning agents to Tuscany where they were accommodated at the Hotel Manzoni in Montecatini Terme, visited the seaside resort of Viareggio, the town of Pietrasanta and the cities of Florence, Lucca and Pisa. Topflight’s Tuscany charter programme started in May. Alongside the charter programme the tour operator also offers tailormade Tuscany holidays

with one of the evaluated brands more of the world, Ferrari Land is beautifully landscaped, a reproduction of a Renaissance Italian town, complete with ornate piazzas and a bell tower. Reportedly costing €100m, the park stuttered rather chaotically into action with an assortment of bemused celebrities and Marc Gené, test pilot of Ferrari. Not that the Irish noticed.

Plage Hotel, known for its yoga and spa offering, and lunch on the return was at Riad Zaid. Evening activities included a horse and carriage ride to Palais Charhamane. Home for the night was where everyone adored the seafront grounds. Farewell dinner was at Pure Passion. Picture shows Isabella Donche of Barter Travel, Rachel Cagney of Clonmel Travel and Lorraine Wynne of Travel Counsellors.

and new exciting tours as part of their new Escorted tours brochure. Picture shows Shauna Kelly and Sharon Gibson of Topflight with Lynne Casey, Jacinta McGlyyn and Deirdre Laughlin at the Ponte Vecchio Bridg The group also included Maurice Shiels of Topflight, Lisa Sprake Rita Gaughan, Colette Desmond, Donna Kenny, Sonya O’Keefe, Sinead McGrane and Noelle O’Leary.

JUNE 2017 PAGE 10

DESTINATION USA

ith 174 ﬂights a week from Dublin, 27 from Shannon, seven out of Belfast and three from Cork, the USA has never been more accessible. The key destinations from Ireland have been experiencing upgrades of their own.

ATLANTIC CITY The former

Volcano Bay & other eruptions

Revel casino was a zero. It has been refurbished and reopened with a new name, Ten.

UNIVERSAL

CHARLOTTE

The American Airways direct destination form Ireland gets 3,663 new hotel rooms and 22 new properties this year.

CHICAGO The new 1,205 Marriott Marquis Chicago will soar 40 guest storeys over the city lakefront. The Alise Chicago in Millennium park is also new for 2017. The new American Writers Museum offers a look into how the literature of the US inﬂuenced the culture of the nation. DISNEY

The new $500m Pandora: World of Avatar will include two new rides, retail, food and beverage, audio animatronics and 3D Holograms. Flight of Passage will take guests on a fastpaced banshee ﬂight through Pandora. The Na’Vi River Journey is a family-friendly attraction that will take visitors in canoes through bioluminescent rainforest.

HOUSTON

The new Hotel Alessandra in the Texas city opens later this year as well as the 158-room Hotel Zaza.

KEY WEST

Oceans Edge Key West Hotel & Marina opens with 175 suites and rooms and six pools. In Key West, the new 22-room boutique H2O Suites Hotel is also due to commence operations.

Starck. It will be a busy year for SLS, as it is also slated to open this summer in Seattle with 184 rooms and views of Elliott Bay, the 370-room Public in the Lower East Side. EDITION, a 450-room property in midtown. The 266-room AC Hotel by Marriott, in the Financial District. Marriott will also introduce its Moxy brand to New York City with a 612-room property near Pennsylvania Station.

What is new in USA 2017 Cascading into action in Orlando this summer

LA The new intercontinental Los Angeles Downtown will be the largest building west of the Mississippi river. The new Dream Hotel opens this year with rooms overlooking the Hollywood sign. MIAMI Ireland’s

newest transatlantic destination sees a new opening, Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum

of Science with planetarium, exhibitions on living ecosystems, the human body, outer space, frontiers of tech and aquarium. Brightline trains will provide a new express intercity rail service connecting Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.

ORLANDO

new attractions include Madame Tussaud’s,

Sea Life Aquarium and Skeletons: Animals Unveiled. Legoland Beach Retreat opens April 7. Legoland Ninjago World allows young trainees improve their reﬂexes before they get to a ride based on a TV show. SeaWorld gets a new after-dark show, Electric Ocean. Busch Gardens gets a new Broadway-style show. Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon launches a new familystyle raft ride. Epcot adds Festival of the Arts, running Jan. 13-Feb. 20. And Rivers of Light, the much-delayed light and music show at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

PENASCOLA

Two 75-foot, doubledecker, 150-passenger catamaran ferries will begin services around Pensacola Bay, travelling between Downtown Pensacola, Pensacola Beach and Fort Pickens located at the Gulf Islands National Seashore on Santa Rosa Island. Each passage will last between 35 to 45 minutes.

PHILADELPHIA

Museum of the American Revolution, historic objects and artefacts,

multimedia experiences, including a theatre housing the actual tent that General George Washington used as his headquarters and home for most of the war.

SAN FRAN The 50th Anniversary of the Summer of Love will be a celebration with major exhibitions at some of the region’s top museums, special events and concerts looking back at the Summer of 1967 and exploring what that period meant then and now. NEW YORK

is opening National Geographic Times Square: Ocean Giants in the former New York Times building, a 59,137-square-foot multi-ﬂoor project. The NFL centre is opening at the nearby 20 Times Square. The city has introduced a new tagline, welcoming the world. Hotel openings include 315-room CitizenM Hotel in Lower Manhattan, a 14-room Restoration Hardware Hotel by the furniture store in the Meatpacking District, and the 190-room SLS Hotel New York designed by Philippe

Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon, in which Fallon takes visitors on a virtual 3D ride through Manhattan, opens at Universal Studios

UNIVERSAL

May 25 is opening day for Volcano Bay and its new offering will use technology that will allow visitors to not have to queue for rides. It has themed areas inspired by Polynesian islands and cultures. The large centrepiece volcano “Krakatau” is 200 feet tall and will appear to have ﬂowing waterfalls by day and lava ﬂows at night. Rides include the Krakatau Aqua Coaster, where guests will board canoes and be propelled through the volcano.

WASHINGTON DC The Fairmont in

the city got a $27m renovation.

STEWART/ NEWBURGH

Dublin’s newest transatlantic destination is adjacent to Woodbury Common, Simon Premium Outlets’ star property which is undergoing a three-year makeover. The frontispiece of the new Woodbury is the 65,000 sq ft Market Hall. Six retailers remodelled store interiors as part of the renovation: Bally, Givenchy, Dunhill, Furla, Thomas Pink, and Theory Women’s.

UNIVERSAL’S VOLCANO BAY BAY™ OPENING 25 MAY, 2017

UNIVERSAL’S ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE™ UNIVERSAL STUDIOS FLORIDA FLORIDA™

THREE

ARTIST CONCEPTUAL RENDERING

EPIC PARKS. Your clients will enjoy three times the awesome at Universal Orlando Resort™. They’ll unleash their inner wizard, make mayhem with Minions and then discover new levels of exhilaration and relaxation in Universal’s newest park—Volcano Bay™ water theme park. Plus, when they stay steps from the parks at one of Universal’s on-site hotels, they’ll receive exclusive benefits.

UNIVERSAL’S CABANA BAY BEACH RESORT™ FAST & FURIOUS – SUPERCHARGED™ NEW RIDE COMING 2018

GET 3 PARKS FOR THE PRICE OF 2 Contact Your Preferred Travel Provider For More Information. HARRY POTTER characters, names and related indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © JKR. (s17) Cabana Bay Beach Resort TM & © 2017 UCF Hotel Venture II. All rights reserved. Universal elements and all related indicia TM & © 2017 Universal Studios. All rights reserved. 1723807/AS

los angeles new york washington boston chicago orlando

san francisco toronto newark hartford MIAMI

over 140 connecting routes

2328 AL_Transatlantic Business & Finance Full_240x330mm_FA.indd 1

11/05/2017 13:21

2328 AL_Travel Extra_Advert_240mm x 330mm_FA.indd 1

11/05/2017 13:25

JUNE 2017 PAGE 14

DESTINATION USA Aer Lingus’s latest direct destination

Miami advice H

Best seen from the water ow far Miami has come in the past two decades. Think back to the 1983 movie Scarface. The opening sequence was a cavalcade of decayed grandeur. Somebody in Miami must have looked at the fading Art Deco buildings and said we need to do something. Art deco provides the midriff to the swashbuckling new Miami. The seafront buildings have all been restored to make them look gleaming and new, like this was the 1920s again. The implausibly blue water and jet-set speed boat foam, all familiar from our TV screens, now has a gentrified art deco finish. Scrubbed and cleaned in white marble, the new Miami looks older every year. Miami was transformed in the 1980s into the sort of place all of us like to escape to. It was

transformed, not by the guys who fill planes with tourists or design holiday brochures, but by the movie and TV companies.

n a city where history happens on screen, the Fontainebleau hotel has more than its fair share of screen links. When you stay in one of the most filmed locations of all, you can watch a loop of the famous movies on your hotel bedroom telly. For decades, the hotel has been strategically product-placed on dozens of movies including one of the Sean Connery James Bonds and Scarface. Its $1bn refurbishment which started with the opening of the 37-storey Fontainebleau Suites tower in 2005, offers picturesque views from soaring windows, making sure it can compete

MIAMI CITY

n Wynwood Walls established in 2009 as an outdoor museum of international street art. n Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, lavish villa built in 1916 as a winter retreat and tribute to the Italian Renaissance. The museum contains much of the original furnishings and artwork, and is surrounded by lush, formal gardens.

with the best on offer elsewhere. Fontainebleau is home to the trendiest night club in Miami, Liv, which grosses $40m a year, long queues of wannabes seeking admission at the whim of a doorman. Over a bottle of Santa Rica 2009 Pinot Noir Darragh Moore from Swords describes the regeneration of the city even since he has arrived. His restaurant is a magnet for ostentation. The five course tasting menu with Opus wines costs $295. Darragh doesn’t mind. He has increased the restaurant’s revenue from $7.5m to $9m in a year. Kobi beef costs $30 an ounce, he once sold 120 ounces in one night. We avoided the kobi (a previous encounter with it at Prime One contributed to a bill of $4,500), and started with a cold appetiser, lobster salad and

MIAMI BEACH

n Miami Beach has an art deco area noted for its concentration of over 800 Art Deco buildings all within one square mile. n Wide and fine, white sand-covered beaches are popular spots for people watching. The area is known for its hip clubs and wild nightlife as well as numerous excellent restaurants.

octopus cooked on the grill followed by local snapper and Hawaiian butter fish. Nothing exceeds like excess, as the line goes from Scarface.

o get a sense of proportion, and a sense of place, stray away from the causeway and the skyline. Frank Shena from Miami Magic City Tours brought us through the highlights of the city and its hinterland, South Beach, the self-con-

sciously arty Wynwood Design District, Little Havana with its angry exile rum and cigar culture, elderly men sitting around playing at the tables in the Maximo Gomzez Park domino club, the planned parklands of whitewashed Coral Gables, South Miami, Coconut Grove, and the Downtown. Downtown Miami was not a place where walking was advised when I first saw the city in the 1980s. In all my visits to the city I have never ventured into those mean

FONTAINEBLEAU A Miami Beach landmark since opening in 1954, the Fontainebleau Miami Beach (www. Fontainebleau.com) is the biggest and perhaps the most famous hotel on Miami Beach. Stomping grounds for Elvis, Frank Sinatra and countless other swinging celebrities during its first heyday and renowned for its whimsical Morris Lapidus architecture and design, the resort recently opened a luxury tower and is in the process of a $1bn expansion/renovation. The 22acre complex will include 1,504 luxury guest rooms and suites, a 40,000 square foot spa, 11 restaurants and lounges, expansive pool complex and extensive meeting space. ROSEWOOD Hotels & Resorts has opened its first beachfront resort in the US Acqualina. The $300m resort in Sunny Isles Beach has 97 rooms

feature 118 residences and offers the fine dining of the acclaimed Il Mulino New York, world-renowned ESPA at Acqualina, three oceanfront swimming pools, an AcquaMarine Kids Program and a lavish, private beach club. BILTMORE in Coral Gables has unveiled its elegant new $2.5m Biltmore Spa, located on the 7th floor of the hotel. The 12,000 sq. ft. spa offers an array of body treatments and services in a luxurious and sophisticated resort. TURNBERRY the 300-acre Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort (www. TurnberryIsle.com) in Aventura, is a 395-room property that is a world unto itself. The resort includes a marina, two 18-hole championship golf courses, 19 tennis courts, two swimming pools and a 25,000 square-foot pampering spa. Guests have access to a nearby beach club run by the resort.

Aer Lingus commence flying to Miami direct from Dublin in September www.aerlingus.com for details

JUNE 2017 PAGE 15

DESTINATION USA

streets. But then Miami Vice became Miami Nice virtually overnight. They haven’t quite restored Flager St to its 1920s glory but they are working on it. Better again, the elevated light rail system is entirely free, bringing people through the downtown in air conditioned comfort. The financial centre

which did not have a single resident ten years ago is filled with locals traipsing through the bijou restaurants. The transit system did not exist until 2009. It too has transformed downtown. t the river mouth they have put up a monument to the original owners for the land, the Tequesta

Indians. Apparently it is still regarded as a sacred site but you would not find anything spiritual here along the shoreline where the developers have come to play. “Unless you could dive into the sea from your balcony they would build another building between you and the sea,” Danny Costello, a second gen-

eration Tipperary man who runs cruises on the Island Queen tells me. The cityscape recedes in the balmy heat and there are clouds gathering overhead. At the News Café the tuna teriyaki and shrimp stir fry ($18.95) taste Miami nice. We sat in the spring sunlight watching our movie set go by.

