Jim Murphy - PREM Group’s Managing Director » 2008

GALWAY RACES-A HIGHER STATE OF MIND

The great Irish playwright John B. Keane said that the “Galway races are a state of mind”. Indeed they are, a state of mind that is distinctly Irish, often copied but never equalled. It has been said about the festival that it once brought Galway city to a standstill but now brings the country to a standstill. I have been told that those who have been there will understand that, those who have yet to visit are still strangers to this country’s greatest sporting festival.Galway is my favorite city in Ireland ,but I have allways avoided race week . I have always felt that the city’s unique atmosphere would be spoilt by the massive crowds that converge on it for Race week every year . Well all that is about to change and next week I have decided to put my concerns to one side and plan to attend the races for two days .

I have also been told that whether or not you are a regular follower of horse-racing is immaterial, the salient pre-requisite for Galway racegoers is that they know how to have fun because that is the currency of the occasion. Starting in late July, the high point of the Summer holiday season, it has become the Irish equivalent of Mardi Gras, and is the fastest growing festival in the world. It effects an almost magnetic force on the population and once this force draws you into its field the experience that follows is almost hypnotising. The sights and sounds of the occasion all assail your senses at once; sight of constantly changing faces; horses; myriad colours of silks and clothing; sound of laughter; roars of triumph; challenging tone of bookies; children screaming; parents gently scolding; smell of the newly intruded-upon turf; horses’ sweat; quixotic odour of perfume. Such sensory bombardment on this grand scale leaves you powerless to resist, it’s too exciting, too seductive. It’s easiest to just give into it and get swept away by the thrill of it all.Sounds like fun ,lets hope it lives up to the promise .

If you decide to travel to Galway for the Races we might have some rooms left in Days Hotel Galway ,book on line at www.dayshotelgalway.com .

Author: Jim Murphy | Posted on 25. July 2008 at 15:09 pm | Filed in General, Prem Group Ireland | 0 Comments

Belgium in the international spotlight

They call it komkommertijd, cucumber time, when the country goes on holiday and newspapers have to make up stories about giant cucumbers to fill their pages. But this year has been different. The Belgian papers are full of big stories, ranging from Leuven-based in Bev’s €52 billion acquisition of America’s biggest brewer to the plummeting value of Fortis Banks shares. The biggest story broke just over a week ago when Yves Leterme submitted his resignation to the King. Leterme was still Prime Minister when Flanders Today went to press (the King had not yet accepted his resignation), but it looks increasingly likely that this may be the end of the road for the hard-working politician from Ypres and former Minister-President of Flanders Region. Leterme has come a long way since the election of June 2007 when he won the second-highest number of preferential votes in the country’s history – some 800,000. He has struggled over the past 13 months to form a coalition that can push through essential state reforms, but now believes that there is no way forward.

Author: Jim Murphy | Posted on 23. July 2008 at 12:50 pm | Filed in Prem Group in Europe | 0 Comments

PREM Group Hotels Achieve Quality Award

Four of Ireland’s PREM Group managed, Days Hotels, have received the top award of five ‘sunbursts’in the 2008 Days Hotel +GX, quality assurance programme.Days Hotel Tullamore , Days Hotel Dublin Park West; Days Hotel Kilkenny; Days Hotel Galway and Days Hotel Dublin Airport all scooped the accreditation after their audit results were issued by Wyndham Hotel Group this month. Days Inn Rathmines received a commendable 4 sunbursts.This is the second year in a row that the Irish Days Hotels have achieved this award which aims to promote product consistency, increase brand awareness and enhance guest loyalty across the Days Hotel chain worldwide. The programme involves an inspector conducting an unannounced visit and review of the hotel from a guest’s perspective including reviewing the property’s physical condition; appearance; cleanliness; and compliance with Days Inn standards. The ratings are then published in the Days Inn directory and on the Days Hotel website so guests can recognise these properties as hotels which have exceeded standards of cleanliness, quality and service.

Author: Jim Murphy | Posted on 17. July 2008 at 12:05 pm | Filed in General, Prem Group Ireland | 0 Comments

COACH TOURISM CONTINUES TO BE IMPORTANT FOR IRELAND

ITIC has just completed a joint report on the coach tourism sector with the Coach Tourism and Transport Council (CTTC) and the Irish Tour Operators Association (ITOA). The report was launched in Dublinyesterday by Dr Martin Mansergh T.D., Minister of State for Arts, Sport & Tourism.

In a summer of gloomy news and reports, there is much here to be upbeat about. The demand for coach touring holidays in Ireland increased by 56% between 2002 and 2006. In the same period the overall number of overseas tourists visiting Ireland increased by just 25%, while the number on holiday increased by just 15%. Coach tourism outperformed the market by a large margin.
This performance would have continued through 2007, although it appears that there will be at least a moderation in growth this year.
In all about 400,000 visitors took coach tours in Ireland last year. Over half arrived here by air, while the balance came by sea.
Britain is our largest source market for coach touring visitors with about 40%, followed by North America with almost 35%, with the fastest growing market Continental Europe producing over 17%.
How often have you heard it said of coach tourism that it is a declining market, the people are older? What a load of rubbish. More people are getting older all the time; in fact demographics in all our main source markets (including the domestic market) are such that the future best prospects for Irish tourism will be in the older age groups. The baby boomer generation is just starting to retire. They are wealthier, fitter and have more time on their hands to travel than any previous generation.
The quality of the touring coaches these days is brilliant, offering air-conditioned luxury that matches sitting room comfort. Younger people and families are now buying coach tours for choice and comfort.
But there are challenges ahead for Ireland’s coach tour business. Driver and tour guide recruitment has been difficult in recent years for a variety of reasons, but mainly because of the unsocial working hours. Despite that, the sector is positive about the future. For a copy of the full report go to www.itic.ie and you will find it under “Research”.

