THE Minister for Tourism and Trade has defended his decision to open the Holiday World experience at the RDS in Dublin. The exhibition is largely devoted to enticing Irish people to take holidays abroad.
Speaking at the opening of the exhibition, Mr Kenny said some might see irony in his officially opening a holiday promotion aimed at an Irish audience when it was his primary responsibility to promote the home destination. That was true enough, he added, but "when you consider the quality and diversity of the total Irish holiday experience, that conflict of interest becomes largely irrelevant".
Mr Kenny said home holidays were well represented. Healthy competition is what our industry is all about and, because of it, it is our customers who will benefit. I do not have to remind anyone here of the kind of decision usually made by satisfied customers," he said.
The director general of Bord Failte, Mr Matt McNulty, launched Irish Family Hotels, a new group of 52 family owned hotels in Ireland, at the holiday exhibition yesterday. Mr McNulty said family owned hotels faced a pragmatic need to come together to market themselves internationally.
Meanwhile, Republic of Ireland and Aston Villa footballer Paul McGrath opened the new Irish office of Thomson Holidays yesterday. Thomson says it will offer the best value on price this year for sun holidays, while Budget Travel, the market leader, says it will never be beaten on price.
Thomson is also challenging Budget by offering direct flights to Florida out of Dublin, using its subsidiary, Brittania Airlines. Budget uses Aeroflot flights out of Shannon Mr Tony Killeen TD (Fianna Fail) said yesterday low price charter flights to Florida which had been patiently built up thanks to Shannon's Aeroflot connections were threatened by the new flights from Dublin.