Which movie? Not Scarface, Scooby Doo.

n the late evening we made a break for somewhere to view the heartbeat of the city, the veins and inerts of its dive bars. If we could find a dive bar. A group of lawyers haggle for the pool table, cocktails and beers are

downed and the conversation is lively with promise. Oceans breezes, Sunburns, Passion Pits, King Kongs, Goombay Smashes, Electric Bananas, Planter’s Punches, Bushwhackers and the ubiquitous Mojito in its many manifestations. Put on the style and the substance will come. Works for some.

Tvl Extra Half Pg USA2017 [149x215}.qxp_Layout 1 03/05/2017 11:42 Page 1

Clockwise: The Freedom Tower, built in 1925, is Miami’s historical landmark, Epic pool at night, Seaworld show, chess match in Little Havana

USA HOLIDAY

SALE!

Voted Best Sun Holiday Tour Operator • Best Specialist Tour Operator Best Long Haul Tour Operator • Best Agent Friendly Company

LAS VEGAS 3* Stratosphere Hotel 4 nights from

539pp

€

Nov

ORLANDO 3* Rosen Inn at Pointe 7 nights from

549

€

pp Nov

NEW YORK 3* Edison New York 3 nights from

599

€

pp Feb 18

BOSTON 3 nights from

CHICAGO 4 nights from

3* Midtown Hotel

645pp

€

Feb 18

4* Doubletree by Hilton

649

€

LOS ANGELES

pp Feb 18

SAN FRANCISCO 3* Good Hotel 4 nights from

745

€

855pp

4 nights from

FLORIDA

pp Nov

3* Comfort Inn

€

Feb 18

3* Barefoot Beach Hotel

7 nights from

859

€

pp Sept

ROUTE 66 FLY DRIVE 14 nights from

1939

€

Based on 2 adults sharing, except Orlando/Florida USA offer (Based on 2Adt & 2Chd U12 Sharing) All Prices include flights, taxes & accommodation & car hire for Fly Drive. Transfers available extra for a small fee. Resort Fees are not included in Las Vegas approx US$30prpd. All prices are subject to availability and prices correct at time of going to print. * €100 Deposit Only Fares available. USA ESTA visas approval is not included and required before travel or transit to USA. Contact Sunway for further details.

Your holiday is 100% safe and secure with Sunway • Ireland’s multi award winning holiday company • Fully licensed & bonded

Contact your local Travel Agent | www.sunway.ie | 01 2366 845 Licensed and Bonded No: TO 101

JUNE 2017 PAGE 16

DESTINATION USA NEW ENGLAND AIR MADISON BEACH Hotel 94 West Wharf Rd., Clinton 203MUSEUM 36 Perimeter Rd, 245-1404 `set on the scenic Connecti-

Windsor Locks 860-623-3305 features 100 aircraft ranging from early flying machines to supersonic jets with 65 aircraft are on display in three large exhibit hangars and in an outdoor display area (open depending on weather).

YALE New Haven 149 Elm St, New Haven, CT 203-432-2301 Yale College students conduct the tours starting at the Yale Visitor Centre at 149 Elm Street. Hear about Yale’s rich 300-year history and aspects of student life at several of Yale’s twelve residential colleges and check out the cobble stones imported from Dublin. The tour also includes the Gothic Sterling Memorial Library, Yale’s largest, and the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library

MYSTIC SEAPORT : Largest maritime museum in the world noted for its collection of sailing ships and boats, and for the re-creation of the crafts and fabric of an entire 19th-century seafaring village. It consists of more than 60 original historic buildings, most of them rare commercial structures moved to the 17-acre site and meticulously restored. Between 1784 and 1919 600 vessels were constructed along the Mystic River. Signatures include the Charles W Morgan, the last wooden whale ship in the world, 50 exhibits and a 19th-century seafaring village. MYSTIC AQUARIUM

55 Coogan Blvd., Mystic 860-5725955 With habitats featuring sharks, stingrays, jellies and lots of touching, the back of a docile shark at Shark Encounters, the cool water at our Discovery Lab and learn how to hold a crab, relax as translucent jellies gently float around you. Signatures include penguins and California sea lions, green sea turtle.

THE WADSWORTH 25 Atheneum Square, Hartford 860278-2670 noted for its collections of European Baroque art, French and American Impressionist paintings, Hudson River School landscapes, modernist masterpieces and contemporary works.

MARK TWAIN

House Museum 351 Farmington Ave, Hartford 860-280-1337 25-room Victorian home where legendary author Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) lived with his family from 1874 to 1891 and wrote his greatest works, including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Collections include some 50,000 items belonging to the author and his family.

cut shoreline near a private beach and walking, biking, kayaking, fishing and bird-watching options. Explore downtown Madison, featuring boutiques, restaurants, specialty shops and even an old- fashioned movie theatre. Tour a local winery, enjoy live theatre or visit one of the historic New England villages nearby.

SIMSBURY INN 397 Hop-

meadow St, Simsbury 860-651-6700 In the hills of the idyllic Farmington River Valley, casual comforts of country hospitality meets refinements of modern hotel travel.

Connecticut in the middle New Aer Lingus Connecticut route

WINVIAN FARM , 155 Alain White Rd., Morris 860-5679500 A 113-acre private, luxury resort in the Litchfield Hills of Connecticut containing 18 individualized cottages and one master suite, a private Relais & Chateaux, AAA 5-Diamond Hotel & Restaurant which utilised 15 architects on the project. Each cottage has its own unique design as an homage to Connecticut, CLINTON CROSSING

Outlets, Clinton 20 Killingworth Turnpike, Clinton savings of 25pc to 65pc off every day prices featuring more than 70 designer and name brand outlet store, located along the Connecticut Shoreline, outdoor village centre conveniently located on I-95 en route to Boston or New York.

MOHEGAN SUN

One Mohegan Sun Blvd, Uncasville, CT 860-862-5309 created in 1996 by the Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut, (not to be confused with the Mohicans of James Fenimore Cooper) slogan of the labyrinthine casino is: a world at play and a world to its own. Three casions, the Kids Quest/Cyber Quest family entertainment facility, a day spa, convention centre and meeting facility, a state-of-the-art Poker Room, three entertainment venues with seating from 300 to 10,000. Attractions include an indoor 55-foot waterfall, water wall, the world’s largest indoor planetarium dome and the Wombi Rock, a crystal mountain.

TANGER

OUTLET

Shopping 350 Trolley Line Blvd., Mashantucket 860-312-4860 Largest resort casino in North America, Foxwoods offers a vast array of gaming in six casinos; AAA Four-Diamond hotels, restaurants from gourmet to express, world renowned spas, awarding-winning golf, state-of-the-art theatres, and exclusive retailers, including 80 Tanger Outlet stores.

Mark Twain homestead in Hartford

artford, Connecticut has a feel about it, a place people have to search to find and, consequently, find themselves. It is the centre of several little universes. Much of the insurance industry of the world revolves around what happens here. It is not exactly the mid point between New York and Boston, it is close enough to embrace the culture of both of those. And when you enter the billiards room in the home of Samuel Clemens, where, as Mark Twain, he wrote his greatest works, you already have a sense of why he loved the town he called home and observed the world so succinctly from here. It is close enough to everywhere and far away as well at the same time. Now it is closer to Dublin. Aer Lingus will increase the frequency of its flights in March. Mark Twain,

who held that nobody who travels could suffer prejudice, a slogan emblazoned on the wall of the visitor centre which is Hartford’s most enduring attraction, would agree only too much.

artford is a gateway, the airline promotions tell us, to New England of the yellow leaves. It is also home to some of the great academic institutions, Nearby New Haven is home to America’s second most famous University, Yale. Students conduct the tours here and in one of the courtyards there are cobblestones that were imported from Dublin. In the visitor centre Nancy Franco tells the story of how somebody once told her how to adjust her coffee cup. Now he said, I taught at Yale. Yale is different from European universities which are older and just

as grandiose. Buildings built in the 1930s were given a finish to give a centuries-old feel to them, like the pointyheaded academics had read too much Sheridan Le Fanu and yearned for some gothic backdrop. Where universities in Europe, all of them, have been infiltrated by one religion or another, Yale is gloriously secular, religiously so, if a pun can be excused. The great God of knowledge is the one that is worshipped here and every aspect of the architecture and culture is designed to remind students of this. American college culture is hugely familiar to us from film and TV. One of the secret frat house buildings has the highest water bill in the state. One can only imagine what the induction ceremonies are like. Mark Twain did not come here by accident. The house next door is

Aer Lingus flights to Hartford continue through the year and increases to daily in March. Best prices on aerlingus.som

JUNE 2017 PAGE 17

DESTINATION USA a clue. Harriet Beecher, author of a publishing sensation, Uncle Tom’s cabin, was a friend and mentor. One can only imagine the conversations when they stopped in to each other’s homes for a cup of sugar or held elegant dinner parties with by candle light, shadows cast on the elegant decorLaura Barber of Shandon Travel, Laura Burke of Budget Travel and ations overseen by Louis Shirley Webster of Cassidy Travel take a selﬁe at Mystic aquarium Comfort Tiffany. What would it be like Your correspondent have the early morning up quite spectacularly. to be a guest there?. suffered from an OCD- swim. It was bracing and Some of the plush reThanks to Beecher and like obsession with an- wonderful. The mayor sorts are sharing $1,400 then Twain, Hartford was other of Hartford’s great of Madison came to be- a night. The escape to the for a while the publishscribes, Wallace Stevens. cause and joined in some countryside is a premium ing capital of the USA ere you will find collegiate ballad singing product when it is just were the emperors on some of the best until the early hours with two hours to New York. the dust cover gathered examples of the Madison Beach hotel’s Six hours from Dublin to find out what will be sycamore wood hospi- proprietor, John Mathers. and it doesn’t seem as the next best thing. For tality that is the pride of That is the sort of thing good value. a while, Beecher was. America’s north-east. that happens when Aer Oddly, considering Then Twain was, and The beautiful Madison Lingus comes to town. the power of New York many other writers gathBeach hotel overlooks at and Boston culture, the ered her to draw from the a beach where the sun he downside is attractions of the region well of creativity, or the bounces up from Long that being halfway are not well publicised happy accident of being Island Sound each morbetween Boston on our side of the pond. acquainted with a comTravelExtra_half_page_June_issue_May17_For 1 28/04/2017 ning. It was Print.pdf December and12:49:04 New York means Google Hartford activmissioning editor. and Travel Extra had to the prices can be driven ities and you will get

offers of an array of day trips to New York. The reality is that Hartford and New England are top end attractions by international standards. And for those who’ve already tripped to the big cities, they can find lots to do. The attractions of the area would make a neat Wallace Stevens poem. Mystic has two of them, the seaport creation of a 19th-century American whaling haven, straight out of Moby Dick. They even have one of the last whale ships that sailed under canvas. The Mayflower II is their other star attraction. Down the road at Mystic aquarium, there is no doubting who the other star attraction is – the Beluga whale that manages to splash water over the top of the glass on top of teenagers.

Mystic aquarium prides itself on endangered species and animals that cannot be seen in many other locations in the US. Outlet shopping fans will find two of the amazing malls where prices are cheaper than some of the countries that produce the clothing in the first place. Two of the largest casinos outside of Vegas, complete with all the paraphernalia of eating and entertainment. The attraction of playing poker through the night when drink stops being served at 1am may be lost on some Cheltenham veterans. But where there is big money is also big entertainment option and big shopping opportunities. The $10 buffet at Mohegan Sun stays open 24 hours and is a nice place for steak for breakfast.

KLM is taxiing to the USA C

CMY

Four daily flights to Amsterdam connnecting to New York, Atlanta, San Francisco and many more...

