AN important new tourism initiative was announced at the conference yesterday by the Minister for Tourism and Trade, Mr Kenny. US passengers travelling on Virgin Atlantic to UK destinations will be offered free flights to Ireland on British Midland, Mr Kenny said.

The introduction of the offer will be complemented by newspaper advertising and a range of trade and consumer promotions mounted jointly by Virgin and the Irish Trade Board. The offer of flying to either Dublin or Belfast which will run between November 1996 and March 1997 will expand the seasonal profile of Irish tourism, he added.

The promotion is likely to be focused on the west and the south of the US where there is still "considerable opportunity for further growth", said Mr Kenny. The Minister said the programme of US Ireland business co operation was "very much a two way street". It was not about sentiment or appeals to emotional links to the old country, it was about the bottom line, about increased business and profits, he said. Ireland was important as a gateway to Europe.

"Not every US company which wishes to sell in Europe is in a position to take on the risks implicit in operating in a distant and unfamiliar market. "I can assure you that the Irish companies represented here have a great deal to offer as potential partners - they have the market access, the knowledge and language skills and extensive experience of operating throughout Europe," he said.