News Archive

Ireland West Airport Knock Launches 2010 Charter Programme To European Holiday Destinations At Annual Travel Trade Event

Ireland West Airport Knock recently hosted its third annual travel trade event and launched its 2010 holiday charter programme offering a superb choice of European sun destinations. The event, which was held in the McWilliam Park Hotel in Claremorris, Co Mayo, was attended by Ireland’s leading tour operators as well as travel agents from the West, North West and Midlands regions of Ireland. The programme sees the return of tour operators and travel partners Concorde Travel, Panorama and Sunworld Holidays, Direct Holidays, Sunway, Falcon Zurich and Paul Claffey Promotions.

Over 30 leading travel agents attended the event and used the opportunity to learn of the Airport’s developments and holiday programmes in addition to networking with other members of the travel trade in Ireland.   Highlights of the evening Included presentations by special guest speakers Ms. Beatrice Cosgrave, Country Manager for Etihad Airways, who gave a very informative presentation about the airline and took the opportunity to inform of a new codeshare agreement between Etihad Airways and Aer Arann.  The codeshare agreement will give air travellers on the Ireland West Knock to Dublin service access, via Dublin, to Etihad’s home base of Abu Dhabi and beyond it to 48 destinations on the airline’s global network which covers the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. Etihad passengers from the region will now be able to check-in with Aer Arann at Ireland West Knock, get all their boarding cards and send their bags all the way through to their final destination ensuring that it is just as easy to travel from the West of Ireland to Abu Dhabi, Bangkok or Sydney as it is from Dublin or London. 

Also speaking on the night was Marc Thornton, Managing Director. DTA Marketing, who is an expert in training travel agents in marketing and selling.  Marc gave an informative presentation on ‘How can a greater understanding of marketing increase sales in my travel agency’.  Both speakers received great feedback from the attending travel agents on the night.

There were a number of great prizes raffled on the night for members of the travel trade including 2 return flights to Abu-Dhabi (sponsored by Etihad Airways), Holiday’s for 2 to Lanzarote (sponsored by Sunway), The Algarve (sponsored by Panorama and Sunworld Holidays) and Croatia (sponsored by Concorde Travel).

Ireland West Airport Knock’s Managing Director, Joe Gilmore, thanked the tour operators and travel agents for their continued support and business as well as highlighting a number of key developments enhancing safety, security and the passenger experience at the Airport which took place in 2009.

Donal Healy, Marketing Executive at Ireland West Airport Knock, also spoke at the event and outlined the Airport’s business development and marketing initiatives which supported the trade and which would be continued and built upon in 2010.  Launching the 2010 charter programme, Mr Healy said: “We are most aware of the challenges that the travel trade industry in particular is facing in the coming year, however we are confident that by working innovatively together and by offering customers a wide choice of leading tour operator holiday brands and the best value in holidays, expert travel advice as well as enhanced airport facilities conveniently on one’s doorstep, we can continue to maintain and grow our holiday charter business. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the tour operators and travel agents for their steadfast support and for continuing to offer the travelling public in our region a top class service. We also thank the ITAA (Irish Travel Agents Association) and our tour operator partners for supporting the event which has proven to be a hugely successful annual event.  Id also like to thank David and the staff of the McWilliam Park Hotel for the use of their facilities and for the excellent meal and for their staffs hospitality on the night”
 
For further information on holiday packages, flights and special offers available at Ireland West Knock in 2010, log onto www.irelandwestairport.com, contact Ireland’s leading tour operators or drop into your local travel agent for some expert advice and service. Happy holidays!

To view pictures from the evening please click here

-ENDS-

Background information

2010 Holiday Charter Programme from Ireland West Airport Knock

Croatia
• Split – Concorde Travel & Paul Claffey Tours

Portugal
• Faro (The Algarve) – Panorama, Sunworld

Spain
• Lanzarote –Sunway

Switzerland
• Falcon Zurich Travelhouse

Pilgrimages
• Fatima – Joe Walsh Tours
• Lourdes – Joe Walsh Tours
• Medjugorje – Joe Walsh Tours & Croatia Tours

Tour Operator/Promoters               Email                                                   Telephone
Concorde Travel                              www.concordetravel.ie                      01 872 7822
Joe Walsh Tours                             www.joewalshtours.ie                       01 241 0800
Panorama                                         www.panoramaholidays.ie               0818 20 20 20
PC Promotions                                www.paulclaffeytours.com                 094 963 1040
Sunway                                              www.sunway.ie                                    01 288 6828
Sunworld                                           www.sunworld.ie                                 0818 200111

Falcon Zurich                                   0041 43 211 71 21