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Blueprint idea helps tourists find Emerald Isle ancestors

A Durham University student is through to the Grand Final of the Blueprint 2009 Business Planning Competition, with a tour package idea to help Irish descendents find their roots.

29-year-old Howard Kingston, originally from County Wicklow, is currently studying for a MBA at Durham University as well as developing his own specialised holiday tour package business, Irish Ancestral Holidays.

The company will target people with Irish roots and provide them with a genealogy holiday experience that will track their family tree and take them to their ancestors’ hometowns.

He said: “After speaking to visitors from the States holidaying in Ireland and keen to trace their ancestors, I realised there was a niche in the market for a holiday company that could actually help trace people’s Irish roots and take them on a personalised tour of the places where their ancestors lived.

“My market research asked over 200 Irish Americans if they would be interested in a tour package that could take them to their roots and an encouraging 82% said yes.”

The Irish Ancestral Holidays website launches at the end of September.

Mr Kingston could win up to £30,000 at the Blueprint Grand Final which would allow him to market the company in the UK and America.

The Blueprint competition brings together graduates, undergraduates, staff and Alumni from all five of the North East Universities: Durham, Newcastle, Sunderland, Teesside and Northumbria.

Mr Kingston will find out whether he has won at the Blueprint Grand Final award ceremony on Tuesday 20 October at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .