One of the important aspects of any holiday is the nature of the locals. Are they friendly, helpful and full of smiles? Or rather cold and reserved? FutureBrand for the third time focused in their Country Brand Index on the friendliness of locals and ranked the top 10 country brands according to the nature of the population.Great to see Ireland enjoying 2nd spot and beating off some amazing competition . Lets hope we can maintain our status as this is crucial to our Tourism success ,especially given that we dont have the great weather of some of our competitors . So where do we find the most amicable people?

1. Fiji

For each of the three years that Friendly Locals has been measured in the Country Brand Index, Brand Fiji has been ranked in the Top 10 for this measure. As a nation renowned for the warmth, hospitality and naturally friendly disposition of its people, it is no surprise that Fiji rose to the top position in 2009. Here the citizens themselves combine with the natural beauty of this idyllic archipelago to create a true paradise in the South Pacific.

2. Ireland

Building on a tradition of the craic—fun, entertainment and enjoyable conversation—Brand Ireland ranked as the #2 country for Friendly Locals for the second consecutive year. The genuinely friendly and welcoming Irish culture is focused around conversation and community and remains one of Ireland’s most charming attractions for visitors.

3. Aruba

Achieving the #3 position for Friendly Locals for 2009, Aruba has a well-established and ingrained philosophy of being “One Happy Island.” The island’s year-round sunny climate gives rise to a laidback culture and lighthearted lifestyle. The Aruban way of life is easygoing and upbeat, with a people who are quick to smile and always friendly.

4.Thailand

5.Bermuda

6.Tahiti

7.Trinidad & Tobago

8.Uruguay

9.Canada

10.New Zealand

Source: www.futurebrand.com

The new website for Chalet 52 , our new Hotel management contract in the French alps has gone live . Developed by VinylMatt, our web design partner , this exciting new website offers a lot more functionality as well as cutting edge design . Over the next few days we are going to load some very special offers of up to 60% off room rates for the 2009/2010 ski season ,subject to availability . So if you are looking to book a great location for your next ski holiday visit   www.chalet52.com  .

Massive Global Tourism Marketing Drive

Tourism Ireland plans to grow visitor numbers to the island of Ireland by 3% next year – attracting an additional 230,000 visitors – giving a 2010 target of 7.85 million.  This outcome will mean that tourism to the island of Ireland will grow ahead of the competition. Marketing investment will be refocused to generate immediate returns for the tourism industry.  Investment will be concentrated in Britain and in Germany, based on research which identifies these markets as our best prospects.  Tourism Ireland will also significantly increase its investment in promoting value offers.Speaking at the launch, Niall Gibbons, Tourism Ireland’s Chief Executive, said that 2010 ‘is about action to stem the decline and begin the return to growth for tourism from overseas’.  ‘Tourism Ireland, in partnership with the tourism industry, will focus on getting short-terms wins.  Value will be a key message for the hugely competitive markets in which we operate; and we will be highlighting the uniqueness of a holiday on the island of Ireland – the diversity of our culture and heritage and the friendliness of our people – to secure ‘stand out’ and differentiate ourselves in a very crowded marketplace.”2009 has proved to be one of the toughest years for tourism to the island of Ireland and for tourism worldwide.  One of the key factors affecting Ireland’s performance is its traditional reliance on Britain and North America, two markets which have suffered disproportionately from the economic downturn and weak currencies.  In addition, air access worldwide declined significantly during 2009.  Despite this, by year end Tourism Ireland anticipates that 7.6 million people will have visited the island of Ireland from overseas, generating approximately €3.7 billion in revenue; and there is some evidence that consumer confidence is beginning to improve, albeit slowly, providing a positive signal for 2010. 

