On Wednesday, 26th November 2008, Ireland West Airport Knock hosted its second annual travel trade event and launched its wide ranging 2009 holiday charter programme offering a superb choice of 13 sun and ski European destinations. The event, which was held in Mount Falcon Country House Hotel in Ballina, 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, Falcon Holidays, Sunway, Falcon Zurich, Paul Claffey Promotions and Enjoy Travel amongst others to the Ireland West Airport Knock sun holiday charter portfolio in 2009. In addition, new tour operator holiday brands, Panorama and Sunworld operating under the umbrella of the Thomas Cook Group was introduced to the Airport and the West and North West Region. For winter breaks this year, award winning ski tour operator, Topflight, will commence their ski programme from Ireland West Knock to Salzburg, Austria, on the 27th December and will run until March 2009.
Over 40 leading Irish tour operators and 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. A highlight of the evening was a presentation by special guest speaker Mr. Eoghan Corry, editor of travel trade magazine, Travel Extra, and travel correspondent on the Pat Kenny show on RTE Radio One. Speaking about "Winning Ways for Changing Times", Mr Corry pointed out to the agents some opportunities to win business in the current economic climate as well as providing an overview of the potential and asset that is Ireland West Airport Knock for the region and customers in the West and North West region.
Ireland West Airport Knock’s CEO, Robert Grealis, thanked the tour operators and travel agents for their continued support and business as well as outlining a number of key developments enhancing safety, security and the passenger experience at the Airport which are currently underway. .
Annette Kearney, Marketing and Route Development Manager 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 2009. Launching the 2009 charter programme, Ms Kearney 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 the 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 as well as people in the media, including Mr Eoghan Corry, for aiding the Airport in promoting our ever expanding route network and the developments which we continue to work on as we strive to reach our vision of facilitating one million annual passengers by 2010.”
For further information on holiday packages, flights and special offers available at Ireland West Knock in 2009, 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!
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