your Holiday A D V E R T I S I N G
F E A T U R E
in partnership with the Irish Travel Agents Association
A TRAVEL AGENT SAVED MY HOLIDAY! Sinead McCarthy’s post-Leaving Cert holiday was nearly ruined when lowcostholidays went bust. But her travel agent stepped in and saved the day. Kevin Flanagan finds out how disaster was avoided
S
inead Mccarthy, a Limerick student, joined 12 fellow students in Kavos in Corfu last year to celebrate the end of exams. All was going well until her group was called aside the second last day by the hotel staff. “They told us our Irish travel company had gone bankrupt and they need over €1,000 from us. It was ‘pay or leave’ and they threatened to throw us out on street if we did not come up with the cash.” Panic and upset ensued, but Sinead tried to remain calm. “We phoned our parents, who were going to give us their credit cards, it never dawned on us that our travel agent could sort out our problem.” Someone in the group had the mobile number of Christine Mullane, the travel agent they had booked the holiday with. “Christine was immediately helpful even though it was very late at night,” says Sinead. “She told us not to worry.” Meanwhile things in the hotel had gone from bad to worse. “There were five other groups, older couples and families, all paying cash to the staff. They were all very stressed-out. Half an hour later we got a call from Christine to tell the hotel
Christine Mullane to contact her. The staff seemed sceptical but it was sorted out on the spot, once they talked to Christine.” Travel agent Christine Mullane takes up the story: “As soon as I heard Sinead’s predicament, I went into the office and made some calls. It was a shock to hear that lowcostholidays had gone bankrupt. Luckily, our company is bonded and a member of the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) so we could step in and save Sinead and her friends from paying the unpaid hotel bills so their holiday was saved.” Christine Mullane works for Creation Travel, part of Best4Travel and it is not the first time she has had to intervene to save a client’s travel
plans. “When flights were cancelled due to the volcano eruptions in 2012, we had dozens of stranded people phoning for help. Those that had booked through a travel agency got help. Those that didn’t were not covered and many were left stranded unfortunately.” Christine recommends that everyone uses a travel agent to book holidays. “Apart from helping with emergencies like Sinead’s, travel agents can save time by offering their knowledge and expertise. We have more access to hotels and flights and can save time and money by sourcing the best rates and availability.” After her experience in Kovos Sinead McCarthy is clear about the advantages of using a travel agent. “It saved our holiday 100pc. We were even able to go out and enjoy our last day, while others in the hotel were too upset. That was understandable as they had just paid out hundreds of euros each. It was a horrendous shock for them.” To contact Creation Travel call (061) 536701. Their Facebook page is best4travel
Summer
Star holidays Irish stars share their top holiday picks
Roz Purcell,
Irish model and author of bestselling cookbook Natural Born Feeder What is your fondest holiday memory? “Last Christmas, I did one week in Hong Kong then onto Thailand for two weeks. The weather was amazing, I spent every day outside exploring and it was just really relaxing. I had a busy year last year with my first cookbook coming out and lots of promotional activity around that so I needed a trip to relax and switch off mentally for a while. I felt so well rested and ready to jump straight into my second book when I got home.”
Have you ever had any ‘life-changing’ holiday experience or something that you felt gave you a new perspective on life? “I’ve visited Jordan with World Vision before to help raise awareness for much needed funds to support World Vision in Jordan and the work they do. We visited camps while I was there and I met so many amazing children who have spent their childhood in a war zone country and who’ve lost everything yet are still so hopeful and positive. “It was so eye opening how brave the children were and valued everything they had, regardless of everything that had happened them. All they wanted was an education and to play, all
Ciara Sexton,
principal dancer with Riverdance What is your fondest holiday memory? “I am lucky to see the world as travelling is a part of my profession. Of my ten years touring, my personal highlight has to be the month we spent in Japan with Riverdance. It was like stepping into the future. One day we would be cleansing our auras outside the SensoJi Temple, the next meeting K-Pop influenced Harajuku girls outside the Vivienne Westwood shop in Ginza, Tokyo’s luxury shopping district. Small everyday things like travelling on the subway were so different to home. It was so quiet and organised, not a piece of dirt in sight and no shoving! Japan for me is wonderful. It’s like everything has been thought through and everything makes
Photo by Jack Ha rtin, Abhann Productio ns
sense.” Have you ever had any ‘life-changing’ holiday experience or something that you felt gave you a new perspective on life? “The first time I landed in America was a life-changing experience. I was 15 years old and the moment I stepped foot in LA, I had this feeling that the place was going to change
things we took for granted growing up. I admired their outlook on life so much and it just made me think and focus on the important things in life and not worry over small trivial things or possessions.” For Roz’s recipes, see www.naturalbornfeeder.com my life – and that’s how it played out. I live and work in America every year. “Recently I had a year off for a hamstring injury and spent it working for a TV production company in New York developing new ideas for networks and I just loved it. (I think I only got the job because they were big fans of Riverdance!) I also teach at the McGough Academy in New York and Pennsylvania - so the USA has really impacted my life profoundly. And though I could settle there when I finish dancing, I have Irish roots and know, in my heart-of-hearts, that Ireland is really my true home!” You can see Ciara Sexton dancing the lead in Riverdance at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin this August. The show runs from June 21 – September 3. For tickets call: 0818 719388
A BeCreative Editorial Production www.becreative.ie
Advertising: Orla Mooney, (01) 7055 371
Editor: Kevin Flanagan, kevin@becreative.ie
Design: INM Design Studio, Belfast
Associate editors: Clodagh Dooley Ben Murnane
Repro: Independent Newspapers (Ireland) Limited, 27-32 Talbot Street, Dublin 1
Advertising manager: Paul Muldoon, (01) 7055 412