Travel extra march 2015 6mg

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AWARDS SPECIAL THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY PICKS ITS WINNERS AER LINGUS THE GREAT DEBATE Stena Launch Superfast X

Canaries reign in Spain

Travel writer awards

UR O Y

e d a r T ER P PA

IRELAND'S PREMIER SOURCE OF TRAVEL INFORMATION Free

MARCH 2015

VOLUME 19 NUMBER 3

Top of the World

Travel celebrates its new champions

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MARCH 2015 PAGE 3

NEWS

www.travelextra.ie

Spanish lullaby

Canaries still favourite destination for Irish holidays

F

ive destinations amount to over 90pc of Irish tourism to Spain, according to figures released by the Spanish Tourist Board.

Although there are 17 autonomous communities in Spain Irish travel concentrates on five main destinations Canaries, Andalucia, Cataluña, Valencia Region and Balearic Islands Th figures suggest that Irish Tourists are using more hotels with the number of trips using hotels up 8.4pc in 2014 to 566,400 and the number of bed nights up 4.9pc to 2,682,503. This is more than the

422,195 32.7pc 305,148 23.6pc 178,657 13.8pc 140,663 10.9pc 125,214 9.7pc 48,661 3.8pc 30,498 2.4pc 11,719 0.9pc 27,786 2.2pc

GTI have launched two new Battlefield

Irish enthusiasm for the Camino has increased visits to North Spain combined nights spent in France, Germany, Italy and Portugal Irish consumers had access to 1.85m seats outbound to Spain. There were over 1.53m passengers on direct flights from irish airports to Spanish

airports.

Accumulated figures for establishments such as hotels or apartments by number of tourists are up 6.4pc increase over the same period of 2013.

TEN NEW ROUTES FOR 2015

ADDIS Two firsts from

Ethiopian Airlines, our first direct flight by Dreamliner is Dublin’s first sub-Sahara Africa scheduled flight.

have announced a once off flight form Belfast International, reviving memories of direct flight sin the 1980s.

on the map thanks to Ethiopian Airlines..

Finnair return to the route offering through connections to China and other long haul destinations.

NEWQUAY Cornwall is

GOTHENBURG SAS

HELSINKI

HALIFAX Europe Airpost

KOS Back in the Falcon

take up the former Ryanair route with 2w service.

once a week flight to Nova Scotia was the surprise of the summer.

HAVANA

Thomas Cook

brochure introduces a new destination, Japan, and eight new European trip styles. The original youth travel brand’s 2015 lineup also includes 16 brand new trips in Europe, with Morocco and Portugal as exciting sunny new destinations among offers in Europe, USA and Canada, Latin America, Australia, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Contiki has

INSIGHT Vacations say they are seeing increased bookings for escorted journeys to Egypt. 2015 has seen the reintroduction of Insight’s inspirational escorted tours offering guests Signature Events within small groups to some of Egypt’s most iconic attractions. The four itineraries include the Wonders of Egypt, a nine day tour exploring the highlights of Cairo plus a five day Nile cruise, Splendours of Egypt, a detailed itinerary staring in Cairo and incorporating an eight day Nile cruise, The Jewels of the Nile, Lake Nasser and Aubu Simbel and Egypt and Jordan.

SPAIN BOUND Canaries Andalusia Cataluña Valencia Balearics Madrid Murcia Galicia Other

CONTIKI’s new 2015 worldwide

brochure with direct charter flights.

LOS ANGELES Back

NANTES Aer Lingus return to the French holiday destination.

again accessible through Aer Lingus Regional.

REYJAVIK

Wow Air start a scheduled service with impressive stopover fares to Boston and Washington DC.

Tours for 2015 Krakow, Schindler's Factory & Auschwitz; Commemorating 70 years since the liberation of Auschwitz & WW1: Istanbul & Gallipoli Battlefields; and Marking the 100th anniversary of the landings at Gallipoli.

VISITlondon.com, the official Visitor

Guide to the capital, together with the GREAT Britain campaign, have launched a search to find London's Official Guest of Honour.

PARIS The Eiffel Tower is the top spot in the world for selfies. Analysing posts to Instagram, AttractionTix found that 219m selfies have been taken in front of the tower,.

ITALY’S National Tourist Board published a calendar of carnivals in Italy.

GOLF Tourism England partnered with England Golf, the national governing body for amateur golf.

TASMANIA

released a draft plan to put on the map remote areas like Centurion near Hobart, where the tallest flowering tree was discovered in 2008.

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MARCH 2015 PAGE 4

THE KNOWLEDGE Travel Extra Advertising & Subscriptions 6 Sandyford Office Park Dublin 18 (+3531) 2913707 Fax (+3531) 2957417 Editorial Office Clownings Straffan Co Kildare Managing Editor: Gerry O’Hare gerry@travelextra.ie Editor: Eoghan Corry eoghan.corry@ travelextra.ie Publisher: Edmund Hourican edmund@bizex.ie Sales Director: Maureen Ledwith maureen@bizex.ie Accounts and Advertising: Maria Sinnott maria@bizex.ie Picture Editor: Charlie Collins pix@travelextra.ie Sunday Supplement & Online: Conor McMahon conor@travelextra.ie Chief Features Writer: Anne Cadwallader anne@travelextra.ie Contributors : Eanna Brophy eanna@travelextra.ie Marie Carberry marie@travelextra.ie Carmel Higgins carmel@travelextra.ie Cauvery Madhavan cauvery@travelextra.ie Sean Mannion sean@grafacai.ie Ida Milne ida@travelextra.ie Catherine Murphy cathmurph@yahoo.com

Travel Extra takes no responsibility for errors and omissions.

Distribution Manager: Shane Hourican shane@bizex.ie Origination: Typeform

Printer: WG Baird Limited Caulside Drive Greystone Rd Antrim BT41 2RS

Contact +35387-2551675 if you have difficulty getting Travel Extra.

www.travelextra.ie

CONTENTS 3 News Where to go,how much to pay 6 Hotels: News 8 Postcards: News from the trade

10 ITIA Awards: The travel industry celebrates its champions 36 Afloat: Stena chnages the game 28 Flying: Turkish to grow again 34 Write stuff: Travel writer of the year

35 Global Village Inside the travel industry 36 Window seat: Our columnists 37 Pictures: Out and about

The insurance issue

M

any people have a fixation on price as the determining factor when choosing insurance. But there is a substantial difference between policies in terms of coverage, the level of excesses and what cover is available only as an optional extra.

BUSINESS

travel is not covered by 25pc of annual policies and is an optional extra for 28pc of them. Cover is standard with 47pc of annual policies.

SEPARATION

A third of annual policies won’t provide cover for your children (or stepchildren) if they don’t live with you.

CHILDREN

travelling independently are not covered by half of all annual policies and other insurers are likely to regard children as travelling independently even if one parent puts them on a plane and the other collects them when they get off. They insist that children are accompanied by a responsible adult for the whole journey.

WINTER sports

bills for medical treatment abroad can be huge, despite this, a fifth of skiers don’t bother with insurance at all, while only a third of those who do buy a policy check that it covers them for winter sports.

Just 30pc of annual travel policies include winter sports cover as standard, while 63pc offer it as an optional extra and 7pc don’t include it at all. Check the

Make sure that you didn’t miss the clause that cancels your policy terms carefully. Some exclude off-piste skiing altogether, others insist that you have a guide, for example. Many policies restrict the amount of skiing you can do within the year.

AIRLINE failure

is covered by just 34pc of annual policies provide this cover as standard, while it is an optional extra for 4pc of annual policies; 62pc don’t provide cover at all. However, the elaborate bonding scheme does not cover most ticket-only air fares you buy direct from an airline.

EXCESS limits on your insurance can vary widely according from one insurer to another.

Some charge no excess at all, but others charge

as much as €500 of a claim before you receive a penny from your insurance. With medical expenses the average excess is €85, with a range of zero to €600.

For cancellation, the average excess is €80, with individual insurers charging anything from nothing to €300.

For loss of deposit is the average is €40 and maximum €300; the equivalent figures are €80 (maximum €250) for lost baggage, €10 (maximum €120) for delayed baggage and €80 (maximum €420) for legal expenses.

AGE Three quarters

of annual policies have a maximum age of 75 years or less, and 27pc have a maximum age of 65 or less. It is essential

that any pre-existing medical conditions are declared to the relevant provider as failing to do so could invalidate the policy.” Cover might already be there from your bank as part of your current account. Although “packaged accounts” are much maligned, they can offer the elderly a cheap way to get travel cover.

Even where insurers did not have maximum age limits, premiums are often so high as to be unaffordable. One policy has a maximum age of just 34.

LENGTH of holi-

day is important. Some policies allow you to be overseas for a maximum of 17 consecutive days, 45pc of annual policies limited trip coverage to 31 days abroad while

others will cover you even if you are abroad every day of the year.

BREAKING the

journey could invalidate your insurance, if you have a backpacker policy but need to come home for a few days, some insurers won’t cover you when you resume your travels. Coverage will automatically cease for 57pc of backpacker policies, regardless of whether or not you intend to resume their travels abroad.

PETS If your return

from holiday is delayed, will your travel insurance cover the cost of an extended stay in kennels for your pets? Forty-six per cent of policies provide such cover, with limits typically varying from €50 to €750.

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THANKS FOR GETTING ON BEST FERRY COMPANY

Thank you to everyone who voted and helped make Irish

Ferries ‘Best Ferry Company’ once again at the Irish Travel

Industry Awards. We look forward to showing our gratitude

BOARD! to all your clients when they sail with us in 2015.

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MARCH 2015 PAGE 6

HOTELS

www.travelextra.ie

MUCKROSS Park Hotel and Spa in

Killarney was sold to Cork-based hotel firm iNua Hospitality for €6.25m.Previously owned

by Bill Cullen and Jackie Lavin, the hotel has 68 bedrooms and 10 self-catering suites.

HOTELBEDS The former TUI

Travel Accommodation & Destinations is now called Hotelbeds Group.

SOAP BOTTLES Research by Travel24.com said that tourists take an estimated 3.1m soap bottles, 1.6m notepads and 3.1m towels from hotels each year.

