Taste of America 2024 Roadshow hosted by Aer Lingus and Brand USA held the third event in Limerick with a strong turnout of nearly 50 travel agents from the region. Representatives from Best4Travel, Keller Travel, Travel Centres, Frosch Travel, Marble City Travel, JustSplit Limerick, Strand Travel, Atlas Travel, Club Travel, Ace Travel, Selective Travel Management, Arch Travel, Kelair Campotel, Trailfinders, WeAre.Travel, Limerick Travel Ltd, Getaways with Kids as well as Travel Counsellors and InteleTravel were in attendance.
Shannon Airport to New York & Boston with Aer Lingus
Shannon Airport was a key sponsor for the Limerick event and Declan Power of Shannon Airport, gave a presentation to the audience. Shannon Airport has direct flights to both New York and Boston with Aer Lingus. He politely explained there were “other airlines which I’m not allowed to mention that also fly to Chicago and Newark” from the Clare airport. He highlighted that, via Shannon Airport, travellers can connect with Aer Lingus’ entire network of destinations in the USA, from Florida to Minneapolis avoiding the need to travel to Dublin to connect with the entire of the USA.
As with Dublin Airport, Shannon Airport boasts a US Pre-Clearance and Declan highlighted that “you don’t have to go through a secondary pre-clearance” in Shannon. Declan also pointed out that the queue time through pre-clearance for a non-US national is c. 8 minutes.
Delcan explained “We also have the most updated passenger screening. We’re the first in Ireland, UK, Europe, basically to have it as well. You don’t have to take your liquids out, or your laptops or anything… You don’t have to take anything out of your bags so it makes the passenger experience, much faster.”
Keeping the crowd laughing, he pointed out that at Shannon you can park at the airport, not near the airport.
He thanked everyone in attendance, the agents for travelling to the event and those who had made their way across the pond too.
Congratulations to Clare Doyle from Keller Travel
Stacy Thornton from Meet Boston presented a visibly overwhelmed Clare Doyle (Keller Travel) was delighted to be the lucky prizewinner for the top prize of return flights to Boston with a hotel stay and excursions included as part of the package.
In addition, there were lots of goodie bags and hampers for the lucky prizewinners.
The event saw members of the travel trade industry network with 18 US tourist board representatives and their partners detailing their destinations’ unique attractions and cultures.
18 Tourist Board Representatives from the United States
The 18 US tourist board representatives and their partners included:
- Bloomington & Mall of America
- Brand USA
- Destination New England
- Destination Cleveland
- Experience Kissimmee
- Great Lakes USA
- Illinois
- Meet Boston
- Miami
- New York State/Dutchess Country Tourism
- Philadelphia and the Countryside of Philadelphia
- San Francisco
- Universal Orlando
- Visit California
- Visit Central Florida
- Visit Denver & Colorado
- Visit Orlando
- Visit Seattle and Port of Seattle
