THE Celtic Tiger is back, passport at the ready, judging by the swarm of would-be holidaymakers queueing up on the opening day of Holiday World Show to book their 2018 getaway.
According to the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA), there was a 75% increase in turnover last year amongst its members compared to 2016, while 85% of ITAA members predict further growth this year.
So what were the most popular destinations for Irish holidaymakers last year?
Spain, Portugal and the USA, say the ITAA with each of those top-three countries having a strong presence at last weekend’s event.
Cutting the ribbon to officially open the Holiday World Show was the US Charge d’Affaires Reece Smyth. The Ohio-born acting ambassador to Ireland also visited the hugely-popular US Pavilion, where Duncan McCubbin was promoting North Carolina.
The “Tar Heel State” will host this year’s World Equestrian Games at Tryon in September and McCubbin had this practical advice to offer visitors:
“September is a great month weather-wise. There’s a direct flight with American Airlines from Dublin to Charlotte and then stay in Asheville or Charlotte and drive in. If you can get closer to Tryon with a B&B, great but I think the key areas to look for accommodation are Asheville or Charlotte. American Airlines or United also do one-stop connections into Asheville.”
Horses have been part of North Carolina’s history for centuries as he revealed. “You can see the descendants of Spanish horses that swam ashore after the galleons were shipwrecked 450 years ago. They’re managed to make sure they’re healthy but they still roam wild along the coast.”
And for non-horsey visitors? “There’s over 500 golf courses across the state so you can play coastal or mountain courses, all within 543 miles, from sea level up to the highest mountains on the east coast of America on the Appalachian Trail and Smokey Mountains. If you stay at the hotel in Pinehurst, you can even play at the course used for the 2014 US Open.”
AVIATION HISTORY
‘First in flight’ is the proud claim on North Carolina licence plates after the Wright Brothers built their first flying machine there in 1903.
Renee Eichelberger, from Explore St Louis, had a mix of other aviation news: “Starting in May this year, we’re going to have Wow Airlines flying into St Louis and then on the Kansas City side, we’re going to have Icelandair. Already their flights are selling so well they’re expanding to five flights a week, they’ve just announced that this week.
“The St Louis mounted police unit is in Forest Park, which is like our crown jewel in the middle of the city. They use an old airplane hangar, once used by Charles Lindbergh who did the first solo transatlantic flight, as their stables.”
This American Midwest crossroads city was often used as a jumping off point for settlers heading west and for equestrian tourists seeking a taste of the Wild West era, Jenny Bridgeman believes the cowboy states of Montana, North and South Dakota, plus Wyoming, can provide just that.
“It’s the real Wild West experience so it’s cowboys, ranches, rodeos. You can stay on a working ranch and get down and dirty with whatever is going on at the ranch, stay in cabins and eat with the family or at the other extreme, you have the luxury guest ranches which have all the horse activities, plus outdoor pools, spas and gourmet dining.
“There’s two main rodeos most guests like to try and attend; the Cheyenne Frontier Days which is a 10-day rodeo/festival, known as the largest outdoor rodeo in the USA. With that they have live music, concerts, loads of inspirational activities such as air shows and then in northern Wyoming in Cody, named after Buffalo Bill Cody, there is a nightly rodeo through July and August, which is a very authentic experience,” added the Real America spokesperson.
Kalispell airport, with connections via Seattle, Aer Lingus’ new option, is the closest to Rebecca Farm. The Montana base will once again host the ‘Junior Olympics” for North America’s young event riders this July.