PREFERRED Hotel Group launched

a worldwide collection of exceptional villas, bungalows and condominiums.

TRIVAGO Average hotel price in Ire-

land in January was €88, according to Trivago’s Hotel Price Index. Kinsale was the most expensive location at €106. Kenmare was second most expensive at €101, followed by Dublin at €96. The cheapest locations were Waterford (€73), Limerick (€78) and Wexford (€80). The usual suspects top the European index: London (€179), Paris (€158) and Munich (€139). And the bottom: Prague (€83), Lisbon (€87) and Berlin (€87).

HOTELS.com launched a new campaign

Internet wholesalers may no longer control the price of hotel rooms

OTA bombshell

promoting Thailand called Wai Thailand.

Wyndham Hotel Group bought Dolce Hotels and Resorts for $57m.

HENNA HOTEL The 72-room

Hen-na Hotel at Huis ten Bosch theme park near Nagasaki, Japan will open this summer.

The hotel will be mostly staffed by robots Lone Star Funds is to buy the Jury's Inn hotel chain for €910m.

MARRIOTT

International will buy Canadian hotel brand Delta Hotels & Resorts for US$135m.

NEWPARK Hotel in Kilkenny was

voted the number one hotel in the country for families

HILTONParis Opera officially re-opened

this month, following a $50m renovation.

PROPER Hospitality announced the

launch of new brand Proper Hotels. The first Proper Hotel, opening later this year, will be a 135-room boutique property in San Francisco’s Mid-Market area.

German court rules online contracts anti-competitive

A

court in Dusseldorf may just have turned hotel internet pricing upside down.

Online Travel Agencies have been able to insist on “best price” contracts with hoteliers, meaning that hoteliers cannot undercut the middlemen to offer better deals on their own website, as well as subjecting them to the indignity of paying 15pc commission to the OTA’s.

An appeals court in Dusseldorf declared that the practice is anti-competitive, something hoteliers, especially the German hotel federation have long argued. Could it be that the rapacious contracts with the

OTAs no longer apply and are all now subject to challenge?

David Collins of Great National Hotels commented: “removing rate parity enables hoteliers to implement greater rate flexibility depending on channel costs and the industry has been lobbying for this for some time.

“The reality is however that over 50pc of OTA site traffic converts to direct traffic so removing this ‘transparency’ may in effect end up confusing clients and impact on third party and ironically direct on-line revenues.

“I would rather OTAs were prevented from bidding against hotels

for their own brand name search terms since this has accelerated the cost of paid search and has been compounded by Google’s efforts to make it increasingly difficult to secure organic rankings. In my mind this is as critical an issue for independent hoteliers if not more so.”

The result is that OTA’s have grown more powerful down the years, replacing traditional travel agents and taking control away from the hoteliers of their own bed stock.

Irish people booking home holidays through an OTA were sending 15-20pc of the cost of their rooms to corporations abroad.

HILTON Worldwide launched Meet with

Purpose, a MICE programme aimed at promoting healthy habits and sustainable options for events.

MARRIOTT International forecasts 1m

rooms open or under development by the end of 2015. The group said it will not block guests’ private Wi-Fi networks in its hotels and will find an alternative to ensure that internet security is not compromised.

HARD ROCK A new Hard Rock Hotel will open in Cancun in 2017.

VIRGIN Hotels launched an app called

Lucy that acts as a universal remote control for guests. It allows guests to adjust the room temperature, order room service and plays music.

HARVEY’S POINT 6TH IN EUROPE

D

eirdre McGlone’s Harvey's Point was selected sixth in Europe and the winner once again in TripAdvisor’s top 10 Irish hotels: The Castlewood House Hotel in Kerry was tenth in the list of Europe’s best small hotels.

Best Bargain Hotel in the World was Lawton Court Hotel, Llandudno in Wales, Top hotel in the world was

Gili Lankanfushi Maldives,.

Best hotel for families was the Cavallino Bianco Family Spa Grand Hotel, Ortisei and best hotel for romance was the Place Luxury Boutique Villas, Ko Tao, Thailand.

The Irish results: 1 Harvey’s Point, Donegal; 2 The Merrion, Dublin; 3 Hayfield Manor, Cork; 4 The Killarney Park Hotel, Co Kerry; 5 Ballygarry

House Hotel & Spa, Tralee; 6 Adare Manor, Co Limerick; 7 The Dunloe, Beaufort, Co Kerry; 8 River Lee Hotel, Cork; 9 Ashford Castle, Cong, Co Mayo; 10 International Hotel, Killarney, Co Kerry.

Top 10 international: 1 Gili Lankanfushi, Maldives; 2 Nayara Hotel, Spa & Gardens, Costa Rica; 3 Shinta Mani Club Siem Reap, Cambodia; 4 Four Seasons Hotel Gresham

Palace, Budapest, Hungary; 5 Belmond Palacio Nazarenas, Cusco, Peru; 6 Cocoa Island by COMO, Maldives; 7 Hotel Alpin Spa Tuxerhof, Austria; 8 Al Maha, A Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai; 9 Hotel Estalagem St Hubertus, Brazil; 10 Tambo del Inka, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Peru

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MARCH 2015 PAGE 8

POSTCARDS FROM THE TRAVEL SCENE

I

stanbul is the sixth most connected city in the world and seventh largest airport in terms of passenger numbers, Irish business journalists on a fact finding mission to Turkish Airlines headquarter were told this month.

Murat Balandi, Patrick McKinney and Ann Marie Dalton accompanied the mission which was give a tour of the Turkish Airlines headquarters and training base and the food preparation facil-

O

ne of the principle delights of FITUR is the treasury of South American product on display.

Mexico was most prominent, followed by Argentina and Colombia land of Garcia Marquez es realismo magico as they reminded us. T. A new product emerged at the show: Spain Cares. Health tourism was highlighted including major hospitals and health resorts geared to foreign patients

P

icture shows Lizzy Cutka, once a popular waitress in Francini's in Trim and now a ski instructor, outside the temporary Ian Dempsey Today FM studio in Bad Hoffgastein.

The resort was taken over by 600 Irish skiers for Topflight’s annual ski excursion week which has acquired something of a cult following among snow-heads.

She said it was really good fun with

ities at DO&CO A.G. Unlike most airline Turkish have their own catering facilities with specialist preparation plants in Istanbul and Frankfurt and have 700 flying chefs travelling with their passengers.

For flights up to seven hours, which includes Dublin, the food for the return leg is prepared in Istanbul before departure with al the implications for aircraft weight.

was particularly prominent.

Shopping had a separate area. There is a rapidly growing hotel section and a hotel supplies pavilion in another hall that has become an exhibition in itself.

The regions of Spain occupy three large pavilions. Andalucia filled a pavilion and a half on its own, covering 5,300 square metres, The UNWTO is based in Madrid and took its annual opportunity to showcase its activities at the event (pictured)

the Irish, they are partying sooo hard.

The Coronas were brilliant really great band. By Thursday after the coronas there were not many people in the lessons, all in all we had a great week with great people.

After last year’s trip the Kirchberg ski instructor Hans "Sem" Steinkasserer summed up the week: lessons full on Mondays, only a handful make it down to the start on Fridays.

W

ould you travel with this card instead of your book passport? Apparently the Irish passport card which is to be introduced in June is valid for journeys within the EU. The DFA says the Passport Card will be particularly useful for young people who use their Passport Booklet as identification, especially on nights out.

Those travelling within the EU and

A

dam Pilarski told the Global Aviation Finance Conference in Dublin why fuel prices fell.

That and the unexpected windfall for the industry because of lower fuel prices.

“There is a saying in the industry that the solution to high oil; prices is high oil prices. If we continue it too long there can be a dramatic change.”

He said that it was acceptance of realities by the Saudis “who were not will-

E

thiopian Airlines, to launch Dublin-Addis and Dublin-LAX on June 19, will bring their Dreamliner to Dublin on March 20.

To celebrate the new route Ethiopian ambassador Lela-alem Gebreyohannes Tedla hosted Irish travel media at the ambassadorial residence in Dublin.

Ethiopian Airlines is the largest airline in Africa, and from June 19th will commence three weekly flights from Dublin

EEA will also be able to use the Passport Card and frequent travellers will find this particularly useful if their Passport Booklet is with an embassy as part of a visa application process.

The new card will also provide a useful backup travel document within Europe in the event that someone loses their passport while travelling. Being left at the mercy of an immigration official at a non-Schenghen gate?

ing to accept political expediencies” (the move to isolate Putin by forcing oil prices down). “In general when you have high oil prices you have downward pressure eon demand and upward on supply. He said fracking and the change of political alliances had changed the politics of oil prices.

“In 1954 we had 32 years left, today we have 60 years left. So the exhaustible resource is increasing.”

to Addis Ababa and from Dublin direct to Los Angeles.

Ethiopian flights from Dublin will be flown by the ultra-modern Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which offers unparalleled on-board comfort to passengers.

Picture shows Joanne Burgess of Premair, ambassador Lela-alem Gebreyohannes Tedla and Michael Yohannes of Ethiopian Airlines

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MARCH 2015 PAGE 9

POSTCARDS FROM THE TRAVEL SCENE

SAVE € 340 UP TO

W

hen Michael O’Leary and John Wojick of Boeing hosted journalists at Swords it was always going to be interesting.

The press conference was supposed to be about Boeing’s new 737-NG craft and Ryanair’s order for 100 of them, but it soon went off on every cross runway imaginable.

Michael O’Leary talked about a new range of destinations that would come to

the fore, Russia, Turkey, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, down in to the Gulf.

“I see no reason why we should allow the long haul carriers Emirates and Etihad to dominate air travel between Dublin and gulf states. They will continue to grow because they are investing in airport infrastructure. It will never be the core of our operation but if we are to grow I would like to see 10m-20m passengers a year down to those markets.”

SUMMER...

HAVEN HOLIDAYS, BOOK THEM ONLINE TODAY!

J

ohn Warr and the new Ireland manager of Wendy Wu Tours John Booty (pictured) revealed two brochures dedicated to the Irish market at the launch of its Irish programme in Dublin.

Wendy Wu are offering €200 off bookings until May and if customers travel through London with Air China the return leg of your flight will be in business class.