JUNE 2017 PAGE 18

IRELAND'S PREMIER SOURCE OF TRAVEL INFORMATION

DESTINATION USA Eoghan Corry finds the true heart of Philadelphia

he most interesting bits of Philadelphia are probably the least known. The city is supposed to span out from the City Hall, equidistant from the river and the sea. But it is at the edges that you find the heart of the city. The makes sense in Philadelphia. The Mutter Museum, with its vast collection of medical and anatomical oddities, may be the most interesting in all of North America. It is an eerie place, skulls piled with notes of their diseases. As Philadelphia grew from shipping, the Naval Museum and its floating exhibits the USS Olympia and the Becuna, are worth the journey alone.

ne of the disadvantages of what Walt Disney created in 1950s is

Having your Phil Checking out the crack in Philly: The Liberty Bell, which no longer rings but remains a symbol of American freedom that increasingly, tourist America is becoming a theme park. The idea of queueing systems and the way people behave in them is dependent on the experience that three generations now have had of Disney. The queue to the historic attractions might

as well have been for Space Mountain, and the attention span of the eight graders might have been equally long for both. The tourist centre is a blend of architectural contradictions, the ugly stomping wherever it can on the quaint. The president’s house is brick,

THINGS TO DO PLACES TO SEE

n Philadelphia Museum of Art houses 225,000 works encompassing some of the greatest achievements of human creativity, and offers a wealth of exhibitions and educational programmes. n Rocky Statue: Fictional Heavyweight Champion “Rocky” Balboa is forever remembered in this bronze statue, paying tribute to the underdog. n Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site: A favourite location for movies such as Shawshank Redemption, once the most famous and expensive prison in the world, a haunting world of crumbling cell blocks and empty guard towers. The world’s first true penitentiary, known for its grand architecture and strict discipline, it was designed to inspire true regret in the hearts of convicts. Tours today include the cell blocks, solitary punishment cells, Al Capone’s Cell, and Death Row. n Reading Terminal market featuring 80 concessions, many food-related. n Liberty Bell: Although it can no longer be rung, it remains a lasting American symbol of freedom. n One Liberty Observation Deck, view the city from above.

n Mütter Museum, 19th century style cabinet museum displaying medical artifacts such as Harry Eastlack’s skeleton, the Megacolon, the Soap Lady, the Hyrtl Skull Collection and pieces of Einstein’s brain. n Betsy Ross House, birthplace of the American flag, alive with the sights and sounds of the 18th century. n Love Park, also known as the JFK Plaza, Love Park is home to the iconic LOVE sculpture and is a resting spot atop Ben Franklin Parkway. n Independence Hall, building where both the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were signed. Independence Visitor Centre provides visitor services, including a multilingual staff fluent in nine languages. n Franklin Institute, one of America’s oldest centres of science education founded in honour of America’s first scientist, Benjamin Franklin. It features blockbuster exhibits. n Barnes Foundation: Collection of 19th and 20 century French painting, masterpieces by Renoir, Cezanne and Matisse provide a depth of work by these artists unavailable elsewhere.

with plans you can view through a glass wall as you queue to enter the buildings. The signage acknowledged, belatedly, African Americans and their role in US history. The glass is faded – a bit like South County Dublin had galloped its way over it. The little rolling hill between the Liberty Bell centre, all glass and red-bricked corners, to the national convention centre. Red brick, white windows, 12 panels on each window, wrought iron and heritage in brick, with horrible stuff behind in broad glass 1960s windows and Wells Fargo plastered. Even worse, someone planted a square block of a building right opposite the Liberty Bell Centre which looks like a car park. It is all a far cry from the splendid Second Empire architecture that you find around City Hall although there is a couple of buildings which lend themselves that way. On the whole, WC Fields allegedly said when he was dying, I would rather be in Philadelphia.

Everyone knows that the momentous changes of history are almost always sprung from the platform of the high stools of pubs and taverns. Rebellions and coups and even wars are planned here, over a frothy beer or a glass of red. The pub-catalyst of Philadelphia may be most famous of all. The City Tavern is where the declaration of Independence was composed, and it sits in neat wooden floored dining rooms, closed at 10pm and sent to bed, starch-collared the portraits of the nation’s founders, when really you feel that it should be full of inspired youths having had a pint and a half beyond their limit and about to come up with the next big idea.

hiladelphia tells us it is the home of love, with the LO above the VE like a mathematical equation, but the sign might as well say WA/LK, because the real Philadelphia is for walkers. Walk here, and you will never take

a wrong turn. Walk a little south and you come to, ahem, South Street, famous in its time for hippies that have now become as starch-collared as the City Tavern itself. A trio with a black labrador walk by, past the wire fences around green spaces that are never really green in Philadelphia; they are faded brown like this was some sort of post-colonial African capital rather than the first-empire smashers of the world. After Portugal that is. Sorry Portugal. The Book Trade on South Street is no longer in business. It closed ten years ago. In its time it was one of the three great iconic American bookshops, alongside Waverley Books in Washington where you can share two great pastimes, drinking and book-buying, and Powell’s in Portland, Oregon, which was one of the first to put secondhand books and new books on the same shelf in the same category. Alas, Book Trader is no more. Philadelphia is the poorer for it.

n Philadelphia is represented in the Irish market by Greg Evans http://gregevansconsultancy.com

EPIC

FOR EVERY LEVEL. Your clients’ ultimate Universal Orlando Resort™ holiday begins here. There’s a Universal Orlando™ hotel that lets them relax and play, no matter their style or budget. Mediterranean seaside luxury. Rock star posh. South Seas relaxation. Cool Caribbean charm. Iconic retro-designed fun. And now there’s Universal’s Aventura Hotel, opening August 2018. It’s a perfectly priced escape where casual comfort meets sleek style.

UNIVERSAL ORLANDO’S SPECTACULAR HOTELS zPRIME VALUE Universal’s Aventura Hotel (Opening 2018) Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort

zPREFERRED Loews Sapphire Falls Resort Loews Royal Pacific Resort

zPREMIER Hard Rock Hotel® Loews Portofino Bay Hotel

ARTIST CONCEPTUAL RENDERING

UNIVERSAL’S AVENTURA HOTEL OPENING 2018

Contact Your Preferred Travel Provider For More Information. Aventura Hotel TM & © 2017 UCF Hotel Venture IV. All rights reserved. Cabana Bay Beach Resort TM & © 2017 UCF Hotel Venture II. All rights reserved. Sapphire Falls Resort TM & © 2017 UCF Hotel Venture III. All Rights Reserved. Portofino Bay Hotel and Royal Pacific Resort TM & © 2017 UCF Hotel Venture. All rights reserved. Hard Rock Hotel ® Hard Rock Cafe International (USA), Inc. Universal elements and all related indicia TM & © 2017 Universal Studios. All rights reserved. 17-24033/DP

JUNE 2017 PAGE 20

RIVERCRUISE

wimming pools, cinemas and cookery schools – river cruise ships are getting more exciting. With the new ships and ship designs have come new destinations and new shore-side excursions. This year sees the launch of 17 new river cruise ships. There are now 184 passenger cruise ships plying the rivers of the world, and 30pc of them are younger than five years old. Agents said that all-inclusive cruise and river cruises are one of the biggest trends in 2016 so far. From Ireland, the Danube is the major cruise destination, followed by the Rhine, with the Rhone and the Duoro trailing behind. There are effectively six river cruise companies which dominate the market, although up to 12 others are seeking business out of Ireland. It is still a small sector. There are just 840,000 river cruisers (36pc of them German) compared with 21.3m ocean cruise passengers.

utside balconies have become the norm on river cruises and schedules are tweaked to offer the finest scenery during daylight. In fact 2016 will be another best year ever for river cruise out of Ireland, well ahead of the Celtic Tiger days. This follows five years dur-

Flow faster

River cruise continues to grow disproportionately for the Irish travel trade

River cruise ships moored at the CLIA river conference in Amsterdam ing 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: n Clients want something different to an ocean cruise n Word of mouth is greatly spreading for this product n The ship is your floating luxury hotel n Fewer passengers (average of 150) than ocean vessels n More personal space on board n More intimate environment for sharing experiences and developing new friendships n No lines for embarka-

The appetite for river cruise has astonished the travel trade in ireland

tion/disembarkation n No tendering n No seasickness n Fine dining with wine included n Internet, Hollywood movies, satellite television and music library included at no charge n City tours with professional guides included n Visit destinations that ocean cruises cannot reach n No checking in to hotel after hotel n Unpack once and settle in for a relaxing vacation. n No riding in buses for hours on end; no traffic n Most long distance travel is done in the evening so daytime can be spent visiting cities, towns, museums and historic sites

n Time in cities and towns is maximised on a river cruise versus travelling to/from destinations by coach.

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.

ndy Harmar of CLIA, which works with 18 river cruise companies, says there are three reasons why the river cruise experience is changing. “Ship design has transformed the experience for cruise guests. Alternative dining, spa treatments, double decker gums, on board pools, cinemas, ice

JUNE 2017 PAGE 21

skating rinks, means that customers now are starting to get a real picture of what the onboard experience is like.” The experience offered by each of the river ships to your clients are completely different, because of the way that these ships are being designed, the features that these ships offer, the dining experience, the entertainment. That means that we are growing up as an industry. Shore side experiences are also important, with new access to walking tour, vineyards, wander through markets or historical places. The investment that the cruise line put in to these excursions and the way we support them will influence the future trends in shore excursions. The reason that river cruise is changing so fast is that the customer ins changing too. The river cruise customer of today is different from the river cruise customer of five years ago or the river cruise customer of five years’ time because they want to site do, not site see. It is no good nowadays to pull up on the bus and have a look at the view and get back on the bus. It is about experiencing and authenticity, it is about touching and doing, learning to cook, learning how to make wine, it is about making cheese, as an authentic experience. Soft adventure is a major trend on ocean cruising. The same can be said about river cruise, especially in faraway places like Asia.

niworld are regarded as European specialists with ten ships plying the waters of the major European rivers. Their launch of the all-suite River Beatrice ten years ago changed standards through the industry. Uniworld launched their latest river cruise

RIVERCRUISE with a lot of kids onboard. It will take a nonrefundable deposit at the time of booking.

Ocean and river cruise ships share the port of Amsterdam ship, the SS Joie de Vivre in march. It will sail along the Seine River, from Paris to Normandy. The line now operates 19 ships, including three purpose-built Super Ships that carry 150 to 159 passengers. Uniworld sails the Rhine, Main, Danube, Moselle, Seine, Rhone, Garonne, Dordogne, Po and Douro rivers, Uniworld also sails in Egypt, Russia and Asia (China, Vietnam and Cambodia); in 2016, the company debuted in India with a 56-passenger ship sailing on the Ganges. Older and refurbished Uniworld ships on the main European rivers have 54 to 63 cabins and the majority of vessels have four stateroom categories, none with walkout verandas. Cabins typically measure 151 square feet with fixed, panoramic or French balconies. Suites, with French balconies, are 214 square feet. These ships do not have single or disabled cabins. On Uniworld ships, you’ll find cabins that are individually decorated in a diverse range of styles and with colour schemes that vary from deck to deck. On one vessel, the cabins might be in chic monotone, striped black and white walls, while on another, there will be opulent chandelier-lit in-

teriors in rich tones, fourposter beds and lavish brocade drapes. Unique to Uniworld’s ships are the butlers, who are trained at the Ivor Spencer Butler School to the standards required by English royalty. Since 2016, butler service has been extended to every suite-category stateroom across the European fleet, except Russia and Portugal. Nowadays Uniworld say they are the world’s only authentic boutique cruise line and 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,” says Sharon Jordan, who represents Uniworld here. “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 has staked out a space at the top of the river cruise chart, offering a genuinely all-inclusive experience – with prices to match. Cruise prices will fluctuate depending on the time of booking and time of year, with deals and

discounts available on the Irish market. On Uniworld ships, you’re generally going to find a 65+, well-traveled, well-heeled North American crowd. The line is also marketing to English-speaking travellers in Britain, Ireland and Australia, so you’ll find a smattering of those nationalities too.

Although traditionally the line has tended to appeal to more senior passengers, its sophisticated onboard vibe also attracts cruisers in their 40s and 50s. Uniworld runs a handful of multigenerational themed family cruises each year, so during those periods (summer months), expect a much younger group,

niworld 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. Excursions with local guides can be arranged with the Cruise Manager. “Average capacity is 130 guests, the highest staff-to-guest ratio in the river cruise industry,” Sharon says. “We offer

5-STAR LUXURY BOUTIQUE RIVER CRUISING HALLMARKS OF DISTINCTION: Beautifully designed ships | Impeccable service with one of the highest staff-to-guest ratios Elegant and well-appointed riverview staterooms and suites with the finest linens, towels and Savoir® beds | Delicious onboard dining and unlimited beverages | Personalised excursions All gratuities onboard and onshore | Bicycles and Nordic walking poles | Well-equipped onboard fitness centre | Onboard entertainment | Shipwide WiFi | All scheduled airport transfers

EXCLUSIVE AGENT RATES: CASTLES ALONG THE RHINE 5 JULY 2017 | CAT 5 CRUISE: €3,469 pps | AGENT RATE: €989 pps ENCHANTING DANUBE 11 JUNE 2017 | CAT 5 CRUISE: €3,939 pps | AGENT RATE: €1,109 pps

JUNE 2017 PAGE 22

RIVERCRUISE

enticing shore excursions, world-class gourmet cuisine, impeccable hospitality, and numerous other all-inclusive benefits. “Each ship in Uniworld’s European fleet is rich in character and truly one-of-a-kind. Each ship has a distinctive theme, colour palette, original art, sumptuous furnishings and antiques. “The design visionaries at the Red Carnation Hotel Collection bring a stylish flair inspired by the rivers upon which they cruise. “Ships feature stylish restaurants, an expansive Sun Deck, plush lounges with full-service bars, after-dinner entertainment, or dancing the night away. We also offer a well-equipped fitness centre and Serenity River Spa on every ship in Europe. “Uniworld guests experience culinary diversity and richness as varied and flavourful as the cruise itself, onboard or onshore. The chefs onboard use the freshest ingredients associated with each destination to emphasise locally sustainable, market-driven cuisine. Guests enjoy signature recipes from the cookbook A Life in Food, authored by Beatrice Tollman, founder of the Red Carnation Hotel Collection. “Uniworld’s onshore programmes provide guests with personalised experiences tailored to match their interests and lifestyle. Guests can choose from a generous menu of excursions and activities designed to immerse you in the local culture. “Uniworld elevates all-inclusive river cruising in Europe to an entirely new level. As we see it, our guests deserve the absolute best of everything and the difference is truly in the details. On each cruise, guests will enjoy: n A wide choice of personalised excursions

Uniworld’s Super Ships have a sumptuous Leopard Bar, situated aft led by English-speaking local experts n Intimate and beautifully designed ships carrying an average of just 130 guests n A number excursions curated exclusively for Uniworld guests n All gratuities onboard and onshore, all scheduled airport transfers n Well-equipped onboard fitness centre and onboard exercise and wellness classes n Elegant riverview staterooms and suites, with the finest linens and Savoir® beds, n Bicycles and Nordic walking poles for onshore use, n Onboard dining and unlimited beverages, n Onboard entertainment and signature lectures. n There are indoor and heated swimming pools on the newer ships

ew for Croisierope 2017, the MS Miguel Torga is an innovative, premium class, threedeck ship with a pool, contemporary interior design and 66 cabins that will accommodate 132 passengers. Built at the Sambre and Meuse Shipyard in Namur, it join four other ships on the Douro River. Beginning in April 2017, it will host 8-day cruises on the “Golden River,” leaving from

