Celebrity visits boost travel firm profits by 62%

In a throw-back to the Celtic Tiger era, one of the country’s leading luxury travel firms is reporting that its clients are using “a lot more helicopters this year” at a cost of €4,000 a day.

Adams & Butler managing director Siobhan Learat-Byrne yesterday confirmed the sharp increase in helicopter usage amongst the firm’s overseas clients as new accounts were published showing the firm enjoyed profits of over €200,000 in 2014.

That figure represents a 62% increase on the €125,849 total enjoyed by the firm in 2013.

The company is seen as the ‘go-to’ company for celebrity agents looking to organise Irish-based holidays for their clients.

The firm arranged last year’s honeymoon visit for celebrity couple Kanye West and Kim Kardashian.

In the past, the company has looked after the needs of Michael Jackson, Taylor Swift and actor, Harrison Ford along with heads of US blue-chip companies.

Last year’s so-called ‘Kimye’ visit took in Cork, Limerick and Laois on the low-profile honeymoon organised by the Dublin firm.

Ms Learat Byrne said the exposure that the firm enjoyed from the ‘Kimye’ honeymoon did not have any impact on business as their business is mainly done through US-based agents for high-value clients looking to holiday here.

She said that the company is booking more and more helicopters for clients “because they want to see so much here in Ireland”. Ms Learat Byrne said that the cost of hiring a helicopter is €4,000 per day.

She added that she is “very, very pleased” with the performance of the company, confirming that the firm has increased its workforce by 40% over the last year.

She said that numbers employed have increased from six to 10, and new accounts filed for Adams & Butler Ltd show that profits at the firm increased by €204,305 in the 12 months to the end of October last.

The filings show that the cash pile at the firm last year increased from €234,493 to €405,736.

Ms Learat Byrne also confirmed that firm enjoyed record revenues last year of between €2.4m and €2.5m and stated that business is 20% up this year.

Ms Learat Byrne said the firm is going “from strength to strength. No one does what we do in Ireland and we have no competition here.”