John Warr gave an introduction to the Wendy Wu product, revealing that Wendy Wu is a real person. She set up the business 15 years ago in Australia.

“The trade is very important to us but we are open to other outlets. What helps us we own the ground odorator in China so we have full flexibility with the product. When out customers join a tour they are joined by Australian customers as well. We never cancel a group tour.”

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Everyone deserves a break.

I

ndian Ambassador Radhika Lokesh revealed the inbound tourism had increased by 40pc since the launch of the e-visa facility on November 27.

“We were surprised and delighted when our Prime Minister Narendra Mod announced the e-visa on his visit to Washington in Surprised and that it was introduced a few weeks later.”

At a function where Incredible India hosted the travel trade at Ananda

Restaurant in Dundrum, ambassador Lokesh said she expected the 12,000 annual visas granted to visitors from Ireland to India to increase as a result of the scheme.

Irish visitors to India can now apply on line. The e-visa or visa on arrival scheme has not been extended to irish vietors ar yet but the visa process has been greatly expedited compared with the waiting period of bygone years.

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MARCH 2015 PAGE 10

ITIA AWARDS 2015

Rebecca Kelly, winner of the supplier representative of the year award, is hugged by Sharon Jordan on her way to the podium while Miriam O’Callaghan waits to presen t the award

M

y mother used to be a school teacher. So declared Miriam O’Callaghan from the stage as the Irish Travel Industry awards got under way.

When she called ciúnas she managed to silence everybody, which when you consider the personnel of the Irish travel industry is quite an achievement.

The table with the best conversation undoubtedly was the Tenerife table hosted by Richard Hume.

They hosted Travel Extra

To the Mansion born Industry celebrates the Oscars of Irish travel

at the event so we were biased.

The table with the most excitement was the one where operation transformation got everyone to sign a broadcast waiver as overall winner of the leisure agent awards Louise Brennan Ormsby of Club Travel was being tracked by TV cameras.

Martin Skelly’s Navan Travel and Liam Lonergan’s Club Travel won the Travel Agency of the year and Club Travel the travel professional of the year at the awards.

The prestige award, long haul airline was won (again) by Etihad.

A surprise of the night was the bed supplier

TTC spnsored the drinks reception in Cafe en Seine before the awards.

Guests are seen crossing the road.

award which went to Lowcost and the ski award which went to Crystal for the second year in succession after successive awards to Topflight.

To the right of the stage from where Miriam O’Callaghan was looking or to the left from where

the audience was looking was where the dignitaries sat, Martin Skelly and Pat Dawson.

And then there is another award, the one for the last man or woman standing. It is not official, not acknowledged, and never can be Contenders this year included Ciaran Mulligan, Carol Anne

O’Neill, Ita Hendrick, Mary king and Peter O'Hanlon.

Roll on 2016, back to the Round Room in the Mansion House and Miriam O’Callaghan, hopefully, imploring ciúnas again. We promise to behave. Honestly.

Panoramic view of the Round Room as Miriam O’Callaghan speaks

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MARCH 2015 PAGE 12

ITIA AWARDS 2015

C

atherine Monaghan of FCm Travel Solutions was the winner of the Corporate Travel Professional award.

“Winning was a shock but a lovely shock. I was extremely proud and honoured to receive the award. Everyone has been so supportive and the celebrations are still ongoing in the office.”

Catherine started with FCm Travel Solutions, formerly Corporate Travel Partners, in May 2000 as a receptionist.

“After a couple of months I asked the MD would there be an opening in reservations and within weeks I was being trained in-house having completed my Galileo course. I was working

CORPORATE TRAVEL PROFESSIONAL: CATHERINE MONAGHAN FCM TRAVEL SOLUTIONS with a great team and settled into Corporate Reservations almost immediately.”

“Within three years I was managing an implant office. An opportunity came up for a Team Leader position in Head Office in 2007 which I undertook after an internal recruitment process.

Over the years there have been some ups and downs, I am not sure I will ever forget the Ash Cloud, but what it did bring was team work and a great sense of achieve-

ment while meeting the challenges of the industry, lots of changes and new technologies make sure it never gets boring!.

A plus has to be getting the opportunity to travel on Fam trips, seeing great cities and staying in fabulous hotels.

I have a portfolio of long standing clients who I enjoy working with very much. Most of all FCm is a great place to work. I have a fantastic team around me and have made lifelong friends.”

Catherine Monaghan of FCm Travel Solutions accepts the Corporate Travel Professional award

The award for Best ITAA Leisure Travel Professional went to Louise Brennan Ormsby from Club Travel.

THE S MART CHOIC Thank you for E naming Aer Lingus ‘Best Airline to Europe’ At Aer Lingus, we take great care in everything we do – from baggage handling, to catering, to customer care.

The people you see, and the people you don’t, are all dedicated to making our customers feel welcome, every step of their journey.

Great care on every level!

A smarter schedule Aer Lingus has more daily flights to London than any other airline.

A smarter home Our T2 homes in Dublin and London allow us to offer the best terminalto-terminal experience in Europe.

A smarter selection We have the best choice of flights to Europe.

New Routes Announcing Nantes, coming in May 2015.

Book t hr your lo ough cal trav el agent or on aerling us.com

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MARCH 2015 PAGE 13

ITIA AWARDS 2015

A

er Lingus won the best Airline to Europe award for the fourth successive year. The dependence of travel agents on services of Aer Lingus to sun and ski destinations as well as citybreaks reflect the many changes in the industry over the past three years.

It started in 2011 when the CEO of Aer Lingus Christoph Mueller gave a landmark address to the ITAA conference in Malaga and signalled a change of direction by the airline.

“The charter model,” he told travel agents, “is not broke.” He declared that the future was segmentation, with the lower cost base that competition with Ryanair had produced. By ignoring the trade, Mueller said, “Aer Lingus was leaving money on the table.”

Since then the airscape

John Keogh receives the best airline Europe award from sponsor Vincent Harrison MD of Dublin Airport Authority.and Martin Skelly

AIRLINE TO EUROPE: AER LINGUS AIRLINE TO NORTH AMERICA: AER LINGUS has changed. John Keogh and Ivan Beacom have heightened Aer Lingus engagement with the trade. Tour operators and travel agents have been using Aer Lingus scheduled services on routes, Tour operators have chartered Aer Lingus flights.

The north American

business class product has got a boost from the introduction of flatbed seating, due to be fitted on al the fleet by the end of March.

Aer Lingus returned to San Francisco last May and wil return to washington DC this coming June.

Stephen McKenna of the Atlas Travel Group accepts the Corporate Travel Agency award from category sponsor Keith Chuter of British Airways and ITAA President Martin Skelly

A

tlas Travel Group were a new winner in the Corporate Travel Agency category which had previously been won by CWT and for three years

by FCm. The Atlas group was founded 54 years ago by Stephen McKenna’s father Andy. The corporate wing has developed its Corporate social responsibility: “like many SMEs, we are committed

CORPORATE TRAVEL AGENCY: ATLAS TRAVEL GROUP to creating bigger and more meaningful impact in terms of CSR and have started a series of roadmaps to get to where we want to be in the near future.”

“We recently invested in technology that can give our clients a suite of reporting, including Car-

THE S MART CHOIC Thank you for E naming Aer Lingus ‘Best Airline to North America’ With a fantastic inflight entertainment system with on demand new release movies, classics, TV boxsets and over 1,200 music albums, we will make sure you get the best experience possible on board.

Stay connected with Wi-Fi and our mobile network and skip the queues on arrival with Customs and Border Preclearance.

A smarter schedule Three flights daily to New York during June, July and August and a daily service to San Francisco.

A smarter choice On demand entertainment, Wi-Fi and a 23kg baggage allowance.

A smarter selection Choose from 6 direct routes in the USA and Toronto, Canada.

New Routes Announcing Washington DC starting 1st May 2015.

bon footprint reporting for better data and business intelligence. We are committed to better communicating and marketing our green reporting options to clients, and proactively driving green reporting solutions and developing a tailored green reporting package.”

Book t hr your lo ough cal trav el agent or on aerling us.com

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MARCH 2015 PAGE 14

ITIA AWARDS 2015

Helen McCormack and Katrina McMullan of Navan Travel accept the Small Agency of the Year award from category sponsor Keith Chuter of BA and ITAA President Martin Skelly, also from Navan Travel,

N

avan Travel won the award for the smaller Travel Agency of The Year (under 10 employees).

Navan Travel’s Martin Skelly says that changes in customers booking patterns “meant that we needed to look at everything we did.”

“All of the staff - our greatest asset - got involved and were enthusiastic and forthcoming with ideas. We needed to position ourselves as a non-regionalised Travel Company which could more easily be marketed

TRAVELAGENCY OF THE YEAR: NAVAN TRAVEL nationally without in any way diminishing our local position.”

We rebranded and Travalue.ie emerged as our new online name. The name was written on the back of an envelope.

Training was critical for success particularly in marketing and Katrina McMullan undertook a Diploma in Digital Marketing. She channelled our collective energies into two new websites

and several social media platforms.

We selected specific products and directed our marketing at particular customers.

We also updated our back office systems so that we could more easily extract marketing information and booking patterns.

The process is ongoing and we constantly review what is working and what is not.

Ann Davis and Colman Burke of Club Travel accept the Large Travel Agency of the Year award from category sponsor Keith Chuter of British Airways and ITAA President Martin Skelly

T

he winner of the large agency award, Liam Lonergan’s Club Travel grew its employee numbers by 30 to 150 in 2014 after regaining the Irish Government business and in addition to winning new business from its Global companies.

Their main leisure brand www.BudgetTravel.ie enjoyed double digit growth while they also acquired online

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MARCH 2015 PAGE 15

ITIA AWARDS 2015

Veronica Flood of Tour America accepts the Most Innovative Marketing Campaign award

T

our America won the new category of Most InnovaMarketing Cam-

tive paign.

Veronica Flood of Tour America puts the success down to consistency in the market place.