Porto and stopping in Regua, Vega de Terron, Ferradosa and Pinhão. The MS Symphonie and the MS Douce France will be entirely renovated and their interior spaces will be redesigned to provide more comfort. They will become two of our top-rated Premium ships, in line with the latest generation ships. They will be rechristened the MS Symphonie II (Danube) and the MS Douce France II (Rhine). Highlights of the Mekong Cruise will include Saigon, the French-Colonial city of Phnom Penh and the local floating villages through the region. The key CorisiEurope selling points are: n CroisiEurope gets to the heart of the towns that other companies bus their clients in. n They offer sailings on nearly every river in Europe, with itineraries in Asia, Russia and unique coastal cruise in Croatia. n They are Europe’s largest River Cruise operator, with over 500 departures and over 100 itineraries. n Because of Croisieurope’s size they nearly always have availability. n They construct, own and operate all their vessels. n They offer French Canals by barge, extending to other canals in Europe in 2017/18

roisiEurope feature vessels on every single river in Europe with 500 departures on more than 30 rivers and canals spanning 100 itineraries, including hotel barges along the French Canals. CroisiEurope’s excursions are provided at additional cost, purchased in advance or onboard for the same price. CroisiEurope caters to passengers who don’t want a packed schedule of included excursions; whether they are on a budget, prefer to explore independently or want to spend time onboard. The newest product is the safari cruise on the African Dream, a 16-passenger boat that will cruise the Chobe and Zambezi Rivers in Africa. There are jeep and boat safaris in search of wildlife during the cruise, and opportunities to spot the Big Five while staying at CroisiEurope’s Kaza Lodge and a hotel at Victoria Falls. Alan Lynch MD of Cruisescapes, CroisiEurope’s representative in Ireland, says CroisiEurope, a family run business, is responsible for the construction, ownership and day-to-day operations of an entire fleet of river cruise vessels that are capable of carrying between 100 and 200 passengers. Their new fleet in-

cludes several “hybrid” river cruise vessels capable of transiting the Mediterranean on unique river and ocean itineraries. With nearly four decades of experience in offering, river cruises. This allows the operator to concentrate on providing it’s passengers with exceptional food, excellent service and creative itineraries that are designed to appeal to both experienced and novice river cruisers. By reducing the amount of the ship that exists below the waterline, CroisiEurope can sail into the heart of cities like Strasbourg, where CroisiEurope is headquartered, while other river cruise operators are forced to dock on the other side of the Rhine, in the German town of Kehl, and bus guests in.

iviera Travel’s vessels on the Rhine, Danube and Douro in Portugal cater for budget-conscious Irish river cruisers by excluding soft and alcoholic drinks. They provide tea and coffee-making facilities in all cabins (suites only on the Elegance). The fourth of Riviera’s new all suite ships was launched in April, the MS Robert Burns, sister ship to Emily Brontë, Thomas Hardy and Oscar Wilde. n Emily Brontë

Rhine, Moselle, Main, Danube n Thomas Hardy Danube n Oscar Wilde Rhine, Moselle, Main, Danube n Robert Burns Rhine, Main, Danube n Jane Austen Rhine, Moselle, Main n Lord Byron Rhône n William Shakespeare Rhine, Moselle, Main, Danube n Charles Dickens Rhine, Moselle, Main, Danube n Swiss Corona Rhône n Swiss Ruby Seine n Douro Elegance Douro To make budgeting easier still, prices on Emily Brontë, Thomas Hardy, Oscar Wilde and Douro Elegance include flights, transfers and selected tours. As well as their selection of cruises for 2017, Riviera have recently launched a collection of inspiring new cruises, brand new ships and new departures for 2018. Drinks packages for a 4 night cruise are €69pp, 7 night cruise €119pp nd 14 night cruise €229pp.

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 they cover Russia, Portugal, France, Vietnam and Cambodia, Kenya and Myanmar was introduced last year. Ama uses 14 ships in Europe with six ships based elsewhere and operates exclusively for the English-speaking market. Ships in Europe each accommodate 164 passengers. Ama offers French balconies and marble appointed bathrooms and most offer fitness centres, beauty salons, gift shops, and splash pools. An al-

JUNE 2017 PAGE 23

fresco dining area beside the main restaurant can seat 32 passengers for a separate three-course dinner. Seating in this dining area must be reserved. They say limited hours drinks packages are cheaper than other all-inclusive cruises. AmaWaterways has partnered with Disney’s guided tour division, Adventures by Disney, to offer kid-friendly river cruises on ships specifically designed for larger, multi-generational groups. The company debuted cruises along the Danube River last summer on the AmaViola, and cruises along the Rhine River aboard the AmaKristina are scheduled to launch in June. Both Avalon and AmaWaterways include at least one shore excursion in every port you visit. Both lines also offer premium excursions, which

RIVERCRUISE

Riviera’s Jane Austen on the Danube

come at extra cost. These generally are limited to small groups and take you into smaller venues.

ravelfox.ie are the sole agents for Avalon Waterways in Ireland. Avalon claim the youngest, most contemporary fleet of ships in Europe. There are two new suite ships on the rivers

of Europe in 2017 the Avalon Impression and Avalon Poetry II. Avalon is revamping its Danube River cruise to include more activities for families with children. According to Ann Harrington of Travelfox, Avalon vision was “to visit the choicest destinations, cruise through the most magnificent scenery, exploring history,

heritage and culture, all delivered with luxury five star hotel standard accommodation on board the most modern ships.” “Our itineraries along some of the world’s most beautiful waterways are just some of the reasons why our guests have awarded us a 98pc satisfaction rating.” Choose Avalon if you want to book a Globus

tour before or after your cruise. While Avalon isn’t the only line that’s affiliated with a larger tour operator, the other ones that are – Scenic, Tauck and Uniworld – have a more upscale focus, with more inclusions and higher price tags. Avalon has the ability to set up pre- and post-cruise tours connected with your voyage.

n 2017, Tauck River Cruises will unveil its fourth family river cruise itinerary. The “Family Fun Along the Seine: Paris to Normandy” begins with two nights in Paris followed by a five-night cruise on the Seine on reimagined MS Sapphire, which will have big family cabins. Tauck makes all excursions available for free. Tauck also has special events on shore, such as dinner in a Michelin-starred restaurant. With more than 60 vessels, including 46 Longships, Viking is the world’s largest river cruise line. Most river cruisers will be familiar with the Lorelei Rock, on the Rhine Gorge. Now, instead of sailing past it, Viking is offering passengers the chance to climb it, during new cruises on the LongshipViking Hild.

EUROPE’S FINEST RIVER CRUISES Rhine, Danube, Moselle, Main, Rhône, Douro or Seine Selected departures up to December 2017 and April to November 2018 5 nights from €899pp, 8 days from €1,299pp or 15 days from €2,899pp Price includes: • Return flights from Dublin

• A choice of eleven cruises, see the website to view our videos

• Beautifully appointed four-star superior and five-star cabins with hotel standard beds, private bathrooms and river views

• Very extensive and fully inclusive touring programmes • Escorted by an experienced cruise manager

• Exceptional full board cuisine

For a brochure, to check availability or to book. Call:

01 905 6300

Visit:

www.rivieratravel.ie

Holiday organised by and subject to the booking conditions of Riviera Travel, Chase House, City Junction Business Park, Malahide Road, Northern Cross, Dublin, D17 AK63. 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. Prices correct as of 09/05/17.

€

JUNE 2017 PAGE 24

CAR HIRE 2017-8

ominated for many years by the big three rental firms, the business of car hire 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 of 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 €20 more than in Nice. A satnav costs €40 more in Nice than in Faro.

riving a rentalvehicle 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.

Car hire has changed beyond recognition

Driving forces

The adventure begins

And, well in advance, find out whether they’ll need an International 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 regulations – 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.

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.

survey carried out by for Ciaran Mulligan’s CarHireExcess.com by Behaviour & Attitudes suggests 40pc of Irish holidaymakers are hit for car hire excess insurance cover at car rental desks abroad. Car Hire Excess claimed their €41.86 charge compares with €230.44 for Budget, €224.26 for Hertz and €203.00 for Enterprise. Car 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 €45 a day. Excess insurance to bring their waiver costs to zero costs a typical €120 for a week but one company is charging €200 in Barcelona. If they don’t take it they could be liable to pay a typical €2,000 if the car gets damaged or stolen or even more: one company’s starting excess in Faro is €3,000. 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 pre-booking. Hiring a child’s car seat costs a typical €60. The most expensive was in Milan at €100. Borrowing a satnav typically costs around €75. It is most expensive at €120 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 €50-€60. 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 €60. This can vary: with one company in Barcelona they pay €90.

ertz will be celebrating their 100th Year Anniversary next year in 2018 and they are aiming to reach this milestone on a high note. After winning the Irish Travel Industry award for Best Car Hire Company in 2017, their priority is to maintain and further improve the high standards they are renowned for. The relationship between the travel trade and Hertz has grown throughout 2016 and has continued with promising growth into 2017. Hertz want to ensure that agents have a point of contact here in Ireland that they can trust, and are confident to book car hire directly with. Jason Kearns says “Our relationship with the Travel Trade is extremely important to us as has always been the case, we aim to help and sup-

port agents to ensure that their clients get exactly what they are looking for, it is vital that agents know and understand the value in booking through a primary supplier such as Hertz, knowledge on local extras and existing rate inclusions, correct car sizes for small or larger groups, and our great net tour rates and inclusive programmes. All designed to make selling car hire easier, not to mention a very profitable ancillary revenue stream which should not be overlooked.” With Hertz employing over 1,200 people in Ireland throughout their 17 rental locations, the Head Office in Wexford and the European Service Centre in Swords, the feeling is that this International Franchisee is evidently more local than most think.

A foreign car hire centre among the palm trees

“When you book direct with Hertz, we ensure that Hertz will be available to assist with any query you may have. We pride ourselves on the service we offer before, during and after the rental has commenced. Travel agents can trust

that we will do our utmost to find them the best rate for the reservation in question. Customers can trust that they will receive great service and a clean modern car to enjoy their travels in. Should there be any queries after the rental has returned,

our customer services team, who are based in Wexford, will review it promptly and deal with it efficiently.” A word of advice offered by Jason is “We would like to make car hire as easy and stress free as possible and that

JUNE 2017 PAGE 25

CAR HIRE 2017-8

requires informing people of what is involved when renting a car. We always encourage customers to book in advance for better rates and always ensure that they understand what is included in their reservation. The confirmation email sent when

a reservation has been confirmed is very helpful but if the customer is still unsure we would be delighted to clear things up with a quick phone call or email.” “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.”

TRUSTED THE WORLD OVER

Book in confidence hertz-gsa.ie or call 053 915 2500 Travel Extra 201705 B.indd 1

02/05/2017 12:30:08

JUNE 2017 PAGE 26

AFLOAT

Ah-musement

HOLLAND AMERICA Updates

to Holland America’s Westerdam during a 12day dry dock in Palermo, with 1,916-passenger cruise ship include Billboard Onboard and Lincoln Centre Stage, entertainment venues on the line’s newest vessel Koningsdam; both spaces host nightly musical performances. Northern Lights nightclub has been replaced by Gallery Bar, an overhauled Pinnacle Grill, the line’s signature steakhouse, new furniture, carpeting and wall coverings; designer glass tile, new bathroom vanities, USB outlets on the headboard, bedside LED reading lights and more outlets.

OVATION of the Seas went into dry dock in China for propulsion repairs. THOMSON Cruises says TUI Dis-

covery 2 will include new entertainment and dining options, including self-service beer and wine taps in Islands buffet restaurant, allowing passengers to pour their own drinks, bedside USB connection points in all cabins, an additional three Oceanview cabins taking the total to six, four new shows: “Chaplin,” “Full Monty,” “Legends Live” and “Beats”.

HOLLAND America Line laid the keel for its new ship Nieuw Statendam, to launch end 2018, in Fincantieri.

VIRGIN Voyages cut steel for its unnamed first ship in Fincantieri, a 2,860-passenger vessel for delivery in 2020. HOLLAND America pulled the Mexican city of Acapulco from eight upcoming itineraries due to security concerns.

NORWEGIAN Cruise Line unveils its top five spa facilities from the on-board Mandara Spa.

CRUISE Ireland reports says Irish ports will have their busiest ever cruise ship season in 2017 with 300 cruise ship calls.

STENA Line completed the refit of all

seven ships in its Irish Sea North ferry fleet with a total investment programme of £5m. The work was carried out at the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast over a four-month period, with the carefully synchronised dry dock visits being managed by Stena Line’s Clyde-based Northern Marine Ferries.

CRUISE IRELAND chairman Joe O’Neill said the island of Ireland has outperformed the European marketplace, recording average annual growth in cruise passenger numbers of 13pc against the European average across the same period of 9pc.

CARNIVAL Breeze returned from two-week dry dock with new restaurants, Guy Fieri’s complimentary Pig & Anchor Bar-BQue Smokehouse, Alchemy Bar, Pixels photo gallery. MIAMI is to get a new $100m Terminal B

and extension to Terminal C by January 2020, offered to Norwegian if they commit to 52 calls per year.

