The full membership of the Forum is:
Mr Peter Malone Chairman
Mr Brian McColgan Managing Director, Abbey Tours
Mr Ray Carroll Chief Executive, K Club, Co Kildare
Ms Anne Wold-Graham Director TG&A International and Specialist in Incentive Business Travel.

Mr John Power Chief Executive, Irish Hotels Federation.
Mr Jim Deegan National Centre for Tourism Policy Studies, University of Limerick.

Mr Dan Flinter Former Chief Executive, Enterprise Ireland.
Mr Paul Keeley Director of Marketing, Fáilte Ireland.
Mr John Rafferty Head of Product Marketing, Fáilte Ireland.

The new Forum will meet several times a year to support and oversee the work of the Fáilte Ireland Business Tourism Unit. It will drive the strategic development of the sector in full consultation with the main industry representative groups and sectoral interests. Its first major engagement will be a two-day consultative meeting with these representative bodies, scheduled for this month. This will be followed before the end of the year by the first Annual Business Tourism Industry Conference at which Fáilte Ireland will outline its marketing plans for the sector to the industry as a whole.

In 2002, there were 121,000 overseas visitors attending conferences and meetings in Ireland. Of these, an estimated 44,000 were attending Association Conferences, from professions like finance, insurance, healthcare, media and IT. The USA, Spain, UK, France and Italy are the leading international conference destinations. Ireland is ranked 36th. Another 25,000 overseas visitors annually come to Ireland for work-related Incentive Travel including activity holidays and sightseeing.

International research indicates that the key global market issues for the sectoral include travel safety concerns, an oversupply of conference venues, economic issues which lead shorter and smaller meetings and increasing numbers of older and women delegates.

Aircoach, Ireland’s luxury coach operator, has recently launched two new routes.
The first of these services runs from Dublin Airport to Portlaoise, Co Laois, seven days a week. The fare is €15 for a single ticket or €20 return.

The four routes now operating are:

• Dublin Airport – Naas – Newbridge – Kildare – Monasterevin – Portlaoise.
• Dublin Airport – City Centre – Ballsbridge – Donnybrook.
• Dublin Airport – City Centre – Stillorgan – Sandyford – Leopardstown.
• Dublin Airport – Drogheda – Dundalk – Newry – Banbridge – Hillsborough – Belfast.

Fares on the Dublin routes cost €7 Single, €12 Return and OAPs are free.
Visit www.aircoach.ie

The Belfast route commenced on 27 July last and operates seven days a week. The fare is €20 Single or €30 Return.

Aircoach Launches World’s First Integrated Phone-Ticket System
In a further development, Aircoach has announced the launch of the world’s first fully integrated web, SMS and voice ticketing system which will allow for the delivery of tickets to passengers mobile phones. This highly user friendly system permits passengers to buy their tickets for any route using the Internet, SMS text message or voice prompt. Once credit card details have been verified, a specially coded picture message is sent to their mobile phone.

Passengers then simply open the picture message and hold the phone over the scanning machine located at the airport stop or on each coach. Website: www.aircoach.ie

The Grand Tour of Ireland by Cornelius Kelly
Through the centuries, visitors have made their way around our country in a variety of conveyances - carriage, cart and latterly kayak.

The Playboy of the Western World by Jo Kerrigan
As our national theatre celebrates its centenary and prepares to tour North America, we look back on the lives of those Abbey Theatre actors who performed in Synge's great play in 1907.

Preparing for the Ryder Cup by Hugh Oram
In two years' time, Ireland will host the Ryder Cup and there is already a deal of sponsorship organised.

Slow Food Nation by Pol O Conghaile
Take good wholesome, ideally home-grown, ingredients and take time for the perfect meal with family and friends.

BITS & PIECES

• Philadelphia Museum of Art/Craft Show.
• Grand Canal Hotel.
• Smoke Free Ireland.
• Railtours Ireland.
• The Dublin Pass.

Byways Rather than Highways - Contrasts of Clare.

Nominations are accepted in a range of categories including food and drink, accommodation, transport and tours, visitor attractions and shopping. The visitor who nominates the overall winner will receive an Irish holiday voucher worth €2,000.