“We have grown our market share through effective marketing, Our Marketing strategy takes into account evolv-

MOST INNOVATIVE MARKETING CAMPAIGN: TOUR AMERICA ing media approaches in Ireland. We carefully plan our campaigns around the mediums best suited to our customers demographic through both traditional marketing, digital and Social Media.

Each campaign is structured around our key

partners which permit maximum exposure and longevity of our campaigns; we do this by utilising a number of key media outlets throughout our campaigns to allow for consistency and multiple audiences.”

Keith Chuter of British Airways accepts the ;Business Class Airline To Europe award from category sponsor Vincent Harrison of Dublin Airport Authority and ITAA President Martin Skelly

B

ritish Airways won the new category of best business class airline To Europe.

It is a sign of changing times that business class in short haul has come into its own once more.

British Airways has returned to the Dublin-

BUSINESS CLASS AIRLINE TO EUROPE: BRITISH AIRWAYS Heathrow route following the 2012 takeover of bmi.

While always had business class on its Dublin to Gatwick service bmi were the only airline offering business class on Dublin-Heathrow and BA

stepped into the void.

Since October BA operate to Terminal 5 in Heathrow giving business class passengers access to the terminals’s state of the art lounges.

Hertz-gsa.ie

Prepaid car rental, made easy.

For your agency login email traveltrade@hertz.ie or call 053 915 2500 Ryan’s Investments - Hertz International Franchisee ©2015 The Hertz Corporation

hertz-gsa.ie

Traveling at the speed of Hertz™

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ITIA AWARDS 2015

Paul Manning accepts the award on behalf of Hertz

T

he winning Car Hire Company Hertz say they experienced excellent growth and positive feedback from trading partners throughout 2014 which continues into the start of 2015 and they plan for further integration with the travel trade to ensure that all agents have a point of contact here in Ireland that can deal with any queries promptly.

Paul Manning says “Everyone at Hertz would like to thank all of our travel industry partners who voted for us and helped us to win the category of Best Car Rental Supplier at this year’s Irish Travel Industry Awards. We see this award as an endorsement

CAR HIRE COMPANY: HERTZ of all our hard work and efforts in ensuring that we offer not only a great product from a great brand, but also a great service to back it up and look forward to seeing you all throughout 2015.

We see the Travel Trade as a valued partner now more than ever as customers turn back to their local Agencies for advice and value that they can trust when reserving their travel arrangements.

Hertz also employs over 1,200 people in Ireland through their rental locations, head office in Wexford and our European Services Centre in Swords, as Paul Manning says, “making us your local Car Hire Company

for the road ahead.”

“We are constantly striving to improve our products and services through initiatives such as Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, Carfirmation, Hertz Collections and many other offerings which are all designed to make the car rental process faster, easier and more pleasant. With Hertz your customers can choose from premium onairport locations to multiple downtown locations throughout the world, transparent rates with no catches, competitive one way fees and much more, giving you more options when making your car hire reservation.”

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ITIA AWARDS 2015

Liz Introno from Universal Orlando accepting the award on behalf of Universal Orlando

Vicenc Capdevilla and ambassador Javier Garrigues accepting the award on behalf of Barcelona

T

he European City Destination award reflects the growing interest in Barcelona, which has pulled away from Copenhagen and Amsterdam as a second tier citybreak destination outbound from the Irish market and is closer to the big three of London, Paris and Rome.

With over 2,500 hotels on sale through the trade

EUROPEAN CITY DESTINATION: BARCELONA and flight connections through three major airports, it has become a familiar leisure break. Las Ramblas is as familiar to the Irish tourist nowadays as Temple Bar. Gaudi’s treasure trove city is not just a destination in itself, it is a gateway to a greater province,

the Ryanair destination of Gerona is a jewel in itself, as is Tarragona south of the sunseeker paradise of Salou (“the beach of Europe”), Portaventura of the giant roller coasters and a cluster of villages that deserve more notice from tourists.

A

n award is a good way to get an exciting year off to a start, and it is going to be another exciting year as Universal Studios Florida will celebrate its 25th anniversary.

A new hotel and an additional two rides opened in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2014, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts was the signature ride in the new Diagon Alley which opened with a completely functioning recreation of the Hogwarts Express which connects Kings Cross Station at Univer-

WORLDWIDE THEME PARK: UNIVERSAL ORLANDO sal Studios to the Hogsmeade station at Islands of Adventure Other recent innovations includes Transformers: The Ride – 3D opening this summer bringing the intergalactic battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons to Universal Studios Florida.

Not that the home of the Simpsons, Superman and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter needs any innovation.

Universal Orlando

THE SNOW IS HERE, THE SALE IS ON

T all the travel agents that voted us as ‘Best Ski Tour Operator’ To we w would like to thank you for your support.

Call: 01 433 1080 or log onto: agent.crystalski.ie

consists of two theme parks (Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure), a night-time entertainment complex (CityWalk) with the Blue Man Group, and four Loews Hotels (Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Royal Pacific Resort and the new retro-themed family budget Cabana Bay Beach Resort.

It comes complete with 1,800 rooms, two large pools, a lazy river and a bowling alley.

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ITIA AWARDS 2015

S

elling New York to the Irish market is not as easy at first seen, as familiarity brings problems of its own.

Reginald Charlot and his team at Nyc&Co &Co&Co&Co&Co, represented in Ireland by Tryphavana Cross, have repeatedly won the best city worldwide award.

Where only 75,000 people visited from Ire-

WORLDWIDE CITY DESTINATION: NEW YORK land in 2003, nowadays nearly 300,000 continue to visit.

Innovative promotions like restaurant week, 25pc off room rates in January and February, promotions with airlines and credit card companies have kept the profile

of the city high.

Reginald and Tryphavana were joined at the awards by Tom Travers and Gerry Treino of Beacon Hotel and Mary Farrell of Top of the Rock, great supporters of the Irish Trade.

Frances Grogan being interviewed at the awards. Thanks to a substantial prize contribution from Royal Caribbean, the prize draw raised €13,800 for the Shane Grogan fund at the awards

R Reginald Charlot, Tryphavana Cross, Gerry Treino, and Mary Farrell accepting the award on behalf of New York

T H E O N LY T R U LY

ALL-INCLUSIVE Ultra-Luxury Boutique River Cruises

Thank

you

for your support, and to everyone who voted for us in the

oyal Caribbean continue to dominate the Irish cruise market in every sense, collecting awards and taking market share.

Jenny Rafter and Jennifer Callister now head up Royal Caribbean in Ireland, divested of the Celebrity and Azamara brands. She says it is “an honour that agents consistently recognise the passion, effort and the exceptional service that runs through the company and all of our dealings both with the trade and with our many satisfied guests.”

They use the tagline “Ireland’s favourite cruise line” and it is no idle boast.

More than half of the cruises sold off the island in recent years were Royal Caribbean cruises.

The Irish office dates to 1999 and maintained

CRUISE COMPANY: ROYAL CARIBBEAN double digit growth through much of its existence, including a record 34pc in 2008. Last year thanks to Lee Travel, Royal Caribbean boarded its first direct passengers in Ireland.

Royal Caribbean hosted the 2014 ITAA conference eon board their ground breaking high tech Quantum of the Seas while the Anthem of the Seas will said from Southampton during summer 2015. Two new giant Oasis-class ships are on their way.

The solid performance is down to the support provided by the Royal Caribbean team, a priceless asset to agents at a time when they spend valuable time navigating their way through auto-

mated telephone mechanisms when they need to sort out a problem for their clients. Jenny says that cruising “continues to be a great value proposition compared to land alternatives.”

According to Royal Caribbean CEO Richard Fain, the Irish have the highest onboard spend and the highest satisfaction rating of any country.

Irish guests really ‘get involved’ in onboard activities and enjoy facilities such as Broadway-style theatre shows.

Agent incentives and training initiatives include the dedicated site www.cruisingpower.ie and the brand specific Facebook page for agents.

Irish Travel Industry Awards 2015. we are delighted to have won:

Best Specialist Cruise Company: Uniworld Best Escorted Tour Operator: Insight Vacations

Jenny Rafter and Jennifer Callister accept the award on behalf of Royal Caribbean

T For reservations call 1800 98 98 98

he Marriott Brand continued its success story when it picked up the world hotel group award.

The signature Marriott brand chalked up its 500th hotel in 2012 included new lodging co-

WORLDWIDE HOTEL CHAIN: MARRIOTT . brand AC Hotels by Marriott. The overall group has 3,700 properties in 74 countries and added a 17th brand in 2013, the

Autograph Collection, a new brand comprised of luxury, independent, hotels in major cities.

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ITIA AWARDS 2015

C Lara Velasco and Gonzalo Ceballos accepting Lanzarote’s award

I

ncreased air lift has meant that there is no sign that the 200,000 Irish going to Ireland’s favourite Canary Island each year will stop any time soon, leaving it ahead not just of its sister islands Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Fuerteventura but of entire countries, getting more visitors on its own than Greece.

The CSO said passenger figures from Dublin to Lanzarote are back to pre-recession levels.

People go because of the guaranteed winter sunshine, absence of jet-

WINTER SUN DESTINATION: LANZAROTE lag, the choice of charter and scheduled services available less than four hours of flight-time away and because it is around four degrees warmer than southern Spain.

The reinvestment in product and good value restaurants make it a long established favourite with the Irish. Off-peak season is the summer, which also suits the Irish market.

Lanzarote is the most easterly and most exotic if the chain. Holiday-

makers gravitate towards Puerto del Carmen, Matagorda, Playa Blanca and Los Pocillos but there is a great deal to explore beyond and a smoking volcano to climb.

Much of the landscape is volcanic and looks a lot like the moon. While all the Canary Islands have their extinct volcanoes, Lanzarote is the place to have a drop of the crater – literally have your food cooked by smouldering nature.

elebrity Cruises won Best Ultra Luxury Cruise Company’ award for the first time.

The award sees Celebrity Cruises continue its winning streak and follows the award for ‘Best Cruise Company (5/6 Star)’ at the Irish Travel Trade Awards in November.

Since 2014 the brand has operated with a dedicated team for both England and Ireland.

LUXURY CRUISE COMPANY: CELEBRITY CRUISES Campaigns to support its profile and sales have included free flights from Dublin and the launch of its agent loyalty scheme, Celebrity Rewards also in November.