NORWEGIAN announced at ITB that it is basing five ships in Europe in 2018.

Silversea stages game-changing ship launch in Genoa

ilversea named the 596-passenger Silver Muse in a rainy day in Monaco’s Port Hercule in the presence of guest of honour Prince Albert II of Monaco Huddled under blankets and umbrellas, the audience made it through the first part of the ceremony, a recital by the Sinfonietta Orchestra of Rome and violinist Charlie Siem. The whole party, orchestra included, was driven inside by the weather to the warmth of the ship’s theatre, the Venetian Lounge, for a cosier and champagne-fuelled continuation of the ceremony. The evening included speeches by Silversea’s chairman, Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio; the Archbishop of Monaco; and Prince Albert II himself, who made a plea to Silversea to help protect the world’s oceans. Silversea is a family-owned, Italian company and is clearly proud of this. “It’s always been our dream to build impressive and elegant vessels,” said Manfredi Lefebvre. “It was never my vision to build an opulent ship for

Julie-Anne Vaughan and Sandra Corkin of Oasis Travel, Dominic and Bernie Burke of Travel Centres and Doreen McKenzie of Knock Travel on board the newly launched Silver Muse, the sake of opulence. Silver Muse is symbolic of what we wanted: elegant, and moreover, Italian in style.” Manfredi’s 17-year-old daughter, Costanza Lefebvre, named the ship. “I must be the youngest godmother out there,” she said. Although Silver Muse was handed over to Silversea from Italy’s Fincantieri shipyard in early April and has already sailed a few test cruises, the christening ceremony felt like it

was ushering in a new era for the luxury line. For Silversea regulars, there are changes, not least the absence of a main dining room; instead, there are eight restaurants, each with an individual dress code, a departure from the tradition of small, luxury cruise ships. As Manfredi noted, “The future only belongs to those who prepare for it today and believe that the best is yet to come.”

NCL LAUNCHES ALL INCLUSIVE

orwegian Cruise Line brought its corporate heavy-hitters to Dublin as it unveiled ‘Premium All Inclusive’ – and the end of tipping awkwardness – to the Irish market. NCL will launch the product here from tomorrow, with the added incentive of up to €200 per room off early bookings. It is aimed squarely at the harder-drinking European market with Francis Riley, Senior Vice President, Sales & Operations at its Miami HQ, saying: “We won’t be doing it in North America – they’ve no problem with tipping and they don’t drink the same amount.” Christian Böll, NCL’s Managing Director Europe, Middle East and Africa, said at the event in Taste at Rustic in Dublin: “We believe there is a lot of growth potential in the Irish market, and we believe in quality for money and entertainment.” Pre-

Jeremy McKenna, Francis Riley, Dick Wilkinson, and Christian Böll line out for NCL in Dublin mium All Inclusive has already been introduced in other European markets, and Francis Riley added: “It drove higher-value bookings overall and travel agent commissions went up. Since 2010 we’ve really upped our game.” In all, Jeremy McKenna, Head of Sales for Ireland and Britain; Francis Riley, Senior Vice President of Sales & Operations; Dick Wilkinson, General Manager Northern Europe & MEA; and Christian Böll, Managing Director, Europe, Middle East and Africa, attended the Norwegian Cruise Line media briefing in Taste

at Rustic Stone in Dublin on April 5. Christian Böll said: “I’m confident that our Irish guests are going to love Premium All Inclusive too”, with the package including: n Premium alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks in all bars, lounges and dining venues during the cruise n Unlimited juices, water and soft drinks for children and teenagers n Lavazza coffee specialities during meals n One free bottle of water per person, per day in staterooms n Services charges and gratuities Cruise lines are as much

in competition with landbased all-inclusive resorts as their ocean competitors, and Nick Wilkinson, said: “The launch of our product as Premium All Inclusive is a game-changer for the large ship ocean cruise market and it offers a wealth of opportunity for our valued travel partners. We have armed them with a powerful sales tool, helping to convert customers who may not yet have considered cruise as a holiday option, whilst also introducing new-to-brand cruisers to the Norwegian product.” The cruise line, with revenues of around $5bn a year, is adding a number of new ships to its 14-strong fleet, with Francis Riley telling the audience: “We have nine new ships – where do we put them?” With the move to all inclusive, the company is expecting to solve that problem by growing what remains a largely untapped market compared to the United States.

JUNE 2017 PAGE 27

AFLOAT

ROYAL CARIBBEAN will

charge $7.95 per order for all room service (not just night hours) from May, “to manage the high demand for room service.” New menu options include burgers, Philly cheese steaks, chicken wings with a choice of sauces, and grilled salmon with cucumber-mint yogurt.

HOLLAND showcased its new cocktail bar, The Bonded Store, to be introduced on Pacific Explorer. NORWEGIAN Cruise Line said it is

forming ties with Alibaba as it enters the China cruise market.

AMERICAN legislators introduced a

bill to make cruise lines responsible for deaths.

AVALON Waterways waived the single

supplement on every 2017 and 2018 European river cruise and on select Southeast Asia departures on the Mekong and Irrawaddy Rivers.

TURKEY’s government moved to reverse cruise line cancellations by offering $30 per person to cruise liners that make a call in the country with ships of more than 750pax.

SAGA’s MV Saga Pearl 2 became first of 65 cruise ships to arrive at Cobh in 2017.

HOLLAND AMERICA’s new

Stena Superfast X in Dublin

Magnificent 7

Stena Line refits entire Irish Sea fleet in Belfast

tena Line has just completed the refit of all seven ships in its Irish Sea North ferry fleet with a total investment programme of £5m. The work was carried out at the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast over a four-month period, with the carefully synchronised dry dock visits being managed by Stena Line’s Clyde-based sister company Northern Marine Ferries. The 2017 refit programme was the first time that all seven Stena Line vessels went into dry dock sequen-

tially, which represented a significant logistical challenge for the company. Stena Line also introduced temporary relief vessels to ensure that sailing schedules and customer service levels were maintained throughout the entire process. The work involved coordinating over 150 specialist onsite contractors, Paul Grant, Stena Line’s Trade Director for the Irish Sea, said: “Our refit programme is a key aspect of our ship management operation to ensure that our vessels operate as safely and efficiently as possible.

“Apart from the range of upgrades we have made to our onboard passenger facilities. What is particularly striking about this year’s refit is that the Stena Line fleet now carries our new company strapline emblazoned on the side of our ships...Connecting Europe for a Sustainable Future... which demonstrates our future sustainability ambitions.” Stena Line operates six routes to Britain and France which provides passengers with 228 sailing options per week.

IRISH CRUISE NUMBERS GROW

orldwide cruise figures passed the 25m mark

in 2016. The number of Europeans cruising was up 3.4pc in 2016, with Germany passing the 2m mark for the first time. The growth of cruising is continuing apace, with 74 ships are being built over the next 10 years. They will have a com-

Andy Harmer

bined value of $51.76bn, the annual Seatrade Cruise

Global event in Fort Lauderdale was told. Avalon Waterways Chairman Patrick Clark told a panel on The Future of Cruising in Europe that there is a growing demand for multi generation, family and active cruising and river lines will have to adapt their vessels and their offerings to attract these potential new markets.

Andy Harmer, SVP Membership & Director, CLIA Britain and Ireland, said: “The past year was an impressive one for the Irish cruise industry. “The increase in passenger figures is a testament to the industry’s resilience to economic and political change and further demonstrates the value that a cruise holiday offers,” he added.

Explorations Central product will offer personalised advice and recommendations, plus touch tables with in-depth destination information and a virtual bridge so cruisers can see what the captain sees.

CUNARD will return to Alaska in 2019. AMAWaterways will include drinks during

happy hour from 2018. AmaWaterways is to launch AmaKristina in May 2019, followed by AmaLea.

CUNARD Queen Victoria is undergoing a $40m refurb, overhauling 24 suites, adding 30 cabins, a new dining room, new sundeck and a specialty café.

TAUCK will double its small ship cruising capacity over the next four years through an expansion of its relationship with luxury expedition cruise line Ponant.

NORWEGIAN

Cruise Line is to charge for Internet packages based on usage.

CARNIVAL Cruise Line confirmed a new cruise port to be built on Grand Bahama.

AIDA Cruises took delivery of AIDAperla NORWEGIAN’s Leonardo Project is to consist of four ships to be built by Fincantieri, scheduled for delivery June 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, and an option for two additional ships in 2026 and 2027.

CROISIEUROPE, represented by Alan Lynch in Ireland, is launching five ships in 2017: 132-passenger Miguel Torga on Portugal’s Douro; 60-passenger Indochine II on the Mekong; 106-passenger Douce France II on the Rhine River; 106-passenger Symphonie II on the Danube; and 16-passenger African Dream on the Chobe and Zambezi rivers.

JUNE 2017 PAGE 28

THE FLYING COLUMN

Aviation with Gerry O’Hare

CITYJET From June 4, a

Cityjet Sukhoi Superjet will replace the Brussels Airlines Avro RJ100 on the route between Brussels Airport and Stockholm Bromma. Bromma, the largest Brussels Airlines Avro RJ100 destination, cannot be served by A320 family aircraft because of local regulations driven by environmental concerns. It will thus become a Sukhoi destination. The SSJ100 has only recently been approved for that aerodrome.

OMEGA Air CEO Ulick and Des McEvaddy claim to have secured financial backing from Tricap Investments Dubai to build a proposed a €2bn terminal scheme on 130 acres of land they own adjacent to Dublin Airport.

BREXIT Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI EUROPE, told the ninth ACI Airports Economics & Finance Conference that Ireland is the country most exposed to Brexit/ Breat-imeacht.

ALITALIA is to end code-share with Air France on Paris-Dublin as one of a long list of terminations

EASYJET added 155,000 extra summer seats from Belfast. Total departure seats from Belfast and Derry airports to non-British destinations were up 17.5pc to 1m in 2016. Dominant routes were Faro, Malaga, Alicante, Palma and Amsterdam. SHANNON Airport commissioned

a masterplan to develop a strong brand proposition for the airport. ATI fee approval was granted an application from Shannon Airport.

UPS has acquired Dublin-headquartered Nightline Logistics express courier and distribution company. LUFTHANSA

Group reported their best first quarter earnings since 2008.

KENYA Airways has appointed Sebastian Mikosz as CEO effective June 1.

DERRY The new twice daily Derry to Stansted route took flight

AIR TRANSAT

extended Toronto-Dublin to November 25 because of demand

CAR

Aviation commissioner Cathy Mannion released the decision on the Interim Review of the 2014 Determination Related to the North Runway.

BOEING

737-800 EI-FVR was delivered to Norwegian. Boeing 737-800 EI-FZT for Ryanair took its first flight

NORWEGIAN

Air’s US flights face a court challenge. Norwegian has completed the financing of additional nine aircraft

EU court ruled that bird strikes are not airlines’ fault under EU compensation directive 261/2004.

AIR FRANCE low cost subsidiary Boost was cleared for takeoff by Air France pilots.

GOOGLE A Google bid to strike out an amended Ryanair claim was rejected.

Robin Kiely, Michael O’Leary and Kenny Jacobs: Ryanair monthly figures unlikely to dip below 10m again

10m EACH month Ryanair April figures show 10m is the new norm

yanair matched their passenger total for July 2016 with a stunning 11.3m passengers in April 2017. It is Ryanair’s second busiest month ever behind August 2016, with the summer season about to begin. April is traditionally the seventh busiest month of the year in northern hemisphere aviation. It’s the ninth time that Ryanair have exceeded 10m passengers in a month and the 37th successive monthly rise

2017 Apr 11.3m Mar 9.4m Feb 8.2m Jan 8.77m 2016 Dec 9m Nov 8.8m Oct 10.9m Sep 10.8m Aug 11.5m Jul 11.3m Jun 10.6m

it has recorded. Results showed: n Booked passengers up 14pc to 11.3m customers. n 9th time that Ryanair have exceeded 1m passengers in a month n 37th successive monthly increase n Load factor up three points to 96pc Rolling annual traffic to April is up 13pc to 121.3m. The airline is on course for 134m passengers in 2017 if the growth rate of 14pc is sustained: although 125m is a more likely outcome over the 12 calen-

dar months of 2017. This compares with 10.1m and load factor of 95pc in July 2015 when Ryanair became the seventh airline to join the 10m in one month club a club which includes Delta, Southwest, China Southern, United, American Airlines. China Eastern and the original Aeroflot. Aerfolot reached 10m passengers in one month in July 1970 and put in many more 10m months before the collapse of the Soviet Union, peaking at 100m passengers a year in 1976.

RYANAIR: 37 SUCCESSIVE MONTHS OF GROWTH

May 10.6m Apr 9.90m Mar 8.5m Feb 7.4m Jan 7.48m 2015 Dec 7.50m Nov 7.71m Oct 9.68m Sep 9.55m Aug 10.40m Jul 10.14m Jun 9.50m

May 9.50m Apr 9.00m Mar 8.5m Feb 7.4m Jan 7.48m 2014 Dec 6.02m Nov 6.35m Oct 8.40m Sept 8.50m Aug 9.40m Jul 9.10m Jun 8.30m

May 8.20m Apr 7.80m Mar 5.20m Feb 4.50m Jan 4.60m 2013 Dec 5.00m Nov 5.20m Oct 8.00m Sept 8.00m Aug 9.00m Jul 8.80m Jun 8.00m

May 7.90m Apr 7.40m Mar 5.40m Feb 4.20m Jan 4.40m

FLYBE CLOSES ON STOBART DEAL

lybe said an agreement has been signed with Stobart Air, a subsidiary of Stobart Group Ltd, to provide two Embraer E195 aircraft

under a combined commercial arrangement lasting up to 20 months. The agreement is subject to earlier termination options. The two aircraft will be based

at London Southend. Flybe will initially operate the aircraft on behalf of Stobart under a crewed “wet lease” arrangement migrating to Stobart operating the air-

craft itself no later than 1st January 2018. The aircraft will be operated in Flybe branding under the existing Franchise Agreement between the two companies.

