A free rail scheme, developed by Fáilte Ireland in conjunction with Iarnród Éireann, has been finalised and now is available for all over 66s visiting Ireland.

The scheme, announced by the Government as part of Budget 2010 last December, is designed to increase overseas visitor numbers to Ireland.

From today, overseas visitors aged 66 or over can reserve free rail travel by accessing www.discoverireland.com or calling a local LoCall number to arrange for a Golden Trekker Reservation which can be used to book their free Golden Trekker Tickets when in Ireland. 

The Golden Trekker Tickets will take the form of a four-day Trekker ticket, or a sequence of four-day tracker tickets depending on the length of stay, providing visitors with unrestricted rail travel for a set period.  Each four-day Trekker ticket is worth €100.

The design of the scheme mimics the terms of the free travel scheme available to Irish senior citizens aged 66 and over.  Accordingly, the scheme provides for free travel to all tourists to Ireland aged 66 and over and there is no restriction on nationality or country of residence. 

Welcoming the initiative, Redmond O’Donoghue, Chairman of Fáilte Ireland said –

“Extending Ireland’s free rail travel arrangements to our international visitors is a very encouraging and constructive development.  It will help strengthen the appeal of Ireland amongst some visitors and Fáilte Ireland believes it will pay dividends to Irish tourism longer-term.” 

“Our experience of working with Iarnród Éireann on putting this scheme in place has been a very positive one and we would like to acknowledge their help and active support in helping to finalise arrangements in time for this year’s tourist season.”  
 
On behalf of Iarnród Éireann, Dick Fearn, Chief Executive said:

“We are pleased to play our part in this important initiative to give tourism in Ireland a strong boost in this difficult time, and commend Fáilte Ireland for the speed and simplicity of the process established for overseas tourists to avail of this scheme.  As well as providing tourists with rail travel facilities, they will also benefit from the unique perspective our network gives of the beautiful Irish countryside.”

Opportunity to Profile Ireland as a Vibrant Destination, says IHF

The Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) today welcomed the selection of Galway city for the finish of the 2012 Volvo Round the World Ocean Race as a major tourism triumph for Ireland. Paul Gallagher, President, IHF states that the event will provide a phenomenal platform to showcase Ireland internationally and profile the country as a vibrant and attractive destination to hundreds of millions of potential visitors across the globe. He states that the associated broadcast and media coverage throughout the race - with Ireland as the final destination - will provide a significant boost to Irish tourism and businesses throughout the hospitality sector.

Mr Gallagher states, “We look forward to extending a warm welcome to spectators during the 2012 Ocean Race finale. The event offers enormous tourism potential for the country as we saw during the Galway stop-over for the 2009 race. By attracting up to 40,000 overseas visitors and injecting up to €80m in tourism income, it promises a much-needed boost for businesses across Galway. Hoteliers look forward to working with Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland to ensure we leverage all aspects of the finale to maximise the tourism benefits to the local and national economy.”

“The support demonstrated by the Government and national tourism bodies was instrumental in securing the 2012 event. We were competing with major European destinations such as Amsterdam and Stockholm, so it is a testament to the compelling proposition put forward that Galway was chosen to host the 2010 finale,” adds Mr Gallagher.

Delighted that my colleagues at Days Hotel Dublin Airport are joining me in the Blogosphere and launched their own Blog today.

Over the coming weeks each of our hotels will begin their own Blog to better connect with our guests and let the world know some of the exciting events happening in and around each location.

I look forward to reading more of the posts very soon.

Fáilte Ireland Launches Ambitious Marketing Campaign

 
More than 60% of Irish people are planning a short break at home this year, according to Fáilte Ireland, which is also predicting a 5% increase in the number of domestic breaks taken by Irish residents this year.
 
Research undertaken by the tourism authority highlights that 61% of people now feel that Ireland offers great value holiday breaks, a figure which rises to 68% among those who were aware of 2009’s Discover Ireland Special Offers campaign. Interestingly, just 7% of people polled by TNSmrbi on behalf of Fáilte Ireland chose their holiday based on price. The main reasons for choosing to home holiday destinations last year were proximity to amenities, recommendations, location and accommodation.
 
