� IN FOCUS l IRELAND Hainan Airlines’ Dublin link is a ‘game-changer’


Tourism Ireland has welcomed news that Hainan Airlines will start a new service from Beijing to Dublin on June 12. It will be the first link from mainland China to Ireland and will help boost tourism between the two countries. Together with the new Cathay


Pacific service from Hong Kong, also due to launch in June, there will be eight direct flights per week this summer from China and Hong Kong to Dublin. Niall Gibbons, Tourism Ireland


chief executive, said: “The announcement is excellent news for Irish tourism in 2018 and beyond.


“As an island destination,


we know the importance of direct, non-stop flights cannot be overstated; there’s a proven direct correlation between access and growth in visitor numbers, so this new flight will be a major game-changer in growing visitor numbers from China.


“China is an important emerging travel market and one NEWS IN BRIEF


w Great Rail Journeys offers tour of Ireland


Dublin’s Ha’penny Bridge


Holidaymakers can explore the landscapes of Ireland’s west and Northern Ireland with a new itinerary from rail tour operator Great Rail Journeys. Called The Giant’s


Causeway & Ireland’s Northwest tour, the itinerary includes Dublin, Guinness Storehouse, Belfast, Titanic Museum, Giant’s Causeway, Bushmills Distillery and the


Connemara coast. greatrail.com


that Tourism Ireland is committed to growing over the coming years.” He added: “A key message for


Tourism Ireland in China is the British-Irish Visa Scheme, which enables Chinese travellers to visit both Ireland and the UK on a single visa of either country. “In May, Tourism Ireland will


undertake its biggest ever sales mission to China – when we will meet with top Chinese travel agents and tour operators in the


Ryanair adds new UK-Ireland services


Budget carrier Ryanair will operate from Liverpool and Bristol to Shannon, as well as more flights from Manchester to Shannon, for summer 2018. Niall Gibbons, Tourism


Ireland chief executive, said: “[This] is great news for tourism to the west coast of Ireland – expanding the options for holidaymakers from the north west of England and Bristol to experience the wonders of the


Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland. “We already work closely


with Ryanair and look forward to co-operating with them to maximise the promotion of the new flights. “As our nearest neighbour and


our largest market for overseas tourism, Britain remains a priority for us and we have a very busy marketing programme rolling out there right now.” ryanair.com


WHERE TO STAY


w The new Iveagh Garden Hotel in Dublin claims to be Europe’s first sustainable hotel. It has a unique energy system, harvesting energy


from the River Swan which is 50 metres underground. iveaghgardenhotel.ie


18 TravelGBI | April 2018


key cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong. “We look forward to working closely with Hainan Airlines, Dublin Airport Authority and other tourism interests, to maximise the promotion of this new service to Dublin.” Tourism Ireland estimates that approximately 70,000 Chinese visited the island of Ireland in 2017. tourismireland.com


Tourism minister hails ‘Global Greening’


Tourism Ireland’s annual ‘Global Greening’ initiative on St Patrick’s Day (March 17) saw attractions such as London’s Trafalgar Square joining more than 300 stadiums, statues, museums and towers around the world. Irish tourism minister Brendan Griffin said: “The record growth in the number of tourists visiting Ireland in recent years bears testament to Tourism Ireland’s successful strategy of market diversification and the Global Greening initiative is a very important element. “The St Patrick’s Day period


provides a unique opportunity to promote Ireland on the international stage.” tourismireland.com


w New cruise ferry joins Irish Ferries in 2018


Irish Ferries has increased its 2018 sailing capacity thanks to the introduction of its €144 million cruise ferry W.B. Yeats – the largest ferry to operate on the Irish Sea. W.B. Yeats will sail


between Holyhead and Dublin from mid-September 2018, carrying 1,885 passengers and crew and 1,200 cars per crossing, on the busiest ferry route


between the UK and Ireland. irishferries.com


DID YOU KNOW


The archaeological


landscape within Brú na Bóinne in County Meath is older than Stonehenge and the Pyramids.


The centrepiece of this


Unesco World Heritage Site is Newgrange, a 5,000-year- old tomb that is penetrated by the rising sun on the winter solstice.


worldheritageireland.ie/ bru-na-boinne/


travelgbi.com


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