Category: General

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Ryanair have announced a new service from #shannonairport to the beautiful city of Barcelona Girona starting 29 March 2022! Book your flight today and find yourself captivated by the city’s preserved medieval centre, rich history & amazing restaurants.

 

Find out more: https://bit.ly/3LOoich

#getexcited #summer2022

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10 March New York and Boston return with 14 flights a week!

 

Declan Power (Head Aviation Development Shannon Airport) with Bill Byrne (Executive Vice President US Aer Lingus) pointing out 14 more good reasons to fly from Shannon to North America.

 

Flights to the USA from Shannon will start from 10 March, with 14 flights a week to New York and Boston.

 

As always, customers flying to North America with Aer Lingus will enjoy complimentary meals and drinks, endless hours of in-flight entertainment, and US Customs and Border pre-clearance at Dublin and Shannon airports.

 

Bill Byrne, Executive Vice-President US at Aer Lingus said: “We are delighted to be building back our US connectivity this year and there’s no doubt that travel is back for 2022. We are so happy to be flying to the US again, we are delighted to be continuing to connect families, friends and businesses to North America from Shannon”.

 

“Customers can look forward to our transatlantic in-flight food, drink, and entertainment services on board with top-class entertainment including the latest movie releases, TV boxsets, games and music. Along with Wi-fi and the PressReader app which offers passengers over 7,000 digital newspapers & magazines via their smart device”.

 

For more information and for bookings, visit aerlingus.com

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Football legend and walking enthusiast, Paul McGrath, joined local community groups, Carlow Tourism, Fáilte Ireland and Carlow County Council on Mount Leinster on Saturday, 19th February to officially launch the county’s heritage and cultural walk ‘The Columban Way’.

 

This unique walk will give visitors the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of the inspirational sixth century monk St Columbanus, who was born at the foot of Mount Leinster.

 

Promoted by Carlow Tourism, developed by Carlow County Council and with significant input from local community groups including Myshall Muintir na Tíre; the Carlow walk joins the finished route at Bangor, County Down as part of a wider national and European Columban Way.

 

Linking in with the demand for slow, sustainable tourism; the trail is expected to be a key tourism attraction as Michael Walsh (Chair Carlow Tourism) explains: “In conjunction with Carlow County Council, we are delighted to celebrate this exceptional amenity for the county. It is widely recognised in tourism that visitors seek bespoke, tailored experiences that resonate with them on a personal level. It is fitting therefore that the Columban Way is referred to as ‘the journey of discovery’. The walk offers visitors the opportunity to connect with nature, appreciate our rich biodiversity and enjoy their own personal journey. In the spirit of St Columbanus, this All-Ireland route is bringing together counties North and South along with eight countries across Europe to develop a 6,000km route on completion”.

 

Fáilte Ireland expects domestic travel will remain strong this year with 80% of domestic visitors satisfied with their holiday last year. Carlow is well placed to take advantage of this market due to its range of experiences and its proximity to Dublin and the midlands. The tourism body also expects international visitors to start returning to the county from Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

 

Caren Carruthers (Fáilte Ireland Officer Ireland’s Ancient East) commented; “The Columban Way is an exciting addition to Carlow and Ireland’s Ancient East. It perfectly represents the attraction of this area where vibrant history and modern life meet. Walking is now the top holiday activity in Ireland and the Columban Way will tap into this growth area and the demand for history and culture”.

 

The completed stage of the route in County Down and the County Carlow section of the route with two feeder routes from Bunclody on the Wexford side and St Mullins on the Carlow side are fully signposted and ready for visitors to explore. Once fully developed, the Columban Way in Ireland will stretch 530km across counties Carlow, Wexford, Kildare, Laois, Meath, Cavan, Monaghan, Fermanagh and Down.

 

Councillor Fintan Phelan (Cathaoirleach Carlow County Council) added: “In Carlow, we have an immensely proud and vibrant tradition of community engagement. We look forward to fostering existing relationships with our Northern Ireland and European counterparts as this project grows and expands. I would like to thank the Department of Rural and Community Development and Fáilte Ireland for funding this project and acknowledge all the community groups that were key drivers of this wonderful amenity.”

 

This spiritual and pilgrimage trail on the model of the Camino de Santiago, the Francigena and other great European cultural routes features the historical sites and landscapes of early Christian Ireland. It links three particular areas with strong associations to St Columbanus, his birthplace at Mount Leinster in County Carlow, his place of study at Cleenish Island in County Fermanagh and the monastery he joined in Bangor, County Down.

