The travel news of the week in brief...
Package prices hold
Next year’s summer holidays will be no more expensive than this year’s, and may even be cheaper, according to the Irish Tour Operators Federation. The organisation expects to have sold between 600,000 and 700,000 packages this year, and to sell the same number in 2010 – down significantly from 2007, when just over a million charter seats were sold. The drop in prices follows a tough year for the travel industry, as charter seats fell by up to 40 per cent and dozens of agents went out of business. Industry representatives say the lower prices are down to reduced accommodation and flight costs.
Superjumbo auction
Air France is auctioning seats on the inaugural flights of its Airbus A380, the world’s biggest passenger aircraft, from Paris to New York. Bidding for the seats, which will be on flights from Paris to New York on November 20th or from New York to Paris on November 21st, continues on eBay until October 21st. Each seat includes a flight in the other direction on a regular Air France flight. Proceeds from the auction will be given to charity.
6.3
The amount in billions of euro that tourism contributed to the Irish economy in 2008. That's 4 per cent of GNP and about €1.5bn in tax for the Exchequer