Businesses that are members of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce are being offered discounts of up to 20 per cent when they make travel bookings through its website, www.dubchamber.ie.

The new service, in conjunction with Flytowork.ie, will allow small to medium-sized businesses to avail of substantial discounts by purchasing flights through the Chamber.

It has estimated that many of its 1,500 member companies spend more than €50,000 on travel every year.

Announcing the new service yesterday, Dublin Chamber president, Mr Clive Brownlee, said the initiative was in response to the fact that smaller companies who had fairly low volumes could not command the same discounts that were automatic for larger companies. "An online travel network offers SMEs the possibility of significantly reducing their travel costs. We are delighted to enable our members to tackle one of the biggest expenses," he said.

Mr Brian Dent, managing director of Flytowork.ie, said customers will be charged a €20 booking fee for the service. The flights offered are initially economy class although as the service develops it will consider including business-class fares, particularly on long-haul routes.

Businesses will have access to the full range of flights offered by the major travel agents. Cathay Pacific has offered an introductory fare of €640 from Dublin to Hong Kong for business people who will be travelling in the month of November to lend support to the initiative, which will be available only on the Dublin Chamber website.

The Chamber also hosted a lunch yesterday where the head of its industrial development authority highlighted investment opportunities for Irish companies in Hong Kong.

Invest Hong Kong director general, Mr Mike Rowse, said the economy had recovered strongly since the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic crippled the region.

Banks in Hong Kong are forecasting economic growth rates of up to 5 per cent this year as it continues to benefit from a fundamental restructuring.

Mr Rowse said it aimed to attract 125 companies to Hong Kong this year and that this was likely to be exceeded. It is focusing on sectors such as financial services, tourism and entertainment as well as logistics, as companies seek to move closer to mainland China.