Tourism Ireland and DAA are in Hong Kong this week, meeting with senior Cathay Pacific personnel, including the airline’s Chairman John Slosar and CEO Rupert Hogg.
In June, Cathay Pacific will launch a new flight from Hong Kong to Dublin – the first ever direct flight from the Asia-Pacific region to Ireland. This new flight will help grow both leisure and business travel from Hong Kong to Ireland and will also offer connections on Cathay Pacific services from tourism markets like Australia, New Zealand and China and countries in South East Asia – making it easier for prospective holidaymakers to get to Ireland.
Tourism Ireland will work closely with Cathay Pacific and Dublin Airport over the coming months, to drive demand for the new flight. The organisation will also work with influential travel professionals and journalists in Hong Kong to highlight the new ease of access to Dublin and the island of Ireland.
Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, said, “As an island destination, we know that convenient, direct flights are critical to growing inbound tourism, so this new service is certainly good news for Irish tourism, helping to open up important new tourism and business opportunities for Ireland in Hong Kong and China, as well as further afield in Australia, New Zealand and across the Asia Pacific region. We look forward to working closely with Cathay, to drive demand for this flight.”
Meanwhile, Dalton Philips, CEO of DAA, commented, “Cathay Pacific’s new service from Hong Kong to Dublin represents a significant opportunity, not just for Irish tourism, but for the entire Irish economy. Growing connectivity to fast-growing markets in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond will help increase visitor numbers to Ireland and stimulate trade in both directions. At present, about 40,000 people per year travel between Dublin and Hong Kong, and we’ll be working closely with Cathay Pacific, Tourism Ireland and other stakeholders to grow this new service.”
In 2017, Ireland welcomed approximately 70,000 Chinese visitors to its shores.
