The other travel news stories of the week...
Kerry hopes for pay-off
More than 900 members of the German and Austrian travel trade will descend on Killarney from this weekend for a big tourism conference. Irish tourism promoters are hoping that the decision to hold the DerTour travel academy in Co Kerry will lead to a boost for tourism here. Countries that have previously hosted the event have reported increases in tourism business from Germany and Austria of up to 25 per cent for up to five years.
Killarney beat rival bids from Orlando, Mexico City, Las Vegas, Oporto and Shanghai. The travel training event will run until November 28th.
Tricks of travel writing
Fancy becoming the next Bill Bryson or Dervla Murphy? You can test whether you can turn your trips into tales at a day-long travel-writing workshop at the James Joyce Centre in Dublin next Saturday. Tutors Rory Maclean and Dea Birkett promise a practical, intensive day, including a session with Go editor Deirdre Veldon.
The course, which runs from 10.30am until 4pm, costs €155. E-mail getintouch@travelworkshops.co.uk.
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Total passenger numbers in millions, for British Airways and Iberia which announced a merger yesterday. The new carrier will have a turnover of €15 billionbased on 2008 figures.