Jo Rzymowska, managing director of Celebrity Cruises UK and Ireland said: “the team is thrilled with this award win, a great start to 2015.

I would like to thank the

team in Ireland for all their efforts.

The Irish market is hugely important to us and we are continually investing in campaigns and training to support and encourage our trade partners and look forward to more success in 2015.”

“Celebrity Cruises ships feature art and photography collections and first-class dining.”

Lorraine Quinn accepting the award on behalf of Celebrity Cruises

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ITIA AWARDS 2015

Philip Airey and Deirdre Sweeney accept the sun operator award

T

he 2014 Travel Industry Awards ceremony was another triumph for the Sunway team.

Sunway won the Tour Operator Specialist and retained the Tour Operator Sun, and Tour Operator Long Haul award categories.

Sunway operates from a state of the art premises in Dun Laoghaire. The Sunway Travel Group employs 50 people in Ireland and over 70 people indirectly in Ireland and overseas.

Sunway offers more choice than any other tour operator with differentiated programmers for winter and summer sun, worldwide, Lapland, USA & Canada, cruises, escorted tours, adventure holidays, weddings and honeymoons, Club Med, River Cruises, Sunsail and Neilson Holidays.

Sunway started as a travel agency in Main Street, Blackrock and has grown to become Ireland’s biggest 100pc Irish owned tour operator operating to 70 destinations worldwide.

The business was founded in April 1966 by the grandfather of the current managing director Tanya Airey (slogan: “we try harder,” two weeks in

EUROPEAN SUN TOUR OPERATOR: SUNWAY LONG HAULTOUR OPERATOR: SUNWAY SPECIALIST TOUR OPERATOR: SUNWAY Spain from 51 guineas, excellent hotels, two weeks in Italy from 60 guineas, first class hotels, all rooms with private bath and balcony).

Alongside him were Walter Creacen, who went on to open Curragh travel, Roy Beatty who took early retirement from Aer Lingus and Madeleine Kilbride who worked as MD. They chartered a flight to Portugal in 1968 for their first two week holiday, a steal at 56 guineas and introduced fortnightly departures to Ibiza in 1969.

Tanya’s father Jim Furlong’ moved the company to another level in 1991 when he started packaging Morocco through London in a deal with Royal Air Maroc.

Nearly 1,000 Irish bought the product, which was exotic for the early 1990s and inspired Jim to run direct charters the following season, the first charter taking off on

December 19 1992 just as the first Gulf War exploded into action.

In 2006, Jim Furlong was awarded one of Morocco’s most prestigious national honours for his services to the north African country's tourist business.

Morocco, then as now a one plane market, was the foundation for a tour operator business that moved into the more traditional Spanish and Turkish playgrounds.

Sicily was a market they developed in 1998.

Their long haul operation grew rapidly in the mid 2000s and features 70 locations, specialising in India and Asian markets but also heavily featuring South Africa.

The group represent Club Med and AMA Waterways in Ireland and most recently the Mark Warner activity holidays.

They acquired Wings Abroad's Turkey programme for 2015.

Mary Denton and Tanya Airey accept the specialist award

Jessica Byrne and Sharon Jordan accept the award for escorted tours

I

n the four years since Sharon Jordan opened the Travel Corporation (formerly One Stop Touring Shop) office in Dublin, marketing the Insight Vacations, Uniworld River Cruise, Contiki (the teacher’s favourite with its focus on Australia and festivals and the Boutique Destinations products.

Insight is a premium luxury escorted touring product, with groups of 24 and hotels which are of a high star quality and close to the centre of town.

Having won the Tour Operator Escorted category in 2012, Insight won the Tour Operator Escorted and Tour Operator Specialist categories in 2013 and 2014 while the sister brand Uniworld retained its award as best specialist cruise operator for the third successive year.

ESCORTED TOUR OPERATOR: INSIGHT VACATIONS SPECIALIST CRUISE COMPANY: UNIWORLD They handle Red Carnation in Ireland which has 18 hotels worldwide including the newly refurbished Ashford Castle with a second hotel purchase to be announced.

Boutique Destinations are marketing high-end bucket-list destinations in South America and other exotic places.

They have some of the plushest offices in the travel trade, in a beautiful listed building in Merrion Square.

Sharon and her team have created a badly needed sense of excitement in the industry, bringing chocolate, cupcakes and small gifts into busy agencies on key

dates.

Paul Melinis, who head hunted Sharon to lead the Irish team came to Dublin to enjoy the festivities and ended up on the podium with the team.

For good measure, 1STS sponsored the pre-awards reception in the Cafe Enseine.

“It is important for us to establish and maintain relationships.

It is a complex message to get across to the consumer, and we could not have succeeded like we did without the support of the trade,” Sharon says. “We are growing, investing and are here to stay.”

Paul Melinis and Sharon Jordan accept the award for specialist cruise

Tanya Airey and Deirdre Sweeny accept the long haul award

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THANK YOU FOR MAKING US NUMBER 1

Universal Orlando® Resort wishes to thank everyone who voted us the winner of the Best Worldwide Theme Park award at the 2015 Irish Travel Industry Awards.

This award is a testament to the strength of the relationship between Universal Orlando® and the travel industry.

We are delighted to receive this award and thank you for your continued support! 2014 has been an exciting year. We opened a major new attraction, 10 new CityWalk® venues, and a new on-site resort hotel. We have many exciting surprises to share with you in 2015 and 2016, so stay tuned!

Universal elements and all related indicia TM & © 2015 Universal Studios. © 2015 Universal Orlando. All rights reserved.

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ITIA AWARDS 2015

Ray Scully accept the award on behalf of Crystal

A

mong the surprises of the awards night was Crystal’s second triumph in the ski category, something that follows a period of being eclipsed.

Ray Scully said they have achieved this “with a good mix of expert staff and knowledge and the support of the Irish travel agents. “ Crystal Ski Holidays continue to be innovative, in 2014 we launched a new agents website allowing an easier to use and most up to date pricing module.

Crystal Ski Holidays have put a lot of thought behind the scenes to making sure the clients booking process is with ease.

“The new Crystal explorer app gives all the best information like resort advise, tips, photos and helps choose from

T

his is the fourth successive win for Amadeus in both the best technology provider and best support categories.

“We were delighted to have picked up the Best Travel Technology Provider at this year’s Irish Travel Industry Awards,” Volker Lorenz says. “It is particularly satisfying for us as it rounds up a hat trick of Best Technology Provider Awards, having won the same category at the recent Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association Awards as well as the 2015 Globe Travel Awards.

It is a great honour for

SKI TOUR OPERATOR: CRYSTAL HOLIDAYS the variety of resorts, to pre departure calls, and they can down load their tickets before travel.

“All our staff have skied and know the product and areas so well, they are able to assist in picking the right resort suited to a client and we have a great range to choose from like Austria, France, Italy, Andorra and Slovenia.”

“We continue to grow and look forward to ski season of 2016, which has just gone on sale offering early booking offers like 'Buy one get one free ski/snowboard hire and hotel credit... these offer the best value for money' The Crystal staff is paramount to everything we believe in and it was

important that they knew the product they were selling. We put in place the Crystal staff Ski Academy’ allowing all our team an opportunity for them and their family to ski at least once a season and ensuring they visit a new resort each year.

This has been a great success as I am confident that our team is now the most knowledgeable in the market place.

The Travel Trade has gone through a very turbulent couple of years but it was always my goal to bring capacity back to the pre down turn of 06/07 figures.

Without the Agent support it would have been impossible for us to achieve the goal.”

Ambassador Gariguez and Gonzalo Ceballos accept the award on behalf of Spain

S

pain has been Ireland’s leading sun destination for seven decades with a consistent performance of attracting around 1.2m visitors since the industry first moved from pilgrimages to more exciting holiday escapades in the 1950s.

Passenger numbers from Ireland to the end of November were 1,449,960 (from 1,761,131 available airline seats) suggesting figures overall will be up around 4.5pc and seats up 6.1pc.

Yet Spain did not have a tourist office in Dublin until 2007. The industry was seen as having an ability to run itself.

Since then all has

SUMMER SUN DESTINATION: SPAIN TOURIST BOARD: SPANISH TOURIST BOARD changed. Things have moved on and tourism has become so central to their presence in Dublin that Spanish ambassador to Ireland Javier Garrigues was on hand to accept this prestigious award on behalf of his country.

Spain’s frequent trade events in Dublin, often in conjunction with their regions, the fam trips guided by the effervescent Kathryn McDonnell, the hosting of the ITAA and ITOF conferences, the efficient and instant-

response press representation of Sara Rivero and the stewarded guidance of Jose Manuel de Juan for 2007-11 and, since 2011, Gonzalo Ceballos have helped bring new tourists to the country and disperse them into regions that they previously would not have considered.

More importantly they have won the confidence of the industry to take an award that the industry voters might have considered sending to a less familiar location.

TECHNOLOGY PROVIDER: AMADEUS me to be heading a team in Ireland that is 100pc committed to making the lives of travel consultants in Ireland easier. A lot of time, money and effort goes into our products and solutions which is why Amadeus is the largest investor in travel technology in Europe.

But it is crucial to make them work for every single agent, and every single travel consultant, in their very own way.

This is what we strive for everyday and it is fantastic to see this effort recognised. So we would

like to thank everybody who voted for us and we promise that this recognition will only spur us in 2015.”

The company is highly ranked in the EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard, for investment in the travel and tourism sector for Research & Development into new technologies, investing €350m a year in R&D. Volker Lorenz, who heads up the Irish operation says “it isn’t just about the bits and bytes.

The best technology has a human aspect to it.

Kathryn McDonnell and Gonzalo Ceballos accept the award on behalf of the Spanish Tourist Board

Trish O’Leary and Volker Lorenz accept the award on behalf of Amadeus.

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MARCH 2015 PAGE 23

A Grainne Caffrey and Clem Walshe f Lowcostbeds receive their award from sponsor Declan Mescall of Travelbiz

L

owcostbeds won the Accommodation Only Provider award, capping a record breaking year for lowcostbeds in Ireland and globally.

