Travel, trade and tourism representatives from Rhode Island have visited Cork to reinforce the links between the two areas following a similar trip made by Irish officials to the US state during the summer.
The Rhode Island group, led by Mark Brodeur, Director of Tourism, Rhode Island Commerce Corporation, flew into Cork with Norwegian on its direct transatlantic service from Providence. The visit follows a similar trip made by a delegation from Cork and Kerry, led by Niall MacCarthy, Managing Director at Cork Airport, in July.
The aim of the visit to Cork is to continue to forge and build mutually beneficial relationships with representatives from tourism and trade on both sides of the Atlantic.
Mayor of County Cork Declan Hurley; Mark Brodeur, Director of Tourism at Rhode Island Commerce Corporation; and Niall MacCarthy, Managing Director, Cork Airport
Niall MacCarthy said: “We had a very successful trip earlier in the year and we are delighted to welcome our friends from Rhode Island to Cork. It represents a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase the very best of Cork and the South of Ireland and there is a packed schedule of meetings in place.”
As well as the formal reception with Mayor Declan Hurley, the group will visit Kinsale, Blarney, Jameson distillery in Midleton and various historic and tourist attractions around the city.
“The Norwegian service is now well under way and has already proven popular with Irish and American passengers. But it is crucially important that we continue to support it both here in Cork, the surrounding hinterland and in the US. For our part, we will do everything we can to ensure that both regions’ economies feel the benefits and we are delighted to be working with partners who share our vision,” Mr MacCarthy added.
Norwegian recently added its new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft to its Cork Providence route.
