Irish give Spring Vacations Trade A Bounce

CEO's of European travel agents, airlines and holiday resorts are facing an anxious 2008, as property rises fall and the economy faces a downturn and some of their customers decide that now is the time to save rather than take one or more holidays.

The travel industry has seen a rise in the number of tourists in recent years, and many companies have programmes based on 2007 customer bases, and any drop will result in a corresponding drop in profits and perhaps even job losses, as well as a drop in their share values.

So it was welcome news that the Irish took a record number of holidays over Easter.

Initial reports suggest that some 280,000 tourists travelled through Dublin Airport over the Easter weekend - an impressive seven per cent rise over 2007, and one that the hotels and holidays industry would love to see sustained throughout 2008, and mirrored in the UK too.

And it was at the crossroads of the ski holiday season turning to the early sun holidays that attracted the tourists - the big favourite for the skiers was Innsbruck in Austria.

Innsbruck is one of the best known European ski resorts, with first class facilities for both experienced and novice skiiers alike. Innsbruck is located in the federal state of Tyrol, located in the Inn Valley between high mountains, it is ideally suited to winter activities and skiing in particular. The name Innsbruck means "the bridge over the Inn".

Tenerife is a perennial favourite for both the Irish and British, and with temperatures in the 70's farenheit the island was a top Easter destination for the Irish taking sunshine holidays.

Tenerife is known for its beautiful climate, which attracts nearly three and a half millions tourists a year to its scenic 2,034 square kilometers.

Tenerife's Costa Adeje, the area that includes Las Americas and Los Cristianos, offers visitors opportunities for recreation and sightseeing. Outstanding shopping, 9 beautiful golf courses, fine dining, water parks, zoos, and a magnificent theater that often features great musicals and of course the natural beauty of sun and sand on Tenerife's gorgeous beaches are all attractions tourists love.

Tenerife's northern section contains the tourist hub of Puerto de la Cruz. The town maintains its old harbour roots, while offering a distinct flavour of modernity. It is charming as well as cosmopolitan. Large and beautiful hotels dot its skyline.

The island is abundant with breathtaking natural beauty and opportunities for hiking and sightseeing. In fact, Tenerife has the highest mountain in Spain, Mt. Teide, which is home to an extraordinary 48 km. crater left behind by an inactive volcano. Tourists who want to make a day of it can hike the crater - those with less time or desire to hike can catch a cable car to the summit where a magnificent view of this sublime paradise awaits.

Another of Tenerife's natural tourist attractions are the Cliffs of the Giants. These astounding rock walls drop from heights of 500-800 feet almost straight down into the sea. Tourists can soak in the sights from one of the restaurants and other viewpoints located across the small bay in the resort town of Los Gigantes. They may opt for an up-close and personal look at the massive rock faces by taking a tour boat across the bay.

With Innsbruck for winter sports holidays and Tenerife for the sunshine, perhaps it should come as no surprise that the Irish travelled in high numbers over Easter!
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Various details about Tenerife, including flights to Tenerife and airport details are at yourtenerife.net

For visitors there is also a Tenerife map and for those wanting a villa holiday Tenerife villas