Being voted "Best Accommodation Only Provider" by Irish Travel Agents and the recent Travel Industry Awards has got 2015 off to a flying start. lowcostbeds Irish MD Clem Walshe said, "I'm delighted with the growth we've enjoyed in Ireland over the last 4

ACCOMMODATION ONLY PROVIDER: LOWCOSTBEDS years and the early signs for 2015 indicate that we are going to see that positive trend continuing for the coming season. We have some really exciting developments in the pipeline over the next few months which will further enhance the lowcostbeds platform from a user perspective. We are continuing to expand our city break and long haul prod-

uct portfolio and adding even better value to our popular range of 'own stock' beach properties.

We look forward to developing our trading relationships with Irish Travel Agents, putting their valuable feedback into practice to ensure we help them increase their margin potential."

ntonio MartinMachuca, Marketing Director for the Andalucia Tourism Board, Spain, was this year’s recipient of the ‘Special Contribution to the Irish Travel Industry Award’.

Martin Skelly President of the Irish Travel Agents Association said that Antonio was the face of his country for the travel trade in Ireland.

He has put the resources of Andalucia to work with us, to the benefit of

ITIA AWARDS 2015 INDUSTRY AWARD: ANTONIO MARTIN Irish travel agents so we can in turn can bring this benefit to our customers.

“Every year the phone rings and Antonio asks what can I do to help the Irish travel trade.”

IN reply Antonio said: “Tourism is crucial to the building of our economy.

The Irish travel trade is very important to Andalucía ass it would be

impossible to build the numbers we have without the support of the Irish travel trade. I am here today openly thanking you for your generosity on behalf of myself and on behalf of Andalucia.”

“The Irish market makes Andalucía better and I am sure it will make us even greater in the future.”

Antonio Martin accepting his award

Thank you!

For voting Amadeus your Best Travel Technology Supplier at this year’s Irish Travel Industy Awards.

We wanted to take the opportunity to thank all of you. Your backing means a lot to us. Succeeding in today’s travel industry isn’t easy and that’s why, as Amadeus is the largest R&D investor in travel technology in Europe, everything we do is driven by you. Thank you from the whole team.

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ITIA AWARDS 2015

O

ne of the most popular awards of the last two awards nights was MSC Cruises Rebecca Kelly’s selection as supplier representative.

She started in the travel agents’ trade 15 years ago and says she has loved it ever since!

“I am absolutely delighted with win to be recognised by the travel trade for twp years running is amazing and there was tough competition

this year.

To win best supplier team was such a shock but with the addition of Julie and my amazing reservations team made this possible! It may have something to do with our brilliant The Captain competition we ran in December with Julie visiting I ver 60 agents across Ireland, it was such a success "The captain" will return to visit agents soon.

The aspect I love most about the travel and travel

SUPPLIER REPRESENTATIVE: REBECCA KELLY agents trade is the selling.

Events like the Holiday World show bring out the best in me and sometimes when I walk into a travel agency I feel like I could slip back in for an hour or two and get stuck in – I definitely have a travel agent’s heart.

The travel agents trade is a very special one and I feel honoured to be a part

of it.

Winning the Best Supplier Representative award at the Irish Travel Industry awards was so humbling and such an honour as it comes from my peers and the people I work with and have spent time building relationships with over the years.

Rebecca Kelly accepts her award

Maie McCarthy and Dermot Merrigan accept the award on behalf of Irish Ferries.

Julie Hanna and Rebecca Kelly accept the award for support team

B

lue Insurances Ltd was founded

by Ciaran Mulligan and Rowan Devereux ten years ago, with a vision to build an innovative company, leading the way in providing online insurance sales to customers in Ireland and Britain.

The company has grown each year, over the past ten years, with turnover rising from €3m in year one to over €20m.

Staff numbers have also increased year on year,.

Ciaran Mulligan, MD, Blue Insurances said “we are delighted to receive the Award for the fourth year in a row.

The Irish Travel Trade is very much a big part of our business which we continue to support them 100pc.

The travel trade support team of Jason, Brian and Jackie are delighted with the Award, rewarding their hard work and commitment to the trade.

We are also delighted

TRAVEL INSURANCE PROVIDER: BLUE INSURANCES to announce that Blue Insurances will be launching new travel related products with the Irish Travel Trade in 2015 and a new reward scheme.

We also would like to thank the Irish Travel Agents Association for hosting a wonderful event. A great evening was had by all.

Specialising in Travel Insurance, Blue Insurances (including their Multitrip.com brand) has won awards each year from the Travel Industry

in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Over the past number of years, the company has moved into other areas including Pet Insurance, Gadget Insurance, Car Hire Excess, Wedding Insurance and Motor Breakdown.

They are looking to grow by over 50pc in the next few years with exciting plans for the future, including continued expansion into overseas markets including India, the UAE, and America

Ciaran Mulligan and Jackie Coughlan of Blue Insurances accept the award from Declan Mescall of Travelbiz and ITAA President Martin Skelly.

S

erial winner in the ferries category, Irish Ferries links with the travel trade go back generations and the company says they are delighted to still enjoy a fantastic working relationship with each other.

Dermot Merrigan says “All the team at Irish Ferries are truly delighted to win this award for the fifth year in succession.

The travel industry is full of very hard working people and we like to think that we are no different in that regard, so to receive such wonderful recognition for our endeavours is a really great boost to us all.

A special thanks goes to my colleagues Marie McCarthy and Ann Pye, both of whom work tirelessly on the ground each year with Irish Travel Agents. Their efforts in ensuring that we are meeting agents’ needs and maintaining the highest levels of service possible are a key factor in our success.

I want to sincerely

FERRY COMPANY: IRISH FERRIES thank our colleagues in the travel industry for their support in 2014 and I wish to reiterate our commitment to continue to deliver an enjoyable and stress free travel experience for their customers through 2015 and beyond.”

The award to Irish Ferries is welcome recognition for a neglected sector. Over the last number of years, we have invested over €450m in new fleet and port facilities.

They now have one of the most modern fleets in Europe including the luxurious Oscar Wilde on the Rosslare routes to Cherbourg and Roscoff, Ulysses, the Largest Car Ferry on the Irish Sea, the Dublin Swift which continues year-round on the DublinHolyhead route, the Isle of Inishmore on the Pembroke-Rosslare route, the 2014 introduction Epsilon on the weekly Saturday Dublin-

Cherbourg route as well as the Dublin-Holyhead route on weekdays. Free wifi was added in 2012.

Ferries are the secret weapon of the travel trade, offering (without baggage restrictions) multiple travel options on the Oscar Wilde from Rosslare to Cherbourg and Roscoff, the Dublin Swift from Dublin to Holyhead, the Ulysses from Dublin to Holyhead and the Isle of Inishmore from Rosslare to Pembroke.

The Irish travel trade have been reminded that ferry services are central to their operations when fire and ice, ash and weather, came to disrupt holiday plans over recent years.

Irish Ferries pay commission of 5pc on ferry bookings and 10pc on holiday bookings and they have a dedicated online booking facility for agents.

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MARCH 2015 PAGE 25

ITIA AWARDS 2015

Wilhelm Nest of the Austria Trade Commission accepts the ski destination award

A

Beatrice Cosgrove accepting the award on behalf of Etihad

E

tihad have won the long haul airline category every year since the awards were instituted and each year has a story of innovation and expansion to tell.

This year was no different. Etihad have flown double daily from Dublin to Abu Dhabi since July 15, using alternating B777-300ER (380 passengers, 40-340) and A330-200 (262 passengers, 22-240) and provid-

LONG HAULAIRLINE: ETIHAD AIRWAYS ing 8,988 seats each week.

It is just the latest initiative to add excitement to the travel industry in Ireland since their launch in May 2007 has been one of the success stories of recent years.

They were the first airline to move to T2 and opened the first lounge in the new facility.

Etihad initially exploited the market developed by the short-lived Gulf Air Bahrain service.

They want to develop a double daily service, although they will probably have collected a few more awards before then.

European manager Beatrice Cosgrove manages a hard working team in Dublin.

n unsurprising victory for the fifth year in a row. Austria is the birthplace of the Arlberg skiing technique, preferred by the Ski Club of Ireland teachers at Kilternan. It is a great spot for freeriding, and for skiers who like their skiing to come with chocolate-box pretty surroundings and loud, unpretentious après-ski.

The country boasts four glaciers (Hintertux, Kitzsteinhorn, Stubai and Sölden) and some of Europe's most reliable snow in the Arlberg region.

SKI DESTINATION: AUSTRIA Irish favourite resorts include Söll, Westendorf for Kitzbühel and Leogang for SaalbachHinterglemm, appealing villages with attractive wooded slopes as well as stark glaciers while the après-ski is renowned.

The Ski Amadé region might be Europe's largest linked ski area, the 280km linked Skiwelt region can rattle 50km or more from you each day, but generally speaking Austria's resorts are rela-

tively small. Even the larger resorts often incorporate several small villages in one valley, like Bad Gastein and Stubaital.

It can work to the advantage of families and those on a budget when a small resort is linked by lifts (or bus) to large, interconnected ski areas such as SkiWelt and the Kitzbüheler Alpen, as accommodation is often cheaper and familyfriendly.

THANK YOU FOR A FANTASTIC START TO 2015 What better way to start the new year than with some fantastic news – we’ve been awarded Best Ultra Luxury Cruise Company at the Irish Travel Industry Awards 2015. And of course, we’ve you to thank. Your voting made all the difference, again.

Now we’re looking forward to what the rest of the year holds!

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT CELEBRITY CRUISES® VISIT CRUISINGPOWER.IE

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MARCH 2015 PAGE 26

AFLOAT UNIWORLD is offering more itineraries and more capacity on their popular Rhine and Danube all-inclusive luxury river cruises in 2015. Uniworld’s new itineraries include: eight-day Holland & Belgium at Tulip Time; and 10-day Delightful Danube & Prague; 10day Eastern Europe Explorer; 13-day Jewels of Spain, Portugal & the Douro River; and 22-day Ultimate France.

MSC Cruises launched a new wedding pro-

gramme which allows couples to get married onboard the MSC Divina. Prices start at $1,600 for a shipboard event and $2,200 for a shoreside event. MSC released images of MSC Sinfonia in dry-dock (watch here).

