Home-Based Travel Agent - September 2007 - (Page 38)

Cover Story FOR THE AGENT WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TO PLAN AN IRELAND WALKING VACATION Ireland attracted 335,000 overseas visitors last year, making it one of the most popular places in the world for walking/hiking vacations Getting there: Airlines flying direct routes: Aer Lingus (www.aerlingus.com), American Airlines (www.aa.com), Continental Airlines (www.continen Looped Trails: The new Looped Trail System has 32 loops around the country; there will be 50 by the end of 2008. Loops range from 1.5 to 4.5 hours to complete, and often link to further trails for full-day outings. Walking guides for the Looped Trails should be arranged in advance. Additional walking experiences: Walking trails crisscross the country, and can be found in six national parks, 11 forestry reserves and numerous towns (137 routes developed by the Irish Heart Foundation), in addition to 31 long-distance Waymarked Ways, 60-plus Waterway Walks, five Pilgrim Paths and 32 Looped Trails. Walks are graded easy, moderate or hard. Visitors can hike independently with maps; join free group walks organized by local walking clubs; attend one of the more than 30 multi-day walking festivals; or book a packaged walking tour, either guided or self-guided. Packages offer better commissions, and a walking guide adds the historical, archaeological and cultural highlights. Tour operators: For clients who plan to do some of the Looped Walks on their own, Ireland specialists Sceptre Tours (800-221-0924, tal.com), Delta Air Lines (www.delta. com), Flyglobespan (www.flyglobespan. com) and US Airways (www.usairways.com). There are five new routes launching in 2007 on Flyglobespan and Aer Lingus, and there will be more routes opening next year under the Open Skies Agreement. Aer Lingus is considering an additional five gateways. Currently, visitors can fly direct to Ireland from Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Newark, New York/JFK, Orlando, Philadelphia and Washington/ Dulles. In October, Aer Lingus will launch San Francisco and Orlando routes. Direct flights land at Shannon (www.shannonairport.com), Dublin (www.dublin-airport.com), Belfast (www.belfastair www.sceptretours. com) can package air, car and lodging. This agent-only service offers a live 2,300 strong lodging inventory ranging from bed-and-breakfasts to five-star castles, plus commissionable air, transportation, tours, golf and activities, including a series of guided walking tours. Agents earn 10 percent commission on land (5 percent on air), while “Emerald Partners” earn 12 percent commissions on land. You can add a mark-up to system bookings. Emerald Partners also get a free referral from the web site or call center for every three clients booked. Specialist walking tour operators based in Ireland have the best selection of guided tours, as well as independent walking tours with logistical support and lodging flexibility. SouthWestWalks Ireland (www. port.com) and Ireland West Airport Knock (www.knockairport.com). Getting around: Clients walking Looped Walks on their own need a rental car. Consult the Car Rental Council of Ireland (www.carrentalcouncil.ie). Bere Island walkers must take the Bere Island Ferry (www.bereislandfer ries.com) across the bay from Castletownbere or Murphy’s Ferry Service (www.murphysferry.com) from Pontoon. southwestwalksireland.com) offers guided walking tours ranging from four to eight days, plus self-guided walking tours ranging 38 Home-BasedTravelAgent SEPTEMBER 2007 http://www.aerlingus.com http://www.aa.com http://www.continental.com http://www.continental.com http://www.delta.com http://www.delta.com http://www.flyglobespan.com http://www.flyglobespan.com http://www.usairways.com http://www.sceptretours.com http://www.sceptretours.com http://www.shannonairport.com http://www.dublin-airport.com http://www.belfastairport.com http://www.belfastairport.com http://www.knockairport.com http://www.carrentalcouncil.ie http://www.bereislandferries.com http://www.southwestwalksireland.com http://www.bereislandferries.com http://www.southwestwalksireland.com http://www.murphysferry.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Home-Based Travel Agent - September 2007

Contents Editor's Note - Last-Minute Travel Publisher's Note - Communication is Key Your Lifeline Agent Spotlight Your Technology Industry News Hot Deals Home-Based Networking Preventing Legal Woes Destinations: Turkey Cover Story: Walking Ireland Destinations: Caribbean Destinations: Boston Cruises: Forecast Hotels Tours New Products

Home-Based Travel Agent - September 2007

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.