 

Paul McGrath explains why the project resonated with him: “Like a lot of people over the last two years, I have a new appreciation for the amazing outdoor spaces we have in Ireland and the positive effect walking can have on your mental health. Walking on my own or with friends has become an important part of my life. The Columban Way speaks in a very real way to the importance of community. It’s not about where you are going but the journey itself. We have a right to be proud of the many scenic walks we have in this country, and this is a great opportunity to support local tourism businesses in Carlow, learn more about our history and get the steps in”.

 

The Columban Way features interpretation panels, directional signage and a Columban Way Cairn at the scenic Nine Stones viewing point. Detailed maps of the Columban Way as well as a list of accommodation, restaurants and walking guides are available HERE or download the maps on the Via Columbani app from the Google Play Store and mac app store.

 

Follow the hashtag #TheColumbanWay on our social media channels for more information, videos and offers.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carlowtourism

Twitter: https://twitter.com/carlowtourism handle: @carlowtourism

Instagram: @Carlow_Tourism

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Tourism Minister Catherine Martin leads Tourism Ireland’s sales mission to the Middle East.

 

Tourism Minister Catherine Martin is leading Tourism Ireland’s sales mission to Abu Dhabi and Dubai this week. This is Tourism Ireland’s biggest ever sales mission to the Middle East, with a record 17 tourism businesses from Ireland taking part.

 

This week’s busy progamme will include a series of workshops and networking events in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, with the tourism companies from Ireland meeting, and doing business with, more than 200 tour operators and travel agents. The final workshop will involve meetings with luxury travel buyers from Saudi Arabia. The aim is to encourage the influential tour operators and travel agents in the Middle East to include Ireland in their programmes for 2022 and beyond.

 

Over the coming days, Minister Martin’s schedule will include:

• Meetings with key airline and travel trade contacts in Abu Dhabi and Dubai
• A meeting and networking event with the Irish Business Network (IBN) Tourism Sector in Dubai
• The launch of the 2022 St Patrick’s Festival at Expo 2020 Dubai
• A business roundtable lunch with key Emiratis and members of the Irish Diaspora living in the UAE
• Interviews with media outlets in Dubai

 

Tourism Minister Catherine Martin said, “Leading Tourism Ireland’s largest ever sales mission to the Middle East this week, I intend to support our efforts to bolster the recovery in our tourism sector. As we begin to emerge from the devastation wrought by COVID-19, it is imperative that we get the message out that Ireland is again open for business and that visitors know that a warm welcome awaits them when they travel here”.

 

“This mission will help revive this crucial industry, which pre-Covid welcomed almost 11.3 million overseas visitors to the island of Ireland, saw overseas tourism contribute €5.9 billion and supported around 325,000 jobs in communities.

 

“There is also increasing recognition that recovery and tourism growth must be sustainable, as well as being consistent with our sectoral climate change targets and commitments.

 

“Tourism Ireland will be working towards the longer term goal of ensuring that we are successfully marketed as a sustainable tourism destination”.

 

Tourism Ireland’s message this week is that Ireland is open for business again and we cannot wait to welcome back visitors from the Middle East. The organisation will be telling prospective visitors that a warm welcome awaits them when they travel to Ireland, despite the disruption of the last couple of years.

 

Niall Gibbons (Chief Executive Tourism Ireland) said: “We are delighted that Minister Martin is joining us this week on our biggest ever sales mission to the Middle East. Our sales mission gives our tourism partners from Ireland an excellent platform to inform and influence the travel professionals they meet about what Ireland has to offer and, importantly, to encourage them to include the destination in their 2022 programmes. We want to increase their awareness of Ireland and secure a greater share of their valuable business. Our message this week – and that of our industry partners – is very simple: Ireland is open for business again and we cannot wait to welcome back visitors from the Middle East”.

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Game of Thrones Studio Tour officially opens in Northern Ireland as stars of the show ‘Break The Chains’ to this epic new visitor attraction.

 

Excited visitors to the newly launched Game of Thrones Studio Tour were greeted by fan favourites Isaac Hempstead Wright (‘Bran Stark’), Kristian Nairn (‘Hodor’), and Nathalie Emmanuel ‘Missandei’) who together helped to ‘Break the Chains’ for this brand-new global visitor attraction located in Northern Ireland.