In further good news, 81% of Irish people believe that Ireland has a lot to offer as a short break holiday destination, while 93% of those who holiday in Ireland are very satisfied with the quality and service experienced during their breaks at home.
 
The research was undertaken in advance of the launch of Fáilte Ireland’s biggest ever home holiday marketing campaign. Unveiled to media today, the campaign will kick off next month and will include a new 90 second cinema commercial - the first of its kind for the agency (still pictured). TV, radio, print and online advertising is also included in the campaign, and Fáilte Ireland is launching an improved Discover Ireland website next month to coincide with the launch.
 
The campaign was developed following extensive consumer research which identified a desire to escape from the omniscient doom and gloom in the media and society as a result of the recession. Building on this desire to get away from it all and have some fun, the campaign will promote Ireland as a fun, exciting, enriching holiday destination. This is carried through to the campaign strapline, ‘The Fun Starts Here’. 
 

There has been a lot of talk recently about the numbers of Golf Courses that have been built over the last 15 years in Ireland . If you are a fan of the little white ball there is great value offers to join a range of courses that , up until recently , the cost of joining was prohibitive for most people . Surely one of the best deals out there at the moment is in Tulfarris Hotel and Golf resort which is being managed by our associated company HAMS . This stunning 18 hole championship golf course is offering membership this year for €1000 inc VAT or €19 a week . There is no joining fee . This GUI / IlGU course overlooking Blessington lakes offers members full ordinary membership with voting rights . If your partner wants to play ,couples membership is available for €1,500 this year . Other benefit’s include members guest rates ,10% discount on food and beverage ,preferred members tee times and discounted buggy hire . If you are interested in this great golfing opportunity talk to Norma in the Tulfarris Golf shop on 045 876609 or email proshop@tulfarris.com

Visa regulations are hampering tourism from  China and other countries, according to Gerry Mullins, ceo of the Coach Tourism Transport Council.

He says that visitors from China seeking a holiday visa are asked to produce six months of bank statements and must give an assurance that their ‘hosts’ will support them during their stay.

The rule was introduced when  travellers from China could potentially arrive here without funds, but it is irrelevant in the case of wealthy Chinese holidaymakers, he said.

One CTTC member said that a travel agent in Indonesia claimed that he could bring 1,000 tours of 40 people each to Ireland if it were not for current visa regulations.

This daft situation was highlighted to me last year , by a colleague in our offices , when he tried to get a visa for a senior executive of a bank based in China . The executive wanted to bring his family of 5 persons to Ireland and had booked a weeks stay in a 5 star hotel in the south west of Ireland . The process of getting a visa was so difficult that he was forced to abandon his visit and go elsewhere .

It is great to see the Leopold Hotel Antwerp featured in both the London and Irish Independent newspapers recently . The “48 hours in” articles  showcase different city’s each week, recommending ,places to stay , things to do , restaurants, museums, etc .The Leopold Antwerp opened last June following a complete refurbishment . To see the full article click on the following link :

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/48-hours-in/48-hours-in-antwerp-1855089.html

 For more information on the Leopold Hotel Antwerp and for the best guaranteed rates visit www.leopoldhotelantwerp.com

prem-directory-version-4.pdf 

Group have just launched the 4th edition of the Hotel Directory . Running to 50 pages the hotel directory features over 40 property’s across Ireland , England, Belgium and France .A new departure for this addition is the inclusion of 7 associate hotels . These are independently operated hotels that PREM are working with in the ares of sales and marketing , web management , group purchasing ,etc. We welcome the addition of these fine hotels and I believe that the association will be a beneficial one .To get a pdf of the new directory click on the above link or visit www.premgroup.com

