Government Keeps 9% Hospitality VAT Rate Intact as Part of €1.2bn Cost of Living Package
The Government will keep the 9% VAT rate for hospitality and tourism businesses intact until August.
The move forms part of the Government’s overall €1.2bn relief package aimed at tackling the inflation/cost of living crisis for households and businesses.
As part of a wide-reaching run-down of...
TTC Unifies its Tour Brands’ Loyalty Programmes for Travel Agents
The Travel Corporation (TTC) has announced the unification of its Tour Brands’ loyalty programmes.
Trafalgar, Insight Vacations, Luxury Gold and Costsaver have now aligned under one rewards programme - Global Tour Rewards.
This unification merges all current loyalty programmes into one place, giving agents a highly marketable angle to re-engage past guests,...
Etihad Joins Up With Amadeus
Etihad has announced that as part of its growth plans it is making the jump to Amadeus systems.
As a result, the airline has said there will be some potential disruption to bookings.
Etihad said on its LinkedIn page: “On the 8th and 9th March 2023,...
Wellness and Sustainability Seen as Tourism’s Driving Forces in 2023
Value for money, wellness and sustainability are set to be the big drivers of consumers’ travel spending this year, according to London-based market research firm Euromonitor International.
It sees wellness breaks - including spa and yoga retreats – continuing to increase in popularity, with the...
Emirates invests €127m in New Pilot Training Centre
Emirates will soon build an advanced training facility to accommodate 6 Full Flight Simulator Bays (FFS) for its future Airbus A350 and Boeing 777X aircraft. The brand new, 63,318 sq. ft. facility is slated to open in March 2024.
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al...
Ireland Ranked 7th Safest Destination in Europe
Ireland has been ranked as the 7th safest destination to visit in Europe in a study of popular places to visit.
The study by Gamblino.com analysed 9 metrics that contribute towards how safe an area may be such as homicides, assaults, road fatalities, natural disaster risk, and global...
Emerald Park – Formerly Tayto Park – to Reopen on March 25
Emerald Park – formerly Tayto Park – officially opens its doors to the public on March 25 with all new signage being erected over the past weeks.
According to the popular Co Meath attraction: “2023 promises to be an exciting one for the park. Not...
Fáilte Ireland Unveils Sustainable Tourism Recovery Plans at Virtual Event
Fáilte Ireland has unveiled its plans for 2023 to help support the sustainable recovery of the domestic tourism sector this year.
The plans were announced at a special virtual event for the tourism industry watched by over 1,700 tourism operators, providers and employers from across...
Beta Technologies’ Fully Electric Air Taxi Completes Test Flight
Beta Technologies, which is a Vermont-based aerospace manufacturer, has completed the first New York City test flight of its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air taxi.
There are plans in place for the firm to have its air taxi in commercial use by 2026. It...
Switzerland Ranked Safest Destination in Europe
A new study has revealed that Switzerland is the safest place in Europe.
The study by Gamblino.com analysed 9 metrics that contribute towards how safe an area may be such as homicides, assaults, road fatalities, natural disaster risk, and global peace index, to find which European country is the...
Lufthansa to Scrap 34,000 Flights from Summer 2023 Schedule
Lufthansa is set to cancel at least 34,000 flights from its summer 2023 schedule, due to not having enough staff to meet surging post-Covid passenger demand.
The final tally of lost flights could be more - given the possibility of the action running across the...
Beijing to Overtake Paris as World’s Largest City Destination
Beijing is set to become the largest travel and tourism city destination on the planet within the next 10 years – overtaking Paris, in the process – according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).
The forecast – on the back of research carried...
Tourism Ireland Teams Up with Rory Best to Promote Northern Ireland to British Visitors
Tourism Ireland has teamed up with former rugby player Rory Best in its latest campaign to promote Northern Ireland in Britain.
The promotion includes an online video, presented by Rory Best, which is part of a wider partnership with The Telegraph and is one element of Tourism Ireland’s...
ITIC: Increasing 9% Vat Rate Would be ‘Self-Inflicted Folly’
The Irish Tourism Industry Federation (ITIC) has warned that Government that raising the VAT rate for tourism and hospitality businesses – at a time of a cost of living and cost of business crisis – would be very damaging.
The 9% hospitality/tourism VAT rate –...
Supplier Of The Week – EL AL Airlines
EL AL’s new direct service from Dublin to Tel Aviv
Ranked by IATA as one of the most efficient carriers in the world, EL AL ensures its passengers experience an unrivalled level of reliability, care and punctuality…And the rewards of travelling don’t stop there.
Since its...
ITB Berlin – the World’s Largest Travel Trade Show – Returns in March
The world’s largest travel trade show – ITB Berlin – is back in full as a person-to-person event; making its return from the forced Covid layoff, in March.
The event is due to run from March 7-9 inclusive, with a large element of it taking...
United Airlines Improves Family Seating Policy
United Airlines has announced an improved family seating policy that makes it easier than ever for children under 12-years old to sit next to an adult in their party for free - including customers who purchase Basic Economy tickets.
United's new policy is made possible...
Declan Fitzpatrick Appointed Aviation Regulator on Full-Time Basis
Declan Fitzpatrick has been formally appointed Ireland’s aviation regulator – or chief executive of the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) – on a permanent basis.
Mr Fitzpatrick has been in the role, on an interim basis, since last October. At that point, Mr Fitzpatrick – who...
Jamaica Calls For Tourism Resilience Fund
Jamaica has called for the introduction of a global tourism resilience fund which can help give financial support to countries heavily-dependent on tourism as an economic driver after periods of disruption, such as the Covid pandemic.
The call was made by Jamaica’s tourism minister, Edmund...
Western Australia Targeting Irish and British Workers For Tourism Jobs
A delegation led by the Western Australia Government is visiting Ireland and the UK in a bid to attract Irish and British workers to fill tourism and hospitality jobs down under.
“Put simply, there has never been a stronger case for British, Irish and Scottish...
