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Pictured left to right: Cathal McSweeney, Director of Public Affairs Cork Chamber; Aoife Moriarty, Public Affairs & Communications Cork Chamber; Conor Healy, Cork Chamber CEO; Tara Finn, Head of Aviation Business Development and Communications Cork Airport; Niall MacCarthy, Cork Airport Managing Director |
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New York and key European capital cities are the top priorities for Cork Airport's business users when it comes to future connectivity - that's according to the results of the Cork Business Travel Survey 2024.
Conducted by Cork Chamber, in cooperation with Cork Airport, the survey was circulated to Cork businesses in August 2024 and its findings provide key insights into the priorities of business travellers in the Cork region.
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New York emerged as the most sought-after future route for users of Cork Airport, cited by 48% of respondents as their preferred US destination, followed by Boston.
Almost a quarter of respondents cited a European capital city as a priority for future connectivity, while Geneva emerged as the preferred European destination among respondents.
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US destinations topped the poll as priorities for growing inbound tourism - New York, Boston and Chicago are the most wanted routes to attract visitors to Cork.
In Europe, Berlin and Madrid emerged as key priorities for tourism.
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Direct connectivity into Cork and Ireland's southern region is clearly a top priority for businesses - 84% of respondents emphasised the importance of direct access to Cork.
Cork Airport ranked highly for its ease of use and customer service among respondents, with average ratings of 3.5 out of 4.
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Half of all respondents indicated the Americas as the region with which they conduct most business when travelling long-haul.
“Many businesses indicate that connections with the USA would be game-changing, not merely from a business perspective alone, but also with a view to increasing inbound tourism. Business travel and inbound tourism have both made healthy recoveries from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic; now is the time to reassess the needs and priorities of business and leisure travellers in a changed world," said Conor Healy, Cork Chamber CEO.
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Cork Airport's current routes remain popular, particularly those connecting the south of Ireland with major cities and hubs across the EU and UK.
London is the most-utilised route from Cork Airport by a considerable margin currently, followed by Amsterdam, Paris, Zurich and Manchester.
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In line with the popularity of the Cork to London route, Heathrow emerged as business travellers' preferred European hub.
Amsterdam-Schiphol ranked a close second, followed by Frankfurt and Paris Charles de Gaulle, and finally Zurich.
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Reflecting on the results of the survey, Cork Airport Managing Director, Niall MacCarthy, said, “Cork Airport is continuously seeking to enhance its offering; Glasgow was cited by many respondents as a sought-after route for future connectivity and a four-times weekly service to Glasgow has been added to the winter schedule since the survey closed. The survey results provide valuable insights as we set a course for the airport’s future strategy and development.”
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Thanks to all for your participation in this year's survey.
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