JUNE 2017 PAGE 29

THE FLYING COLUMN

Aviation with Gerry O’Hare

Sensory Shannon

Shannon leads the way with room for autism

hannon Airport has opened a “sensory room” for children and adults with neurodevelopmental challenges, including autism. The room is located off the airport’s departure lounge and is designed to be a soothing place, with features like a wavy wall and colour-changing lights. The official opening of the room came ahead of World Autism Day which was April 2. Gearoid Mannion of Travel Counsellors said “coming to an airport with special needs can be a stressful and daunting time. What we really need is for other airports across Europe to do the same thing and even more urgently other airports in Ireland to do this.” On the other of the Atlantic, there are quiet rooms at airports in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and in Atlanta. Canada unfortunately has yet to provide this facility. Delta opened a multisensory room

QATAR will use an A350-900 for their

launch flight from Dublin to Doha. Qatar is offering free luxury stays for Irish passengers on stopovers. In partnership with the Qatar Tourism Authority, the +Qatar initiative aims to encourage more visitors with free four and five-star hotel stays.

ETIHAD Airways plans to stand by Air

Berlin until end 2018. Focus magazine reported that Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr is in discussions with Etihad how to finance a possible takeover of Air Berlin. Airberlin Q1 net loss was €293m, €100m worse than last year.

CORK Airport reported passenger

numbers up 6pc. Cork airport launched tech competition to boost passenger experienced.

AMERICAN Airlines plans to reduce

legroom from 31 to 29 inches on three rows, and to 30 inches across the rest of the economy class cabin on its new Boeing 737-800 Ma.

ETIHAD Opening of the sensory room at Shannon

at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Inter- sculpture, a tactile activity panel and national Airport in April 2016 in other calming features. partnership with The Arc, an autism B:225 mm The quiet room at the Myrtle advocacy group. The room, located T:215Beach airport also opened in April mm in a quiet space on F Concourse, con- S:2032016 after a local mom, Becky Large, mm tains a mini-ball pit, bubbling water approached airport administrators.

say both double daily flights on Abu Dhabi – Sydney will be operated by A380 from October 29. Etihad launched the ‘48 Hour Challenge’ as part of wider stopover campaign promoting Abu Dhabi as a ‘holiday within a holiday’ for transit travellers.

NORWEGIAN recorded its first flight of the B737-8 Max.

WOW is to operate 24 aircraft by 2019.

Connections don’t have to be complicated.

Photographers name: None Usage info: None

1152885

Studio #: JWT #: 1151849 Client: Air Canada rouge

FILE: AC-17-16_June_Travel_Extra.indd Sauce Designer: Patrick Mech Size: 215 mm x 149 mm

PP: Kim Fijan SD: Patrick AD: None

Created: 4-10-2017 11:37 AM Saved: 4-20-2017 12:25 PM Printed: 4-20-2017 12:25 PM

COLOURS: Cyan Magenta

B:159 mm

Learn more at aircanada.com, trade support 1800 300 36212, salessupport.ie@aircanada.ca

T:149 mm

S:137 mm

The easiest way from Dublin to the U.S. is through Vancouver or Toronto with Air Canada Rouge. Whether playing in Vegas or Orlando, feasting in San Francisco or San Diego, or shooting the breeze in Honolulu, get your clients there with speed…and without stress.

JUNE 2017 PAGE 30

THE FLYING COLUMN

Aviation with Gerry O’Hare

DONEGAL Airport was voted the world’s second most scenic landing in a survey by privatefly.com of global travellers and industry experts, behind Saba Airport in the Caribbean. Judge Adam Twidell said “I have landed at Donegal many times and the rugged coastline of Ireland’s North West coast is even more awe-inspiring from the air, with the backdrop of Mount Errigal adding to the appeal.”

RYANAIR claimed a win in the EU courts with a ruling that social security payments made in Ireland must be accepted in other EU countries, meaning the French Social Insurance Authorities acted unlawfully over 10 years double charging Ryanair, and employees. DUBLIN Airport summer 2017 capacity is up 6pc by 1.3m seats with nine new routes, Aer Lingus to Miami and Split, British Airways to Ibiza, Delta to Boston, Norwegian to Stewart, Providence and Stockholm, Qatar Airways to Doha and the already started Transavia service to Munich. Thomson/ Falcon will begin two charter services in June with direct flights to Montego Bay in Jamaica and Cancun in Mexico for a six-week period. There are 180 scheduled destinations from the airport, 19 in North America, 23 in Britain, 118 on mainland Europe and five in Africa and Middle East. DECLAN COLLIER is to quit as CEO of London City Airport.

DAA are considering connecting their two

terminal baggage systems. Work starts in 2018 with T2 completed by 2020 and T1 by 2023.

WHICH consumer magazine confirmed what we have always suspected, airport duty-free prices are not always cheapest.

KUWAITAirways is maintaining its Shannon tech stop for New York service in Apr/May 2017. Shannon Airport is to undergo a ‘significant’ investment programme, after the state loaned €10m to Shannon Airport to help fund a runway upgrade. A4E Thomas Reynaert, CEO of Airlines for

Europe, questioned how the Irish state could operate as both airport owner and regulator and requested that French strikers be forced to five 72 hours’ notice of their action.

THOMAS COOK scheduled Belfast to Cancun for June/July 2017.

DUBLIN Objectors to the parallel runway at Dublin Airport said it will make their homes uninhabitable. Fingal councillors voted 25-5 in favour of new night-time flying restrictions which the DAA say must be removed to ensure the €320m parallel runway goes ahead.

DUBAI Aerospace is to buy Dublin-based Awas Aviation Capitalfrom CPPIB. QANTAS Alan Joyce’s Qantas announced pricing for the direct 17-hour London-Perth service, the world’s third-longest passenger trip. SMBC Aviation Capital is to purchase three new Boeing 737-800s

RYANAIR

is looking for tech brains.

Irish-born Etihad executives Aubrey Teidt and Ray Gammell at 2015’s All Ireland hurling final, Croke Park

A Ray of hope?

Former Irish Army officer hopes to turn Etihad around

ormer Irish army officer Ray Gammell has been appointed interim CEO of Etihad and immediately faces a series of firefights to be quelled. As Alitalia slides into receivership, Etihad Airways plans to stand by Air Berlin until end 2018. Focus magazine reported that Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr is in discussions with Etihad about how to finance a possible takeover of Air Berlin. Airberlin Q1 net loss was €293m, €100m worse than last year. Etihad confirmed that James Hogan, current President and Group CEO, will leave the company on July 1. Ray holds a degree from NUIG, formerly University College Galway in Ireland and a Master’s in Business Studies from the Graduate School of Business, University College Dublin.

Gammell is also a chartered fellow at the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development and is a chartered fellow at the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development. Ray was previously Group Chief People and Performance Officer. He joined Etihad in 2009 as a member of the Executive Leadership Team, developing and crafted the company’s people strategy to create what the airline calls “a performance-driven culture, enabling the growth of the business and positioning Etihad as one of the most attractive employers globally and in EMEA”. Ray has been responsible for driving the so called Emiratisation strategy contributing to the total local Emirati workforce of over 3,000 which is the largest nationality

among the 154 nationalities at Etihad Aviation Group. Ray has 20 years’ leadership experience, gained internationally across the technology, financial and government sectors. He has held executive positions for the Intel Corporation in the US and Ireland, Royal Bank of Scotland, and was an officer in the Irish Armed Forces. He has been a Chief Officer at Etihad Airways for eight years. He is now in pole position for a job that ex-Aer Lingus CEO Christophe Mueller was also associated with. Gammell will assume full management responsibilities immediately. Gammell has also been a member of the Executive Leadership since joining the business in 2009, where he has led the creation of a performance culture across the group.

AER LINGUS APRIL PAX UP 26.6pc

er Lingus passenger traffic in April was 26.6pc up on April 2016 with a passenger load factor of 82pc, up 3.9pc. Cargo was up 27.3pc, a third month of growth. For IAG as a whole, passenger traffic was up 10pc with a 10.3pc increase on International European routes and 10.0pc on North American routes. The average passenger load factor

was 83.1pc, up 4.5 points with international Europe at 83.2pc, up 6.7 points and North America 83.0pc, up 2.3 points. Cargo was up 3.1pc. BA passenger traffic was up 6.4pc, Iberia up 13.4pc and Vueling up 12.2pc, with load factor up on all carriers with Iberia almost matching the Aer Lingus increase. Easter Sunday in 2016 was April 16 as opposed to March 27, 2016,

something that would have helped Aer Lingus and Vueling more than BA. This was a good start to the airline summer with no sign of negative effects on volume from political turbulence or Brexit. Passenger capacity and traffic were both up 3.3pc on last year with passenger load factor unchanged at 79pc. Cargo was up 3.6pc. Average manpower fulltime equivalent was 62,236,

up 1.5pc. Revenue per RPK and ASK was down 7.2pc. Non fuel cost per ASK was down 3.9pc and fuel unit cost down 13.6pc. The group’s non-ASK businesses (such as Iberia third party maintenance work, BA Holidays and Avios) grew which make unit cost reporting less meaningful than it should be. Passenger revenue was down 4.2pc at €4.28bn and total revenue down 2.8pc at €4.93m.

JUNE 2017 PAGE 31

THE FLYING COLUMN

Aviation with Gerry O’Hare

LEVEL the new EI Walsh modelled LEVEL on Aer Lingus T/A A330 feed

AG CEO Willie Walsh has told interviewers that Aer Lingus is the low-cost transatlantic success story of aviation and the basis of his new low cost carrier, LEVEL. “To make the long-haul widebody, low-cost work, you need feed. It’s not that you have strong point-to-point demand. You also need feed. And clearly that helps to point us into the direction of Barcelona where we’ve got a very significant short-haul network with Vueling. “We think that the A330 is a better aircraft because of the range of the aircraft which fits exactly what we have in mind. It is cheaper in terms of ownership costs or leasing costs than the 787. “I am not saying the 787 is a bad aircraft. I’m just saying that the A330, particularly the high density A330200, works very well in this segment of the market. And I think what drove

IATA

said world airline capacity grew 6.1pc in March, load factor was up 0.5 to a record 80.4pc and demand grew 6.8pc in Q1.

LEVEL Willie Walsh told the IAG in-

vestor call that he sees Paris Orly and Rome Fiumicino as the next likely low-cost bases.

FLYBE plans to relaunch the Dublin-to-Southend service in October, operated by Stobart Air. TURKISH have sponsored the Irish cricket team as it seeks full test status

STOBART air say they are closing in on an SAS contract.

ETIHAD Airways’ Irish boss, Beatrice

Cosgrove, helped launch this year’s competition to find the best Irish exporters here.

Stephen kavanagh and Willie Walsh: feed to A330 is the model us then toward a new brand was the on-board proposition. “What is clear is that the opportunity here is to stimulate a new customer base, grow the market in a significant way. “We’re convinced that the model works. We’re convinced that having

SYDNEY The Australian government agreed to build a new Sydney airport

looked at what Norwegian has done AVALON delivered an Airbus A321in terms of successfully unbundling 200 to VietJet the product, there is consumer appetite for that in a way that five years STOBART Air agreed a lease agreeago would not have been possible. ment for two more aircraft We are convinced that this is some- AER LINGUS Regional commenced thing we can do and be profitable Cork to Newquay flights. doing it.”

u u

JUNE 2017 PAGE 32

THE FLYING COLUMN

Aviation with Gerry O’Hare

A4E Airlines for Europe called for the

urgent reform of Eurocontrol and leadership ahead of the election of a new Director General of Eurocontrol next month. As the election enters its final phase, A4E has urged the national authorities who cast the votes to elect a candidate committed to efficiency and reform.

DONEGAL Passenger numbers on routes to Dublin and Donegal with Stobart on behalf of Aer Lingus Regional were up by 14.6pc in Q1 2017.

SHANNON AIRPORT will be main sponsor for Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann Inis 2017 from August 13th to 21st. Sharon Shannon stopped by to help with the launch. See picture gallery here or connect with the album on Facebook. AIR CANADA will waive baggage fees for ski snowboards and boots for winter 2017/18.

FINNAIR will add four weekly frequen-

cies to Rovaniemi via Helsinki operating on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays between January 1 and March 24 2018, bringing Helsinki Rovaniem frequencies to up to five flights a day from Helsinki. Capacity from Ireland will increase for the winter 2017 season to six weekly flights between Dublin and Helsinki, operated by a mix of Airbus A319 and Embraer E190 aircraft due to strong passenger demand. Ireland is the third biggest customer for Santa Rovaneimi packages.

FINNAIRand Finavia with Futurice are

testing the use of face recognition technology for the check-in process of Finnair flights at Helsinki Airport until May 23.

QANTAS forecast a better-than-expected profit of $1.35bn. SHANNON

International Airport requires flood protection investment of €40m.

AERCAP signed a lease agreement with new airline customer, Wamos Air and a new airline customer, Germania LUFTHANSA began its Shannon Route and described Shannon as a key gateway to the west. Connect to the launch picture here. DUBLIN AIRPORT Two unions at Dublin Airport accepted WRC proposals

SCOTLAND ’s assembly voted 112 to 4 to abolish Air Departure Tax.

