Aer Lingus has teamed up with the Association of Irish Professional Conference Organisers (AIPCO)  to offer delegates a 20 per cent discount on their flight costs.

Working with the country’s PCOs and DMCs, Aer Lingus will create an exclusive webpage on the airline’s website for conferences where it is the official carrier. The website will offer the discounted conference rate, allowing delegates to compare the offered price against the standard available rates.

“Aer Lingus is always looking for fresh ways to give more value to its customers. This initiative brings us into the ‘Team Ireland’ approach that is dedicated to making Ireland a world class business destination” said Ashling Lyons, sales manager at Aer Lingus.

Nicola McGrane, chair of AIPCO, said:  “This additional offering will place Ireland in a more competitive position in terms of overall value, quality and demonstrates our united team approach. In the last few years we have seen more and more stakeholders in the business tourism industry coming together to add even greater value for business travelers coming to Ireland and also for those organisations looking to place their meeting in Ireland. Without doubt, this initiative will help increase business tourism for Ireland particularly in the association meeting market.”

Beyond the reduction in costs, there will also be an opportunity for partnerships in the bid process and site inspection stages when trying to bring major congresses to Ireland.