BAHAMAS The inaugural sailing for

the Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line was cancelled due to a fault with the ship's PA system.

CARNIVAL Cruise Line will homeport Carnival Vista, its newest and largest cruise ship, in Miami.

BRITTANY Ferries has extended their

early inclusive holiday offer with 20pc off land accommodation and 15pc off ferry for customers who book a holiday package.

EMISSIONS New penalties have

been revealed by the US authorities monitoring sulphur emissions by cruise ships operating to the Caribbean. Ships operating in the four Sulphur Emission Control Areas, including the Baltic and North Sea must use fuel containing less than 0.1 percent sulphur under new emission regulations that kicked in Jan 1. Cherbourg and Roscoff are within the European SECA zone.

MSC

Sinfonia has moved into dry dock for stretching, the second ship to undergo the Renaissance programme.

VENICE

The Tribunale Amministrativo Regionale, Venice's regional court of appeal threw out the limit on large cruise ships (over 2,260 passengers) the city imposed in November 2014. Italy’s Transport Ministry said it would appeal the decision to the Council of State.

CELEBRITY

Cruises introduced an add-on package for travellers looking to spend more time in their departure city prior to their cruise, available for booking on cruises departing as early as February 2015.

ROYAL Caribbean have dropped the $15 surcharge to ea the Quantum of the Seas healthy speciality restaurant Devinly Decadence. All dishes in the restaurant are 500 calories or less. Royal Caribbean is partnering with Google Maps to offer a virtual tour of Quantum of the Seas Allure of the Seas was mapped in July 2014.

ROYAL Caribbean's Royal IQ app is now available to Android users.

DISNEY Dream and Disney Fantasy are offering six courses that feature white Alba and black Perigord truffles for $250 a head during truffle season, November to January. Passengers can purchase one-ounce tins of caviar, ranging in price from $99 to $360.

Richard Fain and friends line up for another steel cutting ceremony in St Nazaire

Oasis 4 underway Steel cutting starts another 5,400 passenger ship

C

onstruction on Royal Caribbean's fourth Oasis-class ship officially began with a steel cutting at the STX France shipyard in Saint-Nazaire.

Royal Caribbean said that details of the two Oasis-class ships currently under construction will be revealed in the coming months.

Spanning 16 decks with 2,700 staterooms, Oasis-class firsts at sea included an 82 foot-long zip line, a handcrafted carousel, the Rising Tide bar, the AquaTheater high-diving performance venue, and the Central Park

with 12,000 live trees and plants.

The class was introduced in 2009 with the Oasis of the Seas, featuring a revolutionary design with a split superstructure and the cruise line’s neighbourhood concept of seven distinct themed areas.

Royal Caribbean will add a classic dynamic dining option to Anthem of the Seas when it launches in April, following criticism of its new Dynamic Dining concept.

The new option will allow cruisers who prefer a set-time experience to have dinner with the same tablemates

and waiters each night.

The cruise line postponed expanding its dynamic dining concept to more ships in the fleet, including Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas.

Dynamic Dining does not have set dining times or formal nights and offers 18 dining options on Quantum of the Seas, including five free dining venues. Royal say Anthem of the Seas will feature Dynamic Dining but the concept is the subject of debate on internet forums.

HURTIGRUTEN ADDS 2ND AURORA CHARTER

H

urtigruten has added an extra charter flight from Dublin on March 18 to support its Arctic Highlights Northern Lights programme.

Philip Price, Managing Director said he was delighted that Hurtigruten are getting such

great support from the trade. “It is thanks to them that we have been able to offer additional capacity.”

Arctic Highlights voyages stay within the Arctic Circle for the duration of the voyage and travel in the ‘auroral zone’ where the Northern Lights are most often

seen.

Passengers booking the Arctic Highlights itinerary will benefit from a drinks package.

Optional excursions include snowmobiling, husky sledging and a trip to the North Cape.

Arctic Highlights packages departing Mar 18 start from €1092.

Northern lights from the deck

DINING OPTIONS ON ESCAPE PLATE

N

orwegian Escape, to launch in November, has announced a series of entertainment and dining innovations.

Features include two restaurants from celebrity chef Jose Garces, a craft beer hall from Miamibased craft brewery Wyn-

wood and two new Broadway shows -- After Midnight and Million Dollar Quartet.

International gourmet dishes will be available in Food Republic, located in former cabin space, now an extended Waterfront on Deck 8. Norwegian’s first swine bar will be the Cel-

lars, a Michael Mondavi Family Wine Bar. Escape is to feature a Snow Room in its Thermal Suite, which Norwegian Cruise Line is billing as the largest at sea, Escape will feature a series of branded dining and entertainment experiences: two new speciality restau-

rants from chef Jose Garces; the Food Republic emporium from The Pubbelly Restaurant Group; the District Brew House; The Cellars Michael Mondavi Family wine bar; new Supper Club; two Tony Awardwinning Broadway musicals; and the musical Million Dollar Quartet.

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AFLOAT CARNIVAL Cruise Line has ended its

partnership with EA Sports. Ships that have EA Sports Bars will have the branding phased out.

SEABOURN

Sojourn is to cruise the Western Med in 2016, Seabourn Quest will cruise from the Western Med o Northern Europe. Seabourn Odyssey will cruise the Eastern Med, including a new 12-night Morocco and Canary Islands itinerary. Experiences include UNESCO sites, shopping trips to local markets with ship' chefs, water sports in the Med and classical concerts under the stars in Ephesus.

LIVERPOOL City Council approved an expansion project for Liverpool's cruise terminal, which will allow ships of up to 1,800 passengers to dock.

NORWEGIAN Cruise Line president

Lounge area under contruction on Stena Superfast X in Gdyina

Stena March launch Superfast X is four times capacity of Stena Nordica

S

tena Line will be concentrating on expanding its existing ferry service at Dublin Port while at the same time confirming that it is withdrawing its HSS Stena Explorer service from Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

From March 11 Stena Line will be replacing the Stena Nordica with a larger vessel, Stena Superfast X. Stena Superfast X is a sister ship of Stena Superfast VII and VIII ships which the company currently operates on the Irish Sea. It has capacity for up to 1,200 passengers and provides almost 2 km of lane space to accommodate a mix of car and freight traffic.

Stena’s team called by Gdynia to see the ship undergoing its final stages of refurbishment, in the midst of transformation from the DFDS

Calais to Dover vessel.

The key changes: decks eight and nine and most of ten are devoted to passenger facilities instead of the confined single deck facilities on Stena Nordica, which currently serves Dublin-Holyhead.

It will have four times the passenger facilities, 1,200 instead of 300 and two kilometres of lane space. The new ship includes a signature spa but will not be open for the summer season until a specialist spa operation is established, similar to the spas on sister ships Stena Superfast VII and VIII ships which the company currently operates on the Irish Sea. Stena Line has operated the HSS Stena Explorer into Dun Laoghaire since 1995 during which time the vessel has carried a mix of passengers,

car and coach traffic. The Dun Laoghaire service was successful for several years following its introduction, carrying over 1.7 million passengers annually during its peak in 1998. However, post the withdrawal of ‘duty free’ shopping, passenger and cars volumes declined dramatically and by 2014, less than 200,000 ferry passengers travelled through Dun Laoghaire Harbour. This represented a decline of over 90pc in volume, making the route unsustainable.

Ian Davies, Stena Line’s Route Manager for Irish Sea South, said: “With two services operating approx. 10 miles apart we needed to make a decision in relation to what operation best serves the needs of our customers now and in the years ahead, and that operation is Dublin Port.”

and CEO (and fourth generation Corkman) Kevin Sheehan has decided to leave the company and will be succeeded by Frank Del Rio. So does this mean a new name for O’Sheehan’s Irish pub on board NCL cruise ships?

AMERICAN Cruise Lines said it plans to build European-style riverboats in a move away from the traditional paddlewheelers.

PRESTIGE Cruises International withdrew plans for an IPO.

MSC Cruises added Malta to its western Med sailings.

NORWEGIAN launched Norwe-

gian's Freestyle Choice promotion in Ireland.

CRYSTAL Cruises 2017 itineraries include 32 maiden calls and record overnights.

PORT Everglades opened its refurbished

$24m Cruise Terminal 4 on Thursday. PE is the world's second-busiest cruise ship port.

CARNIVAL Miracle will include the

RedFrog Pub, Alchemy Bar, Seuss at Sea and Hasbro when it returns from refurb in March..

SEABOURN

revealed the names of its next two cruise ships, Seabourn Encore due to launch in late 2016, and Seabourn Ovation to launch in spring 2018.

COPENHAGEN will become the first airport in Europe to let cruise ship passengers check bags for their flights before leaving the ship from March.

REGENT Seven Seas held its keel-laying for Seven Seas Explorer which it claims is the "most luxurious ship in the world."

AVALON

Waterways announced launch dates for two suite ships, Avalon Imagery II and Avalon Passion,next spring.

AMAWaterways will offer passengers inter-

connecting rooms and larger suites, as well as a heated swimming pool on two 158-passenger ships AmaViola and AmaStella next spring.

IMAX AT SEA The 3,954-passenger Carnival Vista will feature the first IMAX at sea when it launches May 1, 2016.

PRINCESS Cruises will move Emerald Princess to Sydney in Nov 2016. for its first season in the antipodes.

Diane Poole, Jim Howey, Orla Noonan and Kerry Prentice on board Stena Superfast X under construction.

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THE FLYING COLUMN

Aviation with Gerry O’Hare

ALERT The Aireon Alert Global Emer-

gency Tracking Service Response Centre is to be located in Ballygirreen, Shannon, Co. Clare, The Aireon ALERT service, a global emergency tracking solution that will be provided as a public service to the aviation community, free-of-charge, will allow rescue agencies, air traffic control providers or airlines to request the location and last flight track of any 1090 MHz Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS–B) equipped aircraft in distress. It is expected that approximately 90 percent of the world's commercial fleet will be ADS-B equipped in the near future.

ETIHAD reported that inflight Wi-Fi usage was up 80pc last year. There was a 60pc increase in the use of Etihad’s mobile network, and 50,000 hours of Live TV were viewed every month.

