Irish Massachusetts

AER LINGUS European Summer Sale from Boston's Logan International Airport Book by this Friday, March 12, 2010 Travel between July 1 - Aug 22, 2010 From $349 each way Dublin, Shannon From $349 each way Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Manchester From $359 each way Amsterdam, Barcelona, Brussels, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Lisbon, Madrid, Milan, Paris From $409 each way Faro For more information, visit Aer Lingus . For more information on Irish activities in Massachusetts throughout the year, visit IrishMassachusetts .

by Michael P. Quinlin Tourism officials in Massachusetts and around the country are optimistic that a new era in international travel to the United States is about to begin. Why the optimism? The election of Barack Obama has enhanced America’s image in the eyes of the world. Obama’s message of hope and change has rekindled a global affection for America that had been frozen for almost a decade, opening up new possibilities for the nation’s travel and tourism industry. “There is unprecedented interest around the world in this new administration, which will certainly boost interest in visiting the United States,” says US Congressman William Delahunt (D-MA) of the 10th congressional district, which includes Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, as well as the state’s economically diverse South Shore. Overseas travel to the United States dropped off sharply after September 11, 2001, and has never fully recovered. The decline has cost America nearly $140 billion in lost visitor spendi...