Irish software and service companies have a leading reputation of providing innovative distribution technologies and solutions to the global travel industry.
Ireland has a history of over 30 years in supplying industry-level technology solutions and has developed a strong cadre of companies that have extensive travel industry experience. Irish companies supply distribution technologies to many of the world’s leading airlines and hotels, with a dedicated focus on providing effective solutions that enable suppliers to sell their inventory in a cost effective manner.
Enterprise Ireland has helped to develop a cluster of companies which specialise in areas such as distribution and reservation technologies, payment solution providers, business process and enterprise management solutions, and CRM and mobile technologies. In addition, Enterprise Ireland has helped to develop companies selling leisure products directly online.
Key Sector Characteristics
- The performance of the hotel and accommodation industry is forecast to grow significantly, with a projected growth rate of 5.6 per cent for the five year period 2006-2011. This is expected to drive the industry to a value of $640.9 billion by the end of 2011.
- The performance of the passenger airline industry is forecast to accelerate quickly. An anticipated compound annual growth rate of 8.3 per cent for the five year period 2005-2010 is expected to drive the industry to a value of $475.3 billion by the end of 2010.
- Ireland has a world-class reputation as a significant growth centre for software products and services. More than 700 Irish software companies, and multinational companies with a base in Ireland (including Microsoft, IBM and Oracle), provide innovative solutions to global markets.
Growth Areas
Enterprise Ireland has identified the following areas as having significant growth potential in the coming years:
- Distribution and reservation technologies: Travel product suppliers will continue to search for the most effective means to sell their products to consumers in the most cost effective manner possible.
- CRM and mobile technologies: Communicating with customers has become a critical element of travel product suppliers’ ongoing sales and marketing strategy.
- Business process and enterprise management are becoming crucial to travel product suppliers’ operational effectiveness.