Tourism focus for trade mission to India

Tourism Ireland is using this week's trade mission to India to attract tourists from India's burgeoning new market.

Tourism Ireland chief executive Paul O'Toole who will be joining the first all-island trade mission to India tomorrow, which is being led by the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.

Tourism Ireland has organised two high-level tourism events in Delhi and Mumbai which will be addressed by both the Taoiseach and Tourism Minister, John O'Donoghue T.D.

Commenting before his departure, Minister O'Donoghue said that recent developments on the access front present considerable opportunities for Ireland as a holiday destination in the India market.

"The new Aer Lingus service from Dubai to Dublin is very good news for this market as Dubai has excellent connections to India. Gulf Air flies from seven Indian cities to Bahrain and then on to Dublin and while there are currently no direct flights from India to Ireland, the recent bilateral agreement between the UK and Indian governments has resulted in an explosion of new direct services between the two countries. Given that just over 250,000 Indians visited the UK in 2004, there is clear potential to target this market for an add-on or separate visit to Ireland," said the Minister.