Outlook

Tourism Ireland has set a target of 3% growth in visitor numbers for 2010, which is ambitious given that Tourism Economics (the leading providers of world tourism forecasts) is predicting a continuing decline in visitor numbers to the island of Ireland next year.  ‘The World Tourism Organisation and Tourism Economics are suggesting continued uncertainty for 2010.  However, Tourism Ireland believes that working together with the industry, we can deliver growth.  The Irish tourism industry is among the most innovative and enterprising in the world and we have a superb product to offer but getting back to growth in the prevailing circumstances will require a collective effort on an unprecedented scale.  Tourism Ireland is up for that’, said Niall Gibbons.  Interest in holidaying on the island of Ireland is high among consumers in Tourism Ireland’s top markets.  For example, Irela! nd ranks 5th out of 50 in GB, ahead of destinations like the US and New Zealand (source: Anholt-GfK Nation Brands Index 2008).

‘Battle for Britain’Britain is the largest single market for tourism to the island of Ireland and following an in-depth review Tourism Ireland has produced a blueprint for the future, to restore growth from this important market.  Some of the key actions from the review include a new focus on value; differentiating a holiday here from one in England, Scotland and Wales (our competitive set in GB); and re-engaging and re-energising the travel trade in GB. Specifically, Tourism Ireland will:
• develop and implement a series of new price-led campaigns which will highlight the wide range of great value deals on offer.  Tourism Ireland has just launched a new ‘value in Ireland’ brochure in GB, advising visitors where the best value can be found;
• be the first tourist board in Britain to launch a price-led TV campaign next year, due for broadcast in January 2010;
• make St Patrick’s Day one of the biggest consumer events in Britain in 2010, by creating a GB-wide programme of events and by building an innovative publicity and social media campaign; and will bring 100 Irish industry representatives to Britain to help create the ‘buzz’;
• deliver the message that Ireland offers unique holiday experiences through a range of high impact, innovative, ‘Ireland themed’ promotions which will inc! lude:
- ‘filmed in Ireland:  a celebration of film
- ‘written in Ireland’:  a celebration of literature
- ‘born in Ireland’:  a genealogical event
- ‘composed in Ireland’:  a celebration of music
- ‘celebrated in Ireland’:  showcasing our many festivals
• will aggressively target coach tour operators, group organisers, wholesalers, specialist and general operators through a programme of workshops and face-to-face events in 2010.Overall, a minimum of €12.8 million will be invested in GB marketing in 2010 – which translates into at least a €1 million marketing spend on average each month. Focus on Germany
Building on the success of the recent DERTOUR Reiseakademie (which saw 900 travel professionals from Germany attend the 2009 Travel Academy of leading tour operator DERTOUR in Killarney over a two-week period), Tourism Ireland will increase its investment in Germany in 2010 to capitalise on this market.  Activity will include a national TV advertising campaign for the first time, as well as co-operative campaigns with carriers.Tourism Ireland has set up over 3,500 overseas marketing platforms for the industry to engage in next year – an increase of 20% over 2009.  Niall Gibbons, Tourism Ireland, said: “2010 will be all about ‘closing the sale’.  We’ll be making it easier for the tourism industry to join us in promoting overseas.  We have set up over 3,500 marketing platforms, including many low-cost and free options.  And we’ll be bringing more industry partners to the markets, to help us create an ongoing ‘buzz’ about Ireland.  Our global website www.discoverireland.com received a record 10.9 million visits in the first ten months of this year, which is most encouraging and illustrates a continued s! trong interest in the island of Ireland, despite the challenging environment.  We must convert that interest into sales in 2010”, said Niall Gibbons.Further details of Tourism Ireland’s 2010 Overseas Marketing Plans can be found on www.tourismireland.com

PREM Group have just launched a new website www.hotelgiftvouchers.com . 

Hotel Gift Vouchers are the perfect gift no matter what the occasion!

They can be redeemed at over 40 hotels and serviced apartments in Ireland, England, Belgium and France, offering a great choice of destinations and hotel brands for that special some-one.

You can choose to have them delivered by post, or by e-mail in the form of an e-voucher.

