Chicago, IL (1888PressRelease)
August 15, 2007 - Two leading County Clare businessmen have warned that the loss of direct flights from Shannon to the US would spell disaster for the tourism and business sectors of the West of Ireland.
The warning follows Aer Lingus's recent announcement regarding the axing of services from Shannon to Heathrow, which has led to fears among members of the Irish American business community that the same fate could be on the cards for direct flights between the Clare airport and the US.
Following a meeting with a Clare tourism delegation in Chicago, Cooraclare-natives Martin Donnelly and Martin Falsey said that millions of Euro and hundreds of jobs would be lost should Shannon Airport fail to retain its transatlantic services.
Established in 1980, M. Donnelly & Co. Ltd. now has a total of 40 employees and is one of the fastest growing distributors of the Milwaukee Power Tools Range in Europe. Martin Donnelly, Managing Director said that the retention of all transatlantic services at Shannon is essential to the future growth of his business.
Mr. Donnelly, who is part sponsoring the Clare tourism delegation's US trip, explained, "Any individual or company that conducts business in the US and West of Ireland is reliant upon the retention of direct flights from Shannon to New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and Boston. However, the Irish Government, management at Shannon Airport, tourism agencies and local politicians must seek assurances from airlines operating out of Shannon, especially Aer Lingus, that existing services will be maintained into the future."
According to Chicago businessman Martin Falsey, "Regrettably, the Irish community in America has not being hearing enough from the Irish Government and the airlines to convince it that Shannon's transatlantic business will be retained."
Martin Falsey is President of the Clare Association in Chicago and a Chief Technician with Rolls Royce. Mr. Falsey currently manages the motor company's affairs in the States of Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan. He said that the economy of the West of Ireland is dependent upon visiting US tourists and corporate investment in the Region.
"US business interests have for many years invested in the West of Ireland due to the provision of direct flights to the Region. Likewise, US tourists have long travelled to the Region because of available direct flights. If such services were curtailed then I fear that the Region's economy would suffer immensely with the potential loss of millions of euro and hundreds of jobs", added Mr. Falsey.
Martin Falsey and Martin Donnelly were among a number of Irish American business representatives who met with leading tourism agencies from the West of Ireland in Chicago today. The Irish delegation, which is undertaking a weeklong promotional trip in the US, includes representatives from the Clare Tourist Council, Shannon Development, Shannon Heritage, the Clare Tourism Forum and Clare County Council. The main focus of the delegation's promotional efforts will be Milwaukee Irish Fest in Wisconsin, which is attended by over 140,000 people annually.
Liam Conneally of Clare County Council's Economic Development and Planning Department believes that the overseas promotion of Shannon Airport is a key factor in maintaining the long-term viability of the facility.
"It is unfortunate from the West of Ireland's perspective that many potential American visitors are unaware that daily flights operate between the US and Shannon International Airport. Many tourists fly into Dublin Airport before realising that there is an international airport on the west coast. Our role over the coming days is to inform as many individuals and organisations as possible of the direct services into County Clare", he added.
Mr. Conneally explained, "Our presence at the Milwaukee Irish Fest in 2006 led to increased transatlantic traffic through the county Clare airport while the knock on effects for Clare tourism have also been felt. Our goal over the coming days will be to build on the estimated 3000 US tourists who holidayed in the West of Ireland as a result of our promotional campaign here last year."
Meanwhile, Shannon Development has negotiated a major tourism coup for the Shannon Region in the US market. Following a series of meetings with top US tour operators and airlines, the agency has influenced Sceptre Tours to sell an off-season tourism holiday package to its 9 million email customer base, focusing exclusively on the Shannon Region as the destination and flying into Shannon International Airport. Sceptre Tours are a major tour operator selling Irish holidays throughout the United States.
John King, Heritage and Tourism Director, Shannon Development, said, "We are delighted to have secured this tourism promotional opportunity which will yield significant benefits for the Shannon Region tourism industry. With the advent of Open Skies, this initiative comes at an important time for the Airport and the Region."
Commenting on the Shannon Development's presence at the Milwaukee Irish Fest, Mr. King stated, "This will be our seventh year promoting the Shannon Region at the Fest. It is the world's largest Irish cultural event and attracts many US people with Irish roots who are intent on visiting Ireland. We have shipped out a huge consignment of tourism literature and have designed special tourism banners to promote the entire Shannon Region. As part of this promotion, we will be manning a stand in the 'Destinations' centre at the Festival."
Mark Dunphy
Dunphy Public Relations
Clonboula,
Connolly,
Ennis,
County Clare
IRELAND
www.dunphypr.com