AIR BERLIN day annual loss.

posted a record 2m a

APERTURE strengthened its leasing and financing arm

AERCAP signed a lease agreement with Austrian Airlines for 777 Aircraft BELFAST City Airport announced

plans to grow food and drink facilities in development drive

FLYBE moved to ease overcapacity issues with Stobart Air agreement. Flybe placed two Embraer 195s with Stobart Air

Concezio Natale and Anita Valente of Best Holidays in Italy disembark from an Alitalia 175 at Catania

Those Italian jobs

Will Alitalia fail after swallowing 7bn in bailouts?

hareholders voted unanimously to file for insolvency administration of Alitalia at a postponed meeting. Under Italian law, the government will appoint supervisors to turn around the company or order its liquidation, and may provide stop-gap funds to maintain operations. Alitalia’s share of the Italian market fell to just 18pc in 2015, down from 23pc in 2008. Passenger numbers have fallen from 30m to 22m in a decade. It retained its high costs and has struggles to compete with budget carriers on short-haul routes. Ryanair now has the largest market share in the country at 26pc. The special administrators will have 180 days to come up with a new plan, with a possible extension of 90 days. “It is clear this business requires fundamental and far-reaching restructuring to survive and grow in future,” Etihad Chief Executive Officer James Hogan said in a statement.

“Without the support of all stakeholders for that restructuring, we are not prepared to continue to invest.” The Italian government, said it would provide the carrier with a u600m bridging loan that will allow it to operate for about six months or longer, possibly until after next year’s anticipated Italian elections. Reuters reports a growing number of Italians believe it would be better for the country if it Alitalia shut down, following repeated state bailouts that have cost taxpayers more than u7bn over a decade. Many Italians are taking to social media to urge the government to resist the political temptation to rush to its rescue again. Consumer groups have also chimed in, including one, Codacons, which has threatened to ask Italy’s Corte dei Conti, a judicial auditor, to examine any state bailout. The court can fine officials, including ministers, for wasting public funds. An opinion poll published on Friday, shows that 77pc of Italians be-

lieved the airline should be left to fail. In 2008 it was placed into bankruptcy after plans for a sell-off were blocked. In 2014, with the airline on the verge of failing yet again, the government helped broker a deal with Etihad, a Middle Eastern superconnector, which took a 49% stake. The plan was to make Alitalia profitable by 2017. It proved wildly optimistic. On Alitalia’s few remaining long-haul services—particularly to America—it must now compete with Emirates, which picks up passengers in Milan on its way from Dubai to New York, and Alitalia’s partners in the SkyTeam alliance, Air France/ KLM and Delta. The failure of Italia wil cost 12,000 jobs and will be a blow to national pride. It has been flying since 1947 and was the papal airline of choice. Benedict XVI, offered prayers for it when it went bankrupt in 2008.

DUBLIN ALLOCATIONS UP 4.6pc

ummer slot allocations at Dublin Airport shows total air passenger movements are up 4.6pc to 136,457, 5.4pc higher than the actual movements for summer 2016. Seats allocated are up 6pc to 23.24m, 11.62m in each direction. Hourly movement capacity is unchanged. For the peak week, 4,707 movements are cleared in-

cluding cargo, up 5pc, and 787,722 seats, up 6.1pc. Ryanair remains the carrier with most peak week seats, 294,694, a reduction of 1.5pc, and a capacity share of 37.4pc, down from 40.3pc. Aer Lingus, including Aer Lingus Regional) remains second with 283,026 seats, up 3.9pc, and a share of 35.9pc, down from 36.7pc. Aer Lingus has 6 fewer slot pairs, but more and

larger transatlantic operations. The combined share is 73.3pc, down from 77.0pc, which is still very high. All other carriers together of 47 carriers which have slots for summer 17 have a 26.7pc share, up from 23.0pc in summer 2016. umber 3 is British Airways with 20,252, up 4.6pc, and a 2.6pc share, followed by American Airlines 12,838

seats, down 3.5pc, 1.6pc share, Lufthansa 12,610, up 22.8pc, CityJet, 11,508 seats, up 49.9pc, Emirates 11,032 seats, up 10.3pc, United 10,864 seats, up 14.7pc, Delta 9,884 seats, up 20.5pc and Norwegian 9,372 seats, up 124pc. CityJet and Norwegian are new entrants to the top 10, displacing Etihad, 7,336 seats this year, down 20pc, and Flybe, 8,848, up 25.8pc.

RDS Hall 3, Ballsbridge

Presented by

THURSDAY 12th APRIL 2018

EXHIBITOR PROFILE

VISITOR PROFILE

• Airlines

• International Hotels/Resorts

• Airports

• Insurance

• Attraction Tickets

• Media

• Bed Banks

• National/Regional Tourist Organisations

• Car Rental • Cruise Companies • Ferries • Financial Services including Credit Cards

• Technology and Communications Companies • Theme & Leisure Parks • Ticketing Agents

• Golf Resorts and Related Services

• Trade Associations

• Ground Handling

• Tour Operators

An initiative of the ITAA supported by Travel Centres, Worldchoice and Travelsavers

Travel Agent Proprietors, Managers and Frontline Travel Professionals.

PROMOTION OF THE SHOW A comprehensive promotional programme will ensure a high turnout of travel agent proprietors, managers and frontline travel professionals.

FREE EXHIBITOR & VISITOR CAR PARKING

• Travel Agents

• Health Resorts & Spas

BOOK YOUR STAND NOW! VENUE

2018 DATE AND TIME

ORGANISERS

CONTACTS

RDS Hall 3 Anglesea Road Ballsbridge Dublin DO4 AK83 Ireland t. +353 (0)1 668 0866 w. www.rds.ie

Thursday 12th April 2018 2.00pm – 7.00pm

The Irish Travel Trade Show is organised on behalf of The Irish Travel Agents Association by Business Exhibitions Limited 59 Rathfarnham Road Terenure Dublin D6W AK70

Maureen Ledwith - Sales Director t: +353 (0)1 291 3700 e: maureen@bizex.ie Paulette Moran - Sales Manager t: +353 (0)1 291 3702 e: paulette@bizex.ie

www.irishtraveltradeshow.com 112200 TRADE SHOW APRIL 2018_V1.indd 1

5/8/17 2:57 PM

4.5HRS FROM DUBLIN TO ST. JOHN’S - CANADA IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK! FAST FACTS Where is it?

Atlantic Canada’s most easterly province and the eastern most point of North American.

How big is it? The Province of Newfoundland & Labrador is almost four times the size of Ireland. St. John’s is a quaint city with a population of just 105,000 people.

How long does it take to get there? Just 4.5 hours to St. John’s.

Who flies there from Ireland? WestJet flies daily from Dublin Airport, May to October.

What’s the time difference? Newfoundland & Labrador have their very own time zone – they are just 3.5hrs behind Ireland. The airline’s convenient 8:30am flight from Dublin Airport direct into St. John’s gets you there at 10am with the whole day ahead of you.

How many nights should my clients stay in St. John’s? We suggest three to four. It’s a perfect destination for a long weekend break.

BREATHTAKING ENCOUNTERS... ICEBERGS When? Spring through to early summer.

Where? The icebergs travel down the North Atlantic Coast from Greenland so they can be seen all the way down the Newfoundland & Labrador coastline. Even from the cliff tops of St. John’s. Yes they are actually moving – it’s a crazy encounter.

WHALES When? Between May and September. Minke, sperm, pothead, blue, orca, and the world’s largest population of humpbacks play around Newfoundland & Labrador’s shores between May and September. They come in the tens of thousands.

Where? The island of Newfoundland is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean so whales can be spotted anywhere on the coastline.

THERE’S ONE PLACE LIKE HOME...

You may feel something a tad familiar in Newfoundland. Almost everyone is descended from Irish fisherman who settled there in the 1700s. There is a proud story of ancestry to be told by the locals. And a yarn they can spin. So if you are Irish born and bred prepare for celebrity treatment.

How? Your clients can watch them from the cliff tops, or for an even closer encounter, aboard a boat or even a on a sea kayak!

When is the best time to visit? Anytime between May and October is the best time to view nature at its finest.

Tour Operators selling St.John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador in Ireland include AMERICAN

HOLIDAYS, TOUR AMERICA and SUNWAY HOLIDAYS.

112200 ST JOHNS FP_V2.indd 1

Need maps and brochures?

tion St. John’s No problem! Drop Destina Director t oun Acc e new Travel Trad kets, Lyndsey for the UK and Irish mar I’ll have them Thomas - an email and . time no in with you

Lyndsey Thomas Director of Travel Trade – UK & Ireland Destination St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador Based in Leeds, UK Email: Lyndsey@allaboutthestory.co.uk Phone: +44 7568 488 474 Follow my travels on Twitter & Instagram: #GirlAboutNL

5/15/17 4:34 PM

JUNE 2017 PAGE 35

Inside the Travel Business

GLOBAL VILLAGE TTC Charlie McNally is joining the Insight Vacations and Uniworld Boutique River Cruise team from Flight Centre where he has been working as Business Development Manager. THAILAND’s inbound showcase event

TTM Plus, which returns to Chiang Mai on June 14-17, has signed up a record 480 buyers from 64 countries and 354 sellers from Thailand and neighbouring countries, led by Europe (182), East Asia (137), ASEAN (42), America (38), Oceania (29), the Middle East (11), and Thailand (41). Thailand reported a record 67,273 visits from Ireland in 2016, up 3.9pc, and overtook Australia for the first time as Ireland’s most popular long haul destination.

Ciaran Mulligan of Blue Insurances and Kristin Skinner with the prize in Dublin

In Blue heaven

Kristin Skinner wins Blue Insurances car competition

ristin Skinner of American Holidays is the winner of the competition to win a Polo Magnifico run by Blue Insurances. The final took place on Thursday May 11, 2017 at 7.30pm in Saba on Dublin’s Clarendon Street, where one of the 13 finalists will win a new Volkswagen Polo. In the end 13 travel agents qualified for the final, Angela Taylor from Oasis Travel, Helena Kilduff from Skytours, Rose Kane from Kane’s Travel in Longford, Claire Mulli-

gan from Clubworld Travel, Mandy Walsh of Travel Counsellors, Rita Gaughan from Limerick Travel, Kate McGillycuddy from Abbey Travel in Killarney, Nicola Quigley from O’Hanrahan Travel and Ross Waters from Tour America, Kathrice Canning from Cassidy Travel,, Caroline Riordan of Sol Travel and Trish O’Reilly from Best4Travel The competition started in April and ran until April 30. Monthly winners enter a draw for a new Volkswagen Polo in a competition organised

by Ian Dack of Ireland’s Largest Volkswagen Dealership, Frank Keane Volkswagen and Ciaran Mulligan of Blue Insurances. Every five Blue Insurances policies sold each month automatically generated an entry in the monthly draw. Blue Insurances reminds agents to have their own unique login to make bookings count for their monthly draw. Each of the monthly winners took home an iPad Mini.

THOMAS COOK commenced new services from Belfast International to Ibiza and Las Palmas for the Summer 2017 season.

TURKISH Caitriona Fleming won the Turkish Airlines in-house competition with Cassidy Travel to win two returns tickets to anywhere on the Turkish Airlines network, 298 different choices. GENDER EQUALITY

A salary study by C&M Travel Recruitment and C&M Executive Recruitment found women starting new executive roles earn, on average, 7.56pc less than men in executive roles. Women in senior roles earned 1.54pc less than men in senior roles, and the figure was 3.21pc less for mid-level positions.

CELEBRITY Cruises intends bringing

up to 100 Irish agents on board during two ship visits to Dublin this summer to ramp up sales in advance of the mini season of five rotations in April-June 2018 from Dublin port, the first mini season out of Dublin by a major cruise line. There are plans to provide car parking and to upgrade port appearance and facilities.

EU’s Consumer Protection Co-operation said that the initial prices shown to consumers on 235 websites were much lower than the final price quoted by these sites. ROYAL CARIBBEAN said it is to increase deployment and sales roles in a European realignment.

CARTRAWLER Former Star Alliance boss Mark Schwab joined Dublin-headquartered CarTrawler as Senior Adviser.

HOLE IN ONE AT TRAVEL TRADE GOLF OUTING

ark Richardson of Smartcomms scored a hole in one at the third on the east course at Powerscourt during the Travel Industry Golf Society event. As TIGS President and raconteur Peter O’Hanlon said: “He wore two pairs of socks

in case he got a hole-inone.” TIGS Captain Martin Skelly and Sunway CEO Tanya Airey won the overall prizes at a cold and windswept event where Tania made a plea for more travel trade professionals to get involved. The event says 31 men and eight

women participate, although there are 177 on the TIGS mailing list. The last hole in one at TIGS was by Gordon Penney at the 16th in the K Club Smurfit course in September 2012, prior to that it was Jimmy Lennox at the 16th in Carton in July 2004.

OBEO

Travel DMC, represented in Ireland by Alan Sparling’s ASM, recently signed a preferred partner agreement with Worldchoice Ireland.

SKAL Dublin Club held their annual bus trip to Marlfield House and The Woodenbridge Hotel. OROKO Brian Hynes, ex Travel Corporation, has joined Brendan Breen’s new high-end B2C tour operator Oroko.

SANTA MONICA and Aer Lingus hosted a trade function in the Drury Buildings.

