Tourism Ireland has said that it is vital the dispute between the Irish Aviation Authority and Air Traffic Contollers is resolved as quickly as possible.

THE Ryder Cup should be the perfect driver for another bumper year, tourism chiefs predicted yesterday, as figures showed almost seven million people visited the country last year.

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

A €50 million global advertising campaign to market Ireland as a tourist destination was unveiled yesterday.

Overseas travel figures released by the CSO today show an increase of 5% in visitor numbers to Ireland by more than 250,000 in the first nine months of 2005.

Tourism Ireland today welcomed the commencement of the new Ryanair services from Europe and Britain into Shannon.

Tourism Ireland has announced the appointment of Simon Gregory as head of Great Britain, based in Tourism Ireland's London office.

Eoin English

MCGRATH MUNSTER SF CUP QUARTER FINAL

Tourism Ireland is to spend €200m over the next three years in an effort to boost the number of tourists visiting Ireland.

American Airlines is to operate two new nonstop services between the United States and Ireland from next year.

Tourism Ireland has welcomed Ryanair's announcement today of a €180m investment in new services at Shannon Airport.

Tourism Ireland and the Irish Hotels' Federation has welcomed the increase of 14% for the Tourism Marketing Fund in 2005 announced today.

The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism John O'Donoghue welcomed the announcement today of a new Continental Airlines route between Belfast International Airport and New York's Newark Airport as "a major boost to tourism to the island of Ireland, particularly Northern Ireland and the North West".

Tourism Ireland has launched a €12m autumn/winter campaign in a bid to cash in on the market for late booking.

Tourism got off to a good start this year with the number of trips to the Republic of Ireland in the first quarter of 2004 increasing by 8.4% on last year, according to CSO statistics released today.

Tourism Ireland has said it expects 2004 to be its most successful year on record.

The chief executive of Tourism Ireland has welcomed today's 5% increase in 2003 visitor figures, but noted that revenues grew by just 2.2%.

Aer Arann today announced an additional three new UK services, which are expected to add an extra 30,000 to its passenger numbers during the first year of operation.

IF THE Taoiseach is devoted to the ideal of peace and accepts the principles of international law, why did he allow the use of Shannon airport for the invasion of another country?

THE number of tourists arriving here next year is expected to reach 7.7 million, according to forecasts from Tourism Ireland.

Tourism Ireland has outlined plans for 2004 to increase visitor numbers to Ireland by 4.4% to over 7.7 million visitors.

THE numbers of tourists coming to Ireland in the key summer months were up nearly 7%, figures published yesterday show.

Positive tourism figures for the third quarter of 2003 have been welcomed by Tourism Ireland on the eve of launching details of their 2004 overseas marketing plans to the industry.

IF Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Foreign Affairs Minister Brian Cowen continue telling us that we are neutral (politically or militarily), and we believe this as a nation, then I think we have turned down the path that George Orwell predicted — “truth is lies, war is peace, love is hate and good is evil”.

EMPLOYERS who are heavily dependent on the US market are already counting the cost of the threat of war on Iraq before battle begins.

IRELAND’S rip-off image is unjustified, tourist chiefs insisted yesterday, but conceded high prices are here to stay.

Tourism Ireland has launched its second successive all-Ireland campaign to attract foreign visitors to both the Republic and the North.

TOURISM Minister John O’Donoghue said VAT increases in the recent Budget will not affect the numbers of visitors next year.

Tourism Minister John O'Donoghue today joined Tourism Ireland chief executive Paul O'Toole in a major marketing drive to boost late season and early 2003 business from the US to Ireland.