GERMAN INFLUX TO WEST
THROUGH KNOCK AIRPORT
15 May 1996
By TOM GILLESPIE
The first of a series of charter flights from Germany to Knock Airport
touched down at the Mayo base on Saturday.
Tourism Minister Enda Kenny was on hand to greet the first arrivals from
Hamburg as were members of the Airport board and Mayo Naturally.
A second flight arrived from Frankfurt later in the evening and similar
charters will touch down at Knock each week until the end of September.
The visitors were guests of the Airport board at a special reception in the
Observation Lounge where Minister Kenny addressed them.
He told them that the number one market for Irish tourism in Continental
Europe was Germany. Figures recently released by the Central Statistics
Office showed that the number of German tourists visiting Ireland last year
grew significantly by 50,000 on the 1994 figure to 319,000.
He said: "The market leader among the tour operators offering holidays from Germany to Ireland is Deutsches Reiseburo, better known as DER. The company which is one of the most successful travel companies in the world enjoys a market share of approximately one third of all tour operators' programmes to Ireland.
"DER has been promoting Ireland for 25 years with consistently positive results and now includes Irish holidays in four separate brochures.
"Next year we will welcome the DER Academy to Ireland for the second time. The Academy brings hundreds of German travel agents together for an annual discussion and familiarisation with the host country."
Minister Kenny said DER were celebrating their 20th year of charters to Ireland with the introduction of the new service to Knock from Hamburg and Frankfurt.
He added: "Between now and the end of September, twenty weekly flights from Hamburg and the same number from Frankfurt will carry approximately 4,000 visitors to Knock for holidays in the West.
"These new charter services are helping to boost charter business from Germany by 20 per cent this year with a total of 66,000 seats available to the market.
"This type of charter Operation offers, I believe, a real opportunity to regional airports like Knock to generate new business.
"If we in mayo and other Western regions can package and present an excellent tourist product, I am certain European operators like DER will look favourably on expanding their charter operations."
Knock Airport Board Chairman, Cathal Duffy said the German connection marked a major boost to the Airport and the region as a whole.
Connaught Telegraph - News - May 1996
Connaught Telegraph - Sports - May 1996