Available in either euro or pounds sterling, they can be purchased in denominations of €20 and €50, and £20 and £50

Simply present your voucher(s) at your chosen hotel upon check in to redeem. For more information visit www.hotelgiftvouchers.com

On the 27th August 2009 my BLOG post announced that the senior manager’s in PREM Group had acquired Paddy Kelly’s majority shareholding in PREM’s hotel business . While this acquisition only applies to the hotel business , there is a number of ,non related , company’s that Paddy was involved in that unfortunately are under pressure . One of those company’s was Premier Hotels Management ltd which ran a number of office buildings and in which Paddy held a 81% stake . The serviced office business has seen huge declines in business over the last 12 months and despite significant work been done to address this decline ,the company had little choice but to start the liquidation process last week .There is no legal connection between Premier Hotels management ltd and Premier Hotels ltd .

 We are also working on assigning the Premier Business Centre in Belfast to the landlord this week . Paddy is also an shareholder in this company . We are working through a process of tidying up our non core business in order focus on growing our hotel management company across Europe .For a full list of Hotels and Serviced Apartments that we operate visit www.premgroup.com .

There has been some confusion in the last few days between Premier Hotel Management Ltd , which is been wound up,and  the PREM Group hotel company’s , including Premier Hotels ltd. The similarity of the names is unfortunate ,but there is no legal relationship between Premier Hotels management Ltd and Premier Hotels Ltd , the hotel company . The shareholders are different , however , there are some directors common to both companies .PREM Group continues to grow its hotel management business and we recently signed management contracts for three hotels in the French alps . We are also working on a number of hotel management contracts in the UK and Northern Europe . We currently have 40 property’s under management , details of which can be seen at www.premgroup.com .The PREM Group recently won the Hospitality Diversity Award which celebrated the groups approach to diversity and equality .

 The Office of the Minister for Integration funded Diversity Awards highlighting diversity & equality within the Irish Hospitality and Tourism Industry                                    Thursday November 5^th 2009: The Winners in five categories of the Hospitality Diversity Awards were named this evening: ·        PREM Group won the Hotel (Groups) category·        McDonald’s won Restaurants (Chains) category ·        Aramark Healthcare Catering won the Catering Operations category ·        Fallons Bar & Café won Restaurants (Individual) category ·        Crowne Plaza Dublin Northwood won the Hotel (Individual) category This year each was recognised for nurturing a wide diversity of employee and customer backgrounds through structured and meaningful integration strategies and resources within their organisations. The Hospitality Diversity Awards have been funded by the Office of the Minister for Integration, and were developed to recognise and celebrate the initiatives, policies and practices taken by both companies and individuals who have embraced diversity & equality within the Irish Hospitality and Tourism industry. Speaking, on behalf of the Office of the Minister for Integration Diarmuid Cole, Director General said ;  “The  Minister  believes  that events like the Hospitality Diversity Awards are  an  opportunity  to reflect on the changes in our society, to exchange ideas  on how we should move into the future and of course, to focus on the many positive aspects of the diversity in modern Ireland.”  Speaking on behalf of the Equality Authority, Chairperson Angela Kerins added: “It is great to see business take the lead on equality and to practically demonstrate that having services and workplaces that promote equality and ensure that customers’ diverse needs are met makes good business sense. The efforts made by the members of the Irish Hospitality Institute shows their commitment to giving all customers the best service they can offer.  The partnership between the Equality Authority and the Irish Hospitality Institute has been very beneficial and we look forward to replicating this work in other sectors”.  Also speaking at the awards ceremony was Chief Executive of the Irish Hospitality Institute, Natasha Kinsella, she said:  “As an industry that faces economic challenges and business pressures it is even more important to emphasis that investment into Equality & Diversity strategies is a key to survival. Due to the developments of the awards this year and the integration of the 10 Steps guideline which provided a framework for action, evidence within Recruitment & Selection, Induction & Orientation and Training & Development was sought by each panel not alone for employees but also consideration towards the integration of the customer service provisions. Also examined is the wider element of Diversity & Equality of an inclusion programme not just in relation to International workers but evidence of integration of those from minority groups, people with disabilities and local co! mmunity groups. I am delighted to say that it is both the short listed candidates and overall categories winners who demonstrate this and will be recognised here tonight.  She also added: “Diversity awards focus on awareness but as a fundamental goal of the overall initiative is to learn from each other’s experiences as well as demonstrating the huge benefits, it is the winners of tonight through their involvement will help us to continue the success of such programmes to encourage others both within & outside the Hospitality sector, emulate this approach.” The Diversity Awards aim to reward cultural integration in recognising the work done to integrate workers from all varied backgrounds and in doing so, showcase the benefits from such initiatives and the examples of best practice for other Irish businesses to follow.  All companies who picked up awards did so for the strength they showed in these areas. The overall winners of last year’s Hospitality Diversity Awards Hotel, The Shelbourne Hotel, showed further support by hosting this year’s event.   

