Why do business with Ireland

Ireland is a vibrant and economically wealthy European leader with a creative, imaginative and very flexible workforce with a great ability to innovate and to lead. The Irish Travel Industry is known for their articulation, enthusiasm and for thinking on their feet while adapting and improving on outstanding service and knowledge to get things done better and faster. The Irish mindset is known for its flexibility and enterprising acclimation. Furthermore to support the positive attitudes of its workforce the Irish travel trade has invested heavily in technology, training and infrastructure to support working relationships and partnerships with suppliers to create the pathway to profit for your business. With the right marketing partner these abilities can be optimized to further strengthen relationships.

Pro Travel Marketing can be your link to a very successful sales & market presence while increasing your brand awareness.

Open Skies Agreement – What’s it all about and how could it aid business.

Under the deal, European airlines would be allowed to fly from anywhere in the EU to any airport in the US without restrictions on pricing and capacity. At the present time, there are only four carriers that are allowed to fly between the US and Heathrow - British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, United Airlines and American Airlines.

This year progress has been made on an "open skies" deal between the EU and the US, news that could be good for passengers and for US destinations. However the proposed agreement has angered some flagship carriers such as British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. Both mammoths of the aviation world have criticised the agreement, prompted by the fact that they could lose prime-time landing and take-off slots at Heathrow, the world's busiest airport for international traffic.

The EU transport commissioner, Jacques Barrot, said he would ask EU nations to back the agreement when their transport ministers meet to discuss the deal on March 22, 2007. "We have an opportunity to unlock major benefits on both sides of the Atlantic," he said. "In economic terms, this unprecedented agreement would represent a step-change" that could benefit everyone involved.

The breakthrough came about following two rounds of negotiations held in February and March when EU and US negotiators made decisive progress for an open skies agreement. Aviation leaders believe that the move could see passengers benefiting from the lower prices arising from increased competition on popular routes which would increase passenger figures and increased visitation to the USA.

The US secretary of transportation Mary E. Peters said that the deal would "open our skies and expand the freedom of transatlantic air travel" as well as offer more choice and convenience to consumers. The US and the EU are the two largest aviation markets in the world and the new deal could lead to 26 million more passengers per year on transatlantic flights. This would be great news for any CVB or attraction looking to increase visitation, hotel nights and spend in their designated locations.

The Open Skies Agreement as it stands does not make provision for opening the US aviation sector to foreigners, which is seen by many as important for establishing an environment in which airlines can set their own fares freely. However, it would be easier for EU companies to buy the non-voting shares of a US airline. Nonetheless, these developments are a step in the right direction and could substantially increase European visitors to any region of the United States.