   As Irish consumers cut back on overseas holidays, Fáilte Ireland is planning an intensified Discover Ireland campaign to encourage them to spend their holidays at home. Fáilte Ireland says that it will launch its biggest ever home holiday marketing programme, as a central plank in its strategy to increase the home market share of the overall Irish leisure break market. The domestic market now accounts for 65% of business in the intensely competitive hotel sector.  Research indicates that Irish people are less likely to tra! vel abroad in the current climate, presenting an opportunity for the home breaks market this year.  A particularly notable issue which has come through strongly in Fáilte Ireland research is that Irish people now see Ireland as a good value destination, and consumers are acknowledging the excellent offers and value for money now available in the market.   Following a very difficult season in 2009, the Irish tourism industry is relatively more optimistic about its prospects for this year, with almost two thirds of operators expecting that business in 2010 will be similar or better than in 2009 according to the latest Fáilte Ireland Tourism Barometer. Tourism revenue declined by almost 17% in 2009 to €5.2 billion - its lowest level since 2004, reflecting difficult trading conditions in key overseas markets, most notably Britain and the United States and intense price competition within the accommodation sector, particularly hotels. The number of overseas visitors travelling to Ireland fell by 12% and as expected, domestic trips within Ireland are estimated to have declined by about 14%. Current indications are that 2010 will be another tough year for Irish tourism as many key markets continue to battle adverse economic conditions.  The prospects for some markets, such as Germany and other key Continental European markets appear relatively favourable and growth is expected in 2010.  Larger traditional markets including Britain and the United States will remain challenging, regardless of exchange rates.  Home market prospects remain unclear although consumer research indicates further potential as Irish people cut back on foreign trips. Overall, tourism operators are more optimistic about the coming season than they were a year ago. Heading into last year, only 20% of tourism operators expected business to either hold or improve.  This year, 63% expect 2010 to be on a par or better than 2009.  A majority expect employment levels in 2010 to be the same as 2009, while less than one in twenty acknowledge the prospect of any increase.  

Successful steps taken by individual businesses in 2009 to cut costs substantially paid off and have put the industry on a stronger footing than a year ago.  However, many businesses are now expressing deep concern about the continuing high cost of Local Authority charges, energy and insurance.

WORRIED about how to survive the year ahead at work? Management consultant Tom Peters has drawn up a long list of ways to prosper in 2010. These make a lot of sense :

You work longer.

You work harder.

You may well work for less; and if so, you adapt to the untoward circumstances with a smile – even if it kills you inside.

You volunteer to do more.

You always bring a good attitude to work.

You fake it if your good attitude flags. You literally practise your “game face” in the mirror in the morning, and in the loo mid-morning.

You shrug off shit that flows downhill in your direction – buy a shovel or a “pre-worn” raincoat on eBay

You get there earlier.

You leave later.

You forget about “the good old days” – nostalgia is for wimps.

You buck yourself up with the thought that “this too shall pass”—but then remind yourself that it might not pass anytime soon, so you re-dedicate yourself , to making the absolute best of what you have now.

You eschew all forms of personal excess.

You simplify.

You sweat the details as you never have before. .

You raise to the sky the standards of excellence by which you evaluate your own performance.

You thank others by the truckload if good things happen - and take the heat yourself if bad things happen

You behave kindly, but you don’t sugarcoat or hide the truth – humans are startlingly resilient.

You treat small successes as if they were Superbowl victories - and celebrate and commend accordingly.

You shrug off the losses (ignoring what’s going on inside your tummy), and get back on the horse and try again.

You avoid negative people to the extent you can – pollution kills.

You eventually read the doom-sprayers the riot act.

You network like a demon

You help others with their issues

You give new meaning to the word “thoughtful.”

You redouble, re-triple your “ efforts to walk in your customer’s shoes. .. (Especially if those shoes smell.)

You mind your manners – and accept others’ lack of manners in the face of their strains.
You are kind to all mankind

You leave the blame game at the office door

You become a paragon of accountability

And then you pray.

Copied from the Business Section if the
Irish Independent Thursday 17^th Decemebr 2009