Author: Jim Murphy | Posted on 9. July 2008 at 17:38 pm | Filed in General, Prem Group Ireland | 0 Comments

National Confidence Day

Thanks to Brian Fahy of Action Recruitment for this little bit of initiative to help us get through all the doom and gloom that is surrounding the country at the moment .

“We are proud to announce tomorrow ( July 8^th) as NATIONAL CONFIDENCE DAY the current gloom around our national economic uncertainty has impelled us to ask all our contacts to inspire their colleagues, friends, relatives and business associates to adopt a more confident approach to their jobs and lives in general.

Here are some thoughts that may help you get started, if you have more interventions we would love to hear them.

SMILE

¶ Add your own confidence ideas

¶ Compliment a colleague, customer , supplier,

¶ Call your mother, sister, brother, aunt etc

¶ Whistle, sing, dance (not all at the same time of course)

¶ Send someone a card.

¶ Wear your loudest tie

¶ Pay a bill.

¶ Make a donation

¶ Set some challenging Goals

¶ Play a trick on someone (not a confidence trick)

¶ Stand tall

¶ Give someone a hug

¶ Take a deep breath

¶ Walk the dog

¶ Tell a joke

¶ Take someone (or yourself) to lunch

¶ Do someone else a favour and ask for their help (people love to help)

Confidence

Kind Regards,

Brian Fahy

Ancora Imparo

Action recruitment”

Author: Jim Murphy | Posted on 7. July 2008 at 09:55 am | Filed in General, Prem Group Ireland, Prem Group UK, Prem Group in Europe | 0 Comments

WHATS DRIVING THE PRICE OF OIL ?

This is another relevant article from IBEC .

“What is it with the seemingly endless instability of oil prices? Is the world consuming too much, or is it that out-of-control speculators are responsible for today’s unsustainably high prices? In truth nobody knows for sure, but it is probably a bit of both.
Given that we are an island destination, our visitors can only get here by air or by ferry so the future well being of tourism is very dependent on there being adequate oil supply at reasonable prices, for both producer and consumer.
Consider this. The Chief Executive of Northwest Airlines, Doug Steenland, appeared before a Congress Committee in Washington D.C. last week, and among other things he pointed out that, “worldwide daily demand for oil had only increased by 2% in the past year although the oil price had risen by 100%”.
Doug is strongly of the view that speculation in the commodity markets is a major cause of the rise in the price of oil. He says the volume of speculative activity is excessive and that additional regulation is necessary because it has placed upward pressure on oil prices irrespective of market fundamentals.
On the other had, Tony Hayward, the Chief Executive of BP, said yesterday that the argument that speculators are to blame is a myth, adding that supply was not responding adequately to rising demand.
So where is all this oil coming from and who is using it? The following are the top 10 world producers according to the Financial Times, with the number of barrels per day shown:
But here’s the more interesting thing, who are the top consumers, again barrels per day:

High oil prices have widespread economic impact across all sectors, but perhaps none more so than in aviation. In March of this year the International Air Transport Association (IATA – they represent over 90% of the world’s airlines) were predicting an industry profit of $4.5 billion for this year, based on an average oil price of $86 a barrel. “For every $ that the price of fuel increases our costs go up by $1.6 billion”, says IATA.

Fast-forward to June and IATA believe that with an oil price of $135 per barrel for the rest of the year, the potential loss for 2008 could reach $6.1 billion.
Over the past 60 years the aviation industry generated $11.5 trillion in revenue and just $32 billion in profits. Average margin has been just 0.3%, and the industry carries $190 billion in debt. Since 2001, airlines have achieved massive change, fuel efficiency improved 19% and non-fuel costs dropped 18%. But of course the skyrocketing price of oil has eaten up those gains, and then some.
So, challenging times ahead would appear at this juncture to qualify for the understatement of the year award. Nevertheless, aviation has achieved remarkable things in the past and will again. Science and technology will find ways to progress, just as the industry went from the Wright brothers to the jet age in 50 years.
The industry intends to improve fuel efficiency by a further 25% by 2020, and they have an even bigger plan, to build and operate a commercial airliner that produces no net carbon emissions, within the next 50 years.
In the much shorter term the world needs to establish what really is driving the price of oil and deal with that. Otherwise the prediction by the President of OPEC last Thursday that prices could reach $170 a barrel in the coming months could come to pass. He says the reasons are a weak US dollar and pressure on Iran, and he also says “there is more than enough oil in the market to meet international demand”.
But on the other hand a spokesman for Gazprom, the Russian energy giant, said last week too that OPEC had no real influence on the global oil market anymore. His cheery view is that competition for energy resources was growing all the time, and he predicts $250 a barrel next year.
And just when you thought you had all the bad news, today ABC News, citing a Pentagon source, says Israel is likely to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities this year. That’s not likely to do much for price moderation, were it to happen. Indeed it could make the predications by the men from OPEC and Gazprom look modest, for a time at least.
“Take away the excess speculators who are in the market purely for the ride, and oil prices could drop by half”. That’s the view of Michael W. Masters, a hedge fund manager who’s been advising Congress this year. “There are no lines at the gas pumps and there is plenty of food on the shelves”, said Masters. If only it were that simple, but the sad reality for now is that no one knows for sure what’s the cause of the high prices. Let’s hope they find out soon.”

July 1st 2008

Author: Jim Murphy | Posted on 2. July 2008 at 16:32 pm | Filed in Prem Group in Europe | 0 Comments

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