 

Located at one of the acclaimed series’ original filming locations at Linen Mill Studios in Banbridge, Northern Ireland, Game of Thrones Studio Tour takes fans closer to the Seven Kingdoms than ever before.  From today, guests can step inside the iconic Great Hall at Winterfell where Jon Snow was proclaimed the ‘King in the North’, see Daenerys Targaryen’s imposing Dragonstone throne, delve into the incredible props, weaponry and visual effects of Game of Thrones and learn more about the skills and craftmanship that helped bring the show from script to screen. The immersive experience brings Westeros to life and will evoke the show’s epic scale — from King’s Landing, Winterfell, Dragonstone, The Wall and the lands beyond.

 

Julian Moon (Head EMEA Warner Bros. Consumer Products) said: “What an incredible honour to be opening the doors today to the first-ever Game of Thrones Studio Tour.  This marks a first for Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment to launch a world-class attraction in Northern Ireland where fans can explore, up close and personal, a vast array of authentic sets, as well as a comprehensive collection of costumes, props, set pieces, and so much more”.

 

“We’re incredibly grateful for our partnership with Linen Mill Studios who have helped bring this concept to life with the attention to detail, along with the scale and depth of production that makes this experience so special and worthwhile.  We are proud to be part of the legacy of the beloved Game of Thrones franchise and we can’t wait for fans around the globe to step inside and immerse themselves in all corners of the Seven Kingdoms and beyond”.

 

Andrew Webb and David Browne (Executive Directors Linen Mill Studios) said: “February 4th truly represents a new and hugely exciting chapter in the Game of Thrones story. Here at Linen Mill Studios in Banbridge, Northern Ireland, after many years of planning, design and construction, we are thrilled to finally open our doors to guests and allow them to get closer to the Seven Kingdoms than ever before at the world’s first and only Game of Thrones Studio Tour. Housed at one of the original filming studios, this incredible and unique experience brings the making of Game of Thrones to life through a vast array of authentic sets, props and costumes, together with immersive interactives and exclusive behind the scenes content.  On behalf of all those who have contributed to creating Game of Thrones Studio Tour and the dedicated team at Linen Mill Studios in bringing the experience to life, we are proud to be part of an ongoing legacy of Game of Thrones that will delight current and future fans of the show, as well as those interested in the artistry that goes into making an iconic production”.

 

John McGrillen (CEO Tourism Northern Ireland), “We are excited that Game of Thrones Studio Tour at Linen Mill Studios in Banbridge has officially launched today and thrilled to see Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment’s commitment to Northern Ireland as the Home of Thrones.  The attraction will deliver a world-class visitor experience and demonstrates the increasing opportunity that screen tourism brings for our hotels, hospitality sector and other visitor attractions across Northern Ireland”.

 

As we start to look to the future, and as tourism and travel opens up across the globe, Game of Thrones Studio Tour will be a central plank of recovery activity and we look forward to working in partnership in the months and years ahead to deliver visitors from near and far.”

 

HBO’s Game of Thrones aired in more than 200 countries and territories, culminating in record setting ratings. Game of Thrones continues to engage passionate fans and ignite audiences’ excitement with the next iteration of the franchise, House of the Dragon, set to premiere on HBO and HBO Max in 2022.

www.gameofthronesstudiotour.com

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A long-awaited runway extension for Waterford Airport has been approved by An Bord Pleanála.

 

It will allow a 900m runway extension and a widening of the runway, costing at least €12m, which campaigners and business groups hope will attract commercial carriers for the airport as it will allow it to take larger aircraft.

 

In An Bord Pleanála’s approval letter, which has been seen by this website, it said the proposal would have a negible impact on climate and sought a detailed traffic plan from Waterford City and County Council for the works. The development will involve an extension of the existing 1,433-metre-long runway by 491m at its northern end and 363m at its southern end, resulting in a total runway length of 2,287m. It will also be widened by 30m in width to 45m.

 

Fine Gael senator John Cummins, who is a former member of the airport board, said it is a critical piece of infrastructure for the South East region. “It makes the possibility of securing routes for the airport far more likely into the future than what was the case heretofore”, Cummins said.

 

He added: “For too long the runway has been an impediment to the growth of the airport. The types of aircraft that were able to land at the runway were restricted, so the planning application that has been approved will facilitate the landing of the main aircrafts of choice for major airlines.”

