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Bumper Year at Johnnie Fox's

New accounts for Johnnie Fox’s pub in Co. Dublin show the business had a bumper year last year, with pretax profits almost doubling to €396,588. Accumulated profits at the company, operated by the McMahon family, at the end of last March totalled €641,295. The company’s cash pile increased seven-fold from €76,900 to €534,737, while the value of the company’s property, plant and equipment climbed from €2.77 million to €2.891 million.

'Put tourism on economic agenda' says President Elaina

Elaina Fitzgerald Kane, the newly elected President of the Irish Hotels Federation has called on the next government to put the tourism industry at the heart of the country’s elaina0220 economic agenda when developing its programme for government.

Elaina, from Woodlands Hotel, Adare, Co. Limerick is the third woman to head IHF and part of the first mother-and-daughter succession. Her mother, Mary Fitzgerald, was the first woma to head IHF when she served as president in 200o-2001.

As one of Ireland’s largest indigenous industries, supporting over 260,000 jobs across every county, Ms Fitzgerald Kane said that a flourishing tourism industry is vital for the country’s prosperity and a major contributor to rural economies. However, she warned that the industry faces significant challenges in sustaining the strong growth of recent years, including from the coronavirus, and she said the time is right for a comprehensive review of the impact of the hike in the tourism VAT rate.

Spanish agents on tour

A leading Spanish tour operator, Catai, and some of its top-producing travel agents, have been visiting Ireland – as guests of Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland. spaingp0220

The agents are pictured with Susan Bolger (second left), Tourism Ireland; and Peter McMahon (left), Fáilte Ireland, during their guided tour of the Jameson Distillery Midleton.

The travel professionals were here to experience at first-hand the wealth of things to see and do here for Spanish holidaymakers. Their action-packed itinerary included a guided tour of Malahide Castle & Gardens, the Medieval Mile in Kilkenny, the House of Waterford Crystal, the Jameson Distillery Midleton, the Rock of Cashel and EPIC – The Irish Emigration Museum. The group also enjoyed a boat tour of Cork Harbour.

Tourism themes revealed in Madrid

Tourism Ireland in Spain unveiled its key themes for 2020, at an event in Madrid attended by over 60 travel and lifestyle journalists – including representatives of Condé Nast hola0220 Traveller, National Geographic, El Mundo and 5 Días – as well as popular bloggers and social influencers.

Pictured are Joanne Murphy Tourism Ireland; Hal McElroy, Trident Hotel; Barbara Wood, Tourism Ireland; and Ciaran Fitzgerald, Blue Haven Hotel and representing the Kinsale Good Food Circle, at Tourism Ireland’s media event in Madrid.

Partners from the island of Ireland were in attendance, helping to really bring the destination to life. They included Taste & Tour NI – showcasing produce like Young Buck cheese, Ispini charcuterie and Abernethy Butter; and the Kinsale Food Circle, showcasing Blacks of Kinsale Gin, Kinsale Mead and Koko Chocolates. Kinsale and Cork is the area of Ireland with which Tourism Ireland in Spain is ‘twinned’ for 2020.

Ireland at Dubai T Fest

Three tourism businesses from Ireland are joining Tourism Ireland in Dubai this week for TFest – a luxury travel festival which connects influential luxury travel buyers with luxury luxury

hotels and suppliers.

Pictured are Michelle Maguire, Ireland’s Blue Book; Siobhán Naughton, Tourism Ireland; Anita Higgins, Adare Manor; Joyce McElroy, Tourism Ireland; and Leigh Heggarty, Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort, at TFest in Dubai.

The three-day B2B event involves ‘matchmaking’ meetings set up using AI (artificial intelligence), helping to ensure the delegates meet, and connect with, more of the right people than ever before. It also involves networking opportunities with around 250 influential luxury travel buyers from Europe, the Americas, Africa, the Middle East and Asia and is valuable opportunity to meet, and do business with, those influential buyers who design unique, luxury travel itineraries for their high net-worth international clients.