QATAR Mark Richardson at the 3rd

appointed a Dublin PR agency ahead of the launch of its Dublin-Doha route.

u u

JUNE 2017 PAGE 36

Last month in numbers

u7bn Amount paid out by Italian taxpayers in repeated bailouts of Alitalia

1.4bn Number of media impressions for Guinness Storehouse lock-in campaign

121.3m Number of passengers carried by Ryanair in the twelve months to April

11.3m Number of passengers carried by Ryanair in April

576,115 Number of overnights spent by Irish holiday makers in Germany in 2016, up 9pc

22.3pc year-on-year growth to Portugal from the Irish market so far in 2017

17.5pc year-on -ear growth to Spain from the Irish market so far in 2017

WINDOW SEAT

RINGING THE DINGLE BELLS

elicity Hayes McCoy enlists the voices of some of Dingle’s finest to help tell the story of the famous peninsula in her reflective guide book. Immersive is the buzzword of the travel experience nowadays. At a time when every teenager with a smartphone is a guide book writer, Felicity has established some distance between what she is doing and the noise of experiences and ‘here is my Google search of local history’ that passes for much of what is on the guide book shelves nowadays. She realises that travel is about people, not places, and Dingle’s

Dingle and Its Hinterland by Felicity Hayes McCoy (Collins Press)

people have a particularly rich oral tradition for anyone with time to stop and ask. She did stop to ask. Maire Ni Mhaoleoin, principal at Scoil Naomh Gobnait, boatman and diver Jimmy Hand, postmaster Seamus O Luing, distiller Mary Ferriter, sean nos singer Paidin Mhartain Mac Gearailt, seafarer Domhnall MacSithigh, chef Vincent Gorman, broadcaster Dara O Cinneide, returned emigrant Cathy Corduff, archaeologist Isabel Bennett, fish-

erman Maidhc O Mainin, Blasket centre manager Daithi De Mordha, They are just the headliners – there are 20 more conversations tucked away in the 232 pages of chance facts and encounters, and neat summaries of complicated subjects. When you finish the book you feel like you have been invited into all these people’s kitchens for a cup of tea and a chat. If there is a concept of an immersive guide book, this is surely it.

View from a cable car above and to the north of Pordoi Pass and San Pedro de Atacama at the edge of the Salar de Atacama

Busman’s holiday: Sara Zimmerman

Every month we ask a leading travel professional to write about their personal holiday experience. This month: Sara Zimmerman of Travel Department

or the first few years of my life, our annual summer holiday took us, along with a number of other families from London, to the seaside in Dorset. We each rented a holiday home for the summer (I can’t remember whether that was two weeks or longer) and in my memory, the weather was permanently hot and sunny, with endless days play-

ing in the sand. I have no idea what happened when it rained, as it must have done frequently. I was jealous of friends whose parents took them abroad – at least until our turn came, when I discovered that I was one of those kids who got terribly air sick, and consequently developed a fear of flying it took years to overcome. Maybe that’s why I have particularly fond memories of the one holiday when

for some reason we drove all the way to the south of Spain. Rather than take suitcases, we packed our clothes in the boot of the car – that’s all five of us, my parents, brother, sister and I. All went well until the car broke down on our return journey somewhere south of Barcelona. It must have been a nightmare but I remember it as being quite an adventure, staying in unexpected places, and having to buy a couple of suitcases while waiting for the car to be repaired. Needless to say, the next summer, it was back on a dreaded plane for our two weeks in the sun. Nowadays, my holidays are much more varied. When I’m not visiting my

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

fter United ‘re-accommodated’ passenger David Dao, government everywhere are looking at measures that would prohibit airlines from involuntarily bumping passengers. Is it a good idea? Airlines routinely overbook flights and, troublesome as this practice may seem, it may be in flyers’ interests. No-shows are frequent, so selling more seats than are needed allows airlines to charge less.

When problems arise in Europe, the problem is sorted at the gate. Passengers who did not reconfirm their ticket are told they are not flying. When problems arise on the US side, the airline offers increasing amounts of money until enough people decide the payout is worth more to them than their seat. Problems arise when airlines limit the amount they are willing to offer passengers, and if that’s not enough to get volunteers, they re-

move flyers against their will. As USA Today points out in an editorial, if each of the 46,000 people bumped against their will were instead offered an additional $500 to leave voluntarily, that would cost airlines a total of $23m. It took a violent incident and PR disaster for United to improve its policies and curtail involuntary bumping. We shouldn’t have to wait for more such incidents to bring the full airline industry in line.

sister in the Sierra Nevada mountains in Spain, or more recently in San Pedro de Atacama in Chile, I tend to like to be quite active, exploring completely new and far flung destinations, or walking or skiing somewhere in Europe. The Dolomites are a particular favourite of mine. Stunning scenery, summer and winter, with incredible rock formations towering over chocolate box hills dotted with beautiful villages - and importantly an abundance of fantastic local restaurants where you can enjoy watching the sun set at the end of the day with a glass of wine in the company of friends. I must book my next trip!

IN YOUR NEXT TRAVEL EXTRA: Available to Travel Agents or online June 20 2017

CANARIES ISSUE Lanzarote Tenerife Gran Canaria Fuerteventura WINTERSUN TRENDS

JUNE 2017 PAGE 37

MEETING PLACE

e bott Travel, Clare Dunn e Des Abbott of Des Ab rd of Th lwa Ay el rm Ca d an of The Travel Broker lencia region event Travel Broker at the Va

Erica Oglesby of MSC Cruises, Emma McHu gh and Maria Harkin of Atl antic Travel and Lee Osborne of Bookabed at Travel Partners Sligo roadshow

Bushell of Flight Olive Breslin and Claire urism Australia and To Centre at the Etihad, Virgin Australia event

Regina Curran, Niamh Sh of HRG at the Dublin leg ortt and Anthony Efinda of the Turkish Airlines bowling competition

on Travel and Michelle Paul Dawson of Daws vel at the Irish Travel Buckley of Cassidy Tra ow Sh de Industry Tra

James Moran and Sharo Travel with Shane Cu n Harney of Cassidy llen Brian Fulton of Cassidy of Killiney Travel and Travel at the Valencia region event

Out and about with the Travel Trade

Sarah Clayton Turner of AWTE and Ciara Corcoran of Celtic Horizons at the AWTE foundation meeting in the Morrison Hotel

Graiinne Caffrey of Su nw of Amadeus at the Iris ay and Olwen McKinney h Travel Industry Trade Show

Dympna Crowley of Lee Travel and John Barrett of Magic Destinations at the Irish Travel Industry Trade Show

ny vel and Deirdre Swee Jean Cusack of Icon Tra vel Industry Trade Tra of Sunway at the Irish Show

Astrid Johnston of Am erican Holidays and Cia Ian McCarthy and Bettina Haltmayer of Bra ran Clickandgo with Matthew Dakin of A2B Transfers evedy of Trailfinders at the Celebrity Cruises nt to cel eb rat e the launch of Celebrity Ed at the Irish Travel Industry Trade Show ge

Declan Hughes of Flycruisestay with aith Justyne Justyne and and Paula Crross at the Visit Orlando roadshow at Croke Park

an Travel, and John Greh Des Manning, Manning Industry Trade Show vel Tra of G2 at the Irish

Danny Delaney of Top Class Travel and Huilan Wu, Zatino Travel, at the Irish Travel Industry Trade Show

Dairine McGarrity and Donna Olohan of Travel Counsellors at the Vis it Orlando roadshow at Croke Park

Eoghan Corry, editor of Travel Extra, and Chris Miller, former Michelin inspector, at the Taste of Tourism Summit

port with Chris Ryan of Dave Conlon of Travel Travel Counsellors the at s lor Travel Counsel conference

JUNE 2017 PAGE 38

Out and about with the Travel Trade

and Andrea Holmes of John Galligan of JGT region event Sunway at the Valencia

Sean Kennedy of Leisureplex and Onur Gul of Turkish Airlines at the Dublin leg of the Turkish Airlines bowling competition

Ciara Mooney, Freedom and Linda Byrne of Kil Travel, with Lisa Warren liney Travel at the Etiha Tourism Australia and d, Virgin Australia event

Kersti Costello and Marion Dunne of Grogan Travel at the Travelfocus SA event in Galway

ne hy Travel and Carol An Caroline O’Toole of Fa land at the Celebrity Ire O’Neill of Worldchoice e the launch of Celebrity rat Cruises event to celeb Edge

Maura Maloney and Mic port at the Irish Travel helle Reilly of Dublin AirIndustry Trade Show

MEETING PLACE

Anita Kelly of Sunway, Peter O’Hanlon of Travelfinders and Jen ny Rafter of Aer Lingu s at the Valencia region eve nt

d pes/Travelescapes an Alan Lynch of Cruisesca Travel, Bundoran, and an Cormac Meehan, Meeh Partners Sligo roadshow vel ITAA President at Tra

Garry Gillespie of Innstant Travel, Tony Flynn of Niamh Bonass and Alison Larkin of Falcon Travel Ethiopian Airlines, Rhona McCann of FCM and Clare Hall at the Visit Orlando roadshow at Croke Darryl Ismail of Innstant Travel at the Irish Travel Park Industry Trade Show

Erica Oglesby of MSC Cruises and Christine Tiernan of Mullaney Travel Sligo at Travel Partners Sligo roadshow

McCarthy and Monica Elyse Horan, Kathryn at the Etihad, Tourism Rossi of Abbey Travel stralia event Australia and Virgin Au

O’Shea of Falcon Travel Ivan Beacom of Aer Lingus and Mary McKenna Emma Kilkelly of Robe rt Martyna Gris and Tanya lando roadshow at Croke of Tour America at the Irish Travel Industry Trade laney of Mullaney Tra Kilkelly Travel, John MulOr vel and Olwen McKinne Clare Hall at the Visit Show y Amadeus at Travel Pa rtners Sligo roadshow of Park

Emer Mc Dermot of Mc De Burke and Riona Burke rmott Travel, Fidelma Travelfocus SA event of Grogan Travel at the in Galway

John Docherty of Princess Cruises and Wendy Cameron of Superbreaks at the Irish Travel Industry Trade Show

a Cill Dara Travel and Rit Seamus Cosgrove of vel Tra h Iris the Travel at Cosgrove of Cill Dara Industry Trade Show

JUNE 2017 PAGE 39

MEETING PLACE

therine Bookle of GTI Anna Di Fabbio and Ca nt the Valencia region eve

Andrea McHugh of Tu lly’s Newbridge with On Gul and Hasan Mutlu ur of Irish Travel Industry Tra Turkish Airlines at the de Show

Out and about with the Travel Trade

Lorraine Quinn of Celebrity Cruises and Diane Bowman of Travel Counsellors at Travel Counsellors conference

Sue Cahill, Travel Counsellors, Kathy O’Sullivan of Travel Counsellors, John Grehan of G2 and Ian Walsh of Travel Counsellors at the Travel Counsellors conference

Lynda McGovern from Innstant Travel and Maeve Slalom of Blue Insurances at the AW TE foundation meeting in the Morrison Hotel

scapes/Travelescapes, Celine Kenny of Cruise ntres and Anita Kelly of Ce vel Tra Bernie Burke of vel Industry Trade Show Tra h Iris the at ay Sunw

Julia elly Mullan and Ciara Donn Sarah Spooner and Megan Walsh of AM Resorts Tra Havelka, Corry Ng and Owen Deerong of Farrah Kelleher, Luke ilfinders at the Etihad, alia str Au sm uri To d, ha at Travel Counsellors conference Tourism Australia and Virgin Australia event of Trailfinders at the Eti nt eve alia str and Virgin Au

Catherine Boyd and Lin da Jones of The travel Boutique with Shanno n O’Dowd of Etihad at the Irish Travel Industry Tra de Show

siness Exhibitions and Edmund Hourican of Bu ITAA at the Irish Travel Pat Dawson CEO of the Industry Trade Show

Stephen Long and Ala n the Valencia region eve Preston of Clickandgo at nt

Geraldine Dolan, Mary Dolan and Glenn Burke, Society Travel at the Travelfocus SA event in Galway

America and Mairead Mary Fennelly of Tour at the Visit Orlando Keegan of Clickandgo rk Pa ke roadshow at Cro

Lorraine Walsh of Westport Travel, Ciara Sweeney of Corrib Travel, Lynne Casey and Maura Fahy, Fahy Travel at the Travelfocus SA event in Galway

Ivan Beacom of Aer Lin gu Counsellors and Val Gu s, Chris Ryan of Travel nn of Travel Counsellor at Travel Counsellors s conference

Isabel Harrison of Shannon Airport at Travel Counsellors conference

ight of Tour America at Ross Waters and Liz Wrow at Croke Park dsh the Visit Orlando roa

★★★★

★

Disc�ver a w��ld �ull of w�nders...

2018

★★★★★

BELFAST TITANIC EXHIBITION CENTRE JANUARY 19/21

DUBLIN RDS SIMMONSCOURT JANUARY 26/28

Featuring:

For more info log on to:

Wedding & Honeymoon Destinations at Home and Abroad

holidayworldshow.com

NEW DATES!

UL Arena

FEBRUARY 3/4

FOR MORE INFO LOG ON TO:

holidayshow.ie

EXHIBIT! 110960 HOLIDAY WORLD SHOW FP AD_April17_V3.indd 1

Maureen Ledwith - Sales Director

Paulette Moran - Sales Manager

t: +353 (0)1 291 3700

t: +353 (0)1 291 3702

e: maureen@bizex.ie

e: paulette@bizex.ie

3/2/17 2:24 PM