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Mary Considine (CEO Shannon Group) has described 2021 as ‘another challenging year,’ but says she is optimistic for the future.

 

Commenting as the group releases its end of year results, Ms Considine said: “Our team at Shannon Group have been unwavering in our focus on recovery and rebuilding to ensure a successful future for our employees, the people and businesses in our region who rely on our Shannon Airport services for their livelihoods. Although it has been another challenging year, having come through the worst of the Pandemic, we are confident that the foundations for recovery are in place”.

 

“With the welcome announcement of the lifting of restrictions, there is real optimism in the air. While it will still take time for the unwinding of Covid restrictions to filter down into the aviation sector, it is a really positive development for industries devastated by the pandemic”, says Ms Considine.

 

Shannon Airport passenger numbers rose 8% in 2021 compared to 2020, with most travel taking place in the latter part of the year following the rollout of the vaccination programme and the introduction of the EU Digital Covid Cert enabling the lifting of restrictions on non-essential air travel from mid-July of last year. Almost 380,000 people used Shannon Airport in 2021, compared to just over 352,000 in 2020. This is however still down 78% on 2019, the last full year of operation before the pandemic.

 

The airport saw a strong recovery in its European and UK services in 2021. European passenger numbers from Shannon recovered to 65% of 2019 levels, and the UK market to 43% of 2019 levels. Both markets saw a fivefold increase in passengers between August and November 2021 when compared to the same period in 2020. 

 

“This summer we will operate services to 25 destinations with 107 planned weekly frequencies. The return of Transatlantic services to Boston, New York (JFK) and Newark from Shannon in March, combined with our strong European summer flight schedule and the return to full strength of our Heathrow services, are reasons to be optimistic”, says Ms Considine.

 

Commenting on future support for the airport Ms Considine said: “We are very grateful for the Government supports announced during the year, and given the enormous task ahead, our airport will continue to need these supports as we rebuild our business in the aftermath of Covid”.

Significant progress was made during the year on the transfer of the Group’s heritage sites to the relevant local authorities. The transfer of these activities will assist Shannon Group to focus on the recovery of the airport, build back international passengers, while continuing to develop its aviation cluster and associated property activities. Visitor numbers to the heritage sites continued to be impacted by the pandemic recording a drop of almost 50% since 2019 when the sites had 963,000 visitors. However, there was some recovery in 2021 with almost 496,000 visitors recorded, up from just over 300,000 visitors recorded in 2020.

 

The Group’s property development activities across the Shannon campus remained strong in 2021.

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No better way to start a new year than with recognition in the form of a prestigious award from Enterprise Ireland. Travelbiz has been awarded Best Travel Industry Trade News Publication 2022 at the Irish Enterprise Awards!

 

The award was judged on merits with assessment centred around an extensive evaluation of skills and services on offer to the industry. Final judgement was cast following a review of expertise within a given field/specialism, dedication to customer service and an ongoing commitment to excellence and innovation.

 

To achieve this award, given what we have all been through over the past two years, endorses all the trade support initiatives and endless work that the Travelbiz team have done to keep you, our readers, followers and subscribers, motivated and updated on all that we do during a time we shall never forget. A huge thankyou to Jim, Jacinta and Declan and our technical support team for all of your hard work. People make brands and that is what we are all about at Travelbiz. Our reach equates to supporting, informing and keeping you updated on all the latest buzz in our industry.

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The Cork International Hotel has relaunched the very popular package called ‘Stay, Park and Fly”. The package is intended to take the stress out of early morning or late evening traveling from Cork Airport. The package will also allow travellers to extend their holiday by an extra day or so by treating themselves to a hotel stay as part of their trip.

 

The package offers an overnight stay before or after a flight with parking included during the trip from Cork Airport.

 

This Offer includes:

• An overnight stay before or after a flight
• Free shuttle bus to and from Cork Airport before and after a flight
• Parking included in a secure car park for the duration of a trip from two nights up to 21 days (depending on the package selected)
• Includes Grab and Go Breakfast from 4.30am-7am for earlier departures

 

Carmel Lonergan (General Manager Cork International Hotel) said: “Holidays are definitely on the minds of people right now and this package is perfect for anyone who would like to extend their trip a little bit. This offer has options to suit all travellers, from short weekend breaks to longer two week holidays. This is the perfect package for guests with either an early flight from Cork and they can stay with us the night before or late-night flight return where they can rest up and stay with us before driving home”.

 

See more details HERE.