PREM Group have received recognition from our nominated charity Beyond the Moon for our long lasting support . I was delighted to accept , on behalf of the PREM team , a Bronze award to acknowledge the 10 families that we have sent on a holiday of a lifetime . We have been working with Beyond the Moon since 2006 . We participate in the “Change for Children”collection box programme and have organised several fundraisers over the past few years . Some of the fundraisers have been Golf outings , quiz nights , marathon runs and donating our Christmas card budget .

BEYOND THE MOON offers children suffering from a life-threatening disease, and their families, the opportunity to spend valuable quality time together and to enjoy a memorable, cost-free and carefree vacation in a child-friendly environment far away from hospitals and daily treatments. We are honoured to be part of this wonderful charity . For more information go to www.beyondthemoon.org .

When working in the hospitality business one of the first things you learnt is how to deal with customer complaints .Most of the time complaints are genuine and are dealt with in a sympathetic and professional manner . But sometimes the complaints are so outlandish there really is very little an operator can do . The following list comes from Sunshine.co.uk an independent online travel agent based in the UK .

One lady’s plane journey was a disappointment because the sky was too cloudy; obstructing both her and her children’s view of the sea and ruining their plans for eye-spy.

Having landed at the airport in Portugal from Cardiff, one complaint was made from a family who had not been told that it would be so sunny and therefore they were too ‘hot and sweaty’ in their travel clothes.

When collecting suitcases from the airport conveyor belt, a gentleman was annoyed that so many other people also had plain black suitcases and he could therefore not distinguish which case was his.

Most people are eager for the travelling to end and the holiday to begin, but for one couple the 20 minute transfer time was worthy of a complaint as they were unable to see the sites of the Island.

When arriving at the hotel and unloading their cases, one lady noticed that her shampoo had leaked over her clothing and then, to her disgust, the hotel provided complimentary shampoo and so the whole incident was very preventable.

During a day trip to a local theme park, one woman complained that the Log Flume ride made her feet wet and that the ice cream from a particular shop melted too quickly in the sun.

Another couple complained about the children’s entertainment at their resort; it was too good and therefore the children did not want to spend any time with mum and dad.

Luckily, for some mum’s and dad’s this means peace and quiet and some sneaky cocktails beside the pool. However, one family claim that they were unaware how strong the cocktails were and ended up a little worse for wear in the early afternoon.

On the 2nd October the Irish electorate will vote to ratify the Lisbon Treaty . I am encouraging all our employees , who are eligible to vote to exercise there manadate on the 2nd October .I am also  encouraging a YES vote for the following reasons :

1. We need an effective EU to work on challenges that go beyond each Member State. Challenges such as climate change, energy security, the economic crisis, employment; international financial regulation, illegal migration and cross border crime.
2. The Lisbon Treaty equips Europe to face challenges more effectively. At the same time, it makes Europe more democratic with more powers for MEPs and for the Oireachtas. It gives the Charter on Fundamental Rights legal force.
3. Having obtained the response to the concerns raised last year, we now have a new deal. Ireland must retain its influence at the heart of Europe if we are to advance our interests. Ratification of the Lisbon Treaty will bring the period of institutional reform to an end and allow the EU concentrate on dealing with substantive issues.
4. The EU is a key part of our path to economic recovery. We need to send a strong signal to our EU partners and to international investors that we are a fully engaged EU country and are dedicated to the EU project. Ratifying the Lisbon Treaty will send this vital signal.
5. It is the platform for our prosperity. Irish jobs depend on our position within the EU. The European Union is central to our future.