“I think the prospects for the Irish travel industry in 2013 and 2014 are good,” John Devereux, Managing Director of SHGI and President of the Irish Tour Operators, said in an interview with Irish Travel Trade News for our March issue. “The charter operators are seeing strong demand so far this year, because many consumers got caught out with limited availability and higher prices in summer 2012, and I think that the charter capacity now in the market, while much reduced, is about right for servicing that segment.
“The 20% increase in capacity on transatlantic (with talk of even more services) is good news for the consumer and agents. Also the 500,000 or so seats going eastbound ex-Dublin with Emirates, Etihad Airways and Turkish Airlines also offer fantastic opportunities. We now have more direct access on mid-haul and long-haul out of Ireland than we did at the height of the boom!
“While I don’t underestimate the challenges ahead, I think that the industry is in a much better place than it was and that the prospects are good.”