AER LINGUS

reopened their voluntary redundancy scheme, which it expects to cut 150 jobs in its latest redundancy scheme.

ETIHAD offered a peek inside their private apartment with butler, double bed and ensuite bathroom in the sky and also began 787-9 operations.

LONDON CITY Newham Council

greenlit an extended terminal at London City, a new taxi-way, an increase in the number of stands for aircraft from 18 to 25,an increase in take-offs and landings at the airport from 70,000 a year to 111,000, an extension of the airport’s reach from destinations in western Europe to Russia and North Africa.

IBERIA launched a free service that al-

lows passengers to check in online as soon as they have purchased their tickets.

SWISS International Air Lines renamed its Swiss European Air Lines subsidiary as Swiss Global Air Lines.

SINGAPORE Airline’s new Premium Economy Class went on sale.

EASYJET unveiled new livery more or-

ange with a bigger logo, and the dot com has been dropped.

ETIHAD has appointed Linda Celestino as the airline’s Vice President Guest Services, taking over from Dublin born Aubrey Tiedt who has moved to a new role as Chief Customer Officer at Alitalia.

WIZZ Having postponed plans last June,

Wizz Air said it intends to float on the London Stock Exchange this year and raise €150m in the first quarter.

STOCKHOLM Arlanda is seeking US preclearance facilities.

SAS sold a Heathrow slot pair for $60m.

FLYBE will add another daily flight from

the airport to London City from next week.

ULSTER Aviation Society bought a Phantom jet to put on display.

PENSIONERS mounted a challenge against Aer Lingus-DAA proposal

Egehan Koni and Ozlem Deniz give a demonstration of the simulator at Turkish Airlines HQ in istanbul

Turkish: 3 daily next

Airline strategy is to expand with multiple flights daily

T

urkish Airlines plans to increase to triple daily their Dublin-Istanbul service within three years all going to plan with increases in frequency to three on certain days as early as next year to test viability.

Murat Balandi said that Irish traffic on the route had grown by 38pc and 41pc in the previous two years and the airline is targeting 40pc expansion again in 2015.

Discussions are under way with

both Shannon and Belfast to open a second Irish service. Tel Aviv is currently the most popular connection through Istanbul, and Turkish expect the connection options to grow the coming months particularly in the Balkans as they open more services.

Murat Bas gave an insight into the workings of the Turkish Airlines business model to a group of Irish travel and business journalists in Istanbul this month.

He said that under a plan implemented in 2005 services grow to dou-

ble daily services on different days of the week (rather than concentrating on daily) and then to double and treble daily if the market responds.

Murat Bas said: “Dublin is a medium haul route because it is more than three hours. We have to be much more careful, to compare Dublin with destinations other than Kiev and Athens which take less risk than Dublin. The response to Dublin was over the average and we have shortened the time for increased services.”

CITYJET COMPLETES REFINANCE

C

ityJet completed a refinancing programme which places it in a strong position to fund its restructuring and its growth strategy.

The airline, which has its headquarters in Swords, announced the sale and leaseback of seven Avro RJ85 aircraft.

It said its restructuring plans were progressing ahead of schedule and stated that it continued to experience improving trading conditions.

The sale and leaseback package involves its main lessor, Falko Regional Aircraft Limited. Falko was formed in July 2011 when funds managed by Fortress

Investment Group completed the purchase of BAE Systems Asset Management and its associated aircraft portfolio. Fortress Investment Group currently has over $60bn of funds under management.

Falko is one of the largest lessors of regional aircraft in the world and is based in Hatfield, England.

The airline said it was emerging from a challenging period and that refinancing places CityJet in a strong financial position for the future as a significant independent European regional airline.

CityJet said restructuring was necessary due to its legacy of having been part

of the Air France Group which left it with an infrastructure which was inappropriate for a independent regional carrier.

Restructuring will deliver a sustainable and competitive cost base and corporate infrastructure.

Christine Ourmières, CityJet CEO, said: “The recent months have shown the determination of our management team and staff to embrace the challenge of reshaping the business.

We can now focus on delivering our customers a superior product and service which will support our trading performance.”

Jeremy Barnes, Falko CEO, said: “We are pleased

to be able to assist them with this financing and we look forward to supporting them in a variety of different ways in the coming years as they roll out their growth strategy.

Peter Oncken, CityJet Chairman and CEO of Intro Aviation said CityJet has been through challenging times since its separation from Air France.

The carrier’s independence, coupled with the sale of loss-making VLM, enables CityJet to develop its niche regional European business.

I have been impressed by the determination and resilience of CityJet’s management and staff.”

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THE FLYING COLUMN

Aviation with Gerry O’Hare

Further FR growth Michael O’Leary talks strategy after Boeing purchase

M

ichael O’Leary outlined the impact the deliveries of 280 new Boeing craft would have on Ryanair’s growth strategy when he hosted a press conference with Boeing’s John Wojic at Swords.

O’Leary said that Ryanair paid a premium for their NG craft and conceded that the list prices we all use in the headlines when reporting these orders are meaningless. “It was a small premium but non the less it was a premium. This is such a radical revolutionary aircraft.”

He said the new craft can use shorter runways such as Derry without blocking off seats. “The weight penalty is more than made up by revenue form the extra seats and fuel savings. We wil be able to offer more destinations from airports with shorter runways and operate them with full seating.”

Boeing’s John Wojick of Boeing said most of the savings in the new NG are down to operating cost.

Ryanair declined having extra seats because it would mean a shorter seat pitch. “It is more the philosophy now under the always getting better programme where we want to improve the customer experience at every point where they contact us, booking on the website the mobile phone, on flight, in flight. Everything is now designed about making it better.

We don’t have a philosophy about slim line but it is not going to get shorter. We could have got three more seats but because of doors we would have to go back down to an average

AER LINGUS

replaced Flybe on PSO routes between Dublin and Donegal and claimed they would increase passenger numbers on the route.

RYANAIR reported Q3 profit of €49m,

raised its profit guidance to €840m-€850m, will pay a €512m dividend this month and announced a €400m share buy-back programme starting in February. Q3 saw a 14pc increase in passengers and a 17pc increase in revenue.

Load factor was up 6 points to 88pc.

DUBLIN Airport numbers were up 14pc

over last January. England grew by 10pc, mainland Europe was up 18pc, transatlantic was up 5pc, Middle East and North Africa was up 39pc and domestic up 29pc (to 69,000 passengers).

AER LINGUS reported what Merrion

Michael O’Leary present John Wojic with an irish rugby jersey of under thirty inches per seat and we don’t think we want to go there for the sake of three extra seats.

There is no doubt that the new slim line seats with more legroom will make more meaningful contribution to the passenger experience, particularly with this aircraft we will be looking at five and a half hours down to the middle east and the `Canaries.

“Aircraft ownership and depreciation is only 12-14pc of our total costs.

While it is important it is not the difference between making a profit and losing money.

Much more important is the passenger experience on board the aircraft and fuel efficiency – fuel was 42pc of our total costs, if we can reduce that by 5pc never mind 20pc, paying a premium for aircraft that

will account for 12-14pc of your costs is not that important.

The discipline of Ryanair has been to wait for a downturn in orders and values. We have tried not to buy aircraft when everyone was ordering aircraft and the peak is. Apart from 9-11, we have never got the very bottom of the cycle. But as long as we are placing the order between four o’clock and eight o’clock in the cycle it is not bad.

It is not a big industry. The pricing is well known across she entire industry.”

One of the slides featuring a bright and airy 2-2 configuration which Michael O’Leary was quick to point out would not be available in the Ryanair version.

Capital called a mixed start to 2015. It confirmed a pattern of weak short haul and strong long haul. Aer Lingus carried 614,000 passengers in January, down 5.7pc compared to 2014.

Load factor was up 2.4pc to 68.9pc, 2.4pc on long haul and 1.7pc on short haul. Long haul passenger numbers were up 22pc on January 2014

ETIHAD will introduce a new payment

feature to its Guest membership card. Walletplus by Visa allows members to load money onto their Guest card and convert it to 11 different currencies.

CITYJET founder, Pat Byrne, is to rejoin the Board as Chairman.

AIRTAXBACK established to re-

cover tax fees and charges from unused flights is being merged with the international refund chasers airhelp.eu claiming refunds for delays or cancellations under EU Reg 261. Brian Whelan who has taken up the role of their country manager for Ireland and Britain says there is “a treasure trove being overlooked by Irish air passengers and to a certain extent the industry. Wouldn't travel agents and tour operators rejoice if even half of the €52m in uncollected refunds was recycled into more holidays?”

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THE FLYING COLUMN

Aviation with Gerry O’Hare

RYANAIR reported strong passenger

numbers carried in January set against declining fares. Ryanair reported record bookings on Brussels summer schedule. Ryanair’s summer bookings were up 12pc in Slovakia. Ryanair reported record bookings on Liverpool Summer 2015 schedule. Bucharest in April was the death knell for Tarom on the route. Ryanair conceded defeat in a planning row over the erection of a massive banner at its new HQ at Dublin airport. A London court will rule on Thursday on the Simon Polito direction to Ryanair to sel its stake in Aer Lingus. The decision is likely to be appealed further.

Ryanair’s pan-European creative brief went to Dare.

SWISS

is expanding its Business Class culinary offering on long-haul routes alongside its convenient “quick meal” option. New lounges will be opened in Zurich towards the end of the year. Business class travellers on European services will soon be able to enjoy more privacy and comfort, while an exclusive bus transfer will be available at selected airports.

DUBLIN AIRPORT and Aer Lingus launched a roadshow promoted Dublin as transfer hub in nine English and Scottish cities w over the next two months, highlighting connectivity offered by Aer Lingus and Dublin Airport and the ease of transferring through Dublin.

SHANNON Aerospace Ltd was changed to Lufthansa Technik Shannon Ltd. The wholly-owned subsidiary of Lufthansa Technik AG has thus joined Hamburg, Berlin, Budapest, Malta and Sofia as one of the six European base maintenance facilities in name as well as in practice.

AIRPORTS Passenger numbers at Europe’s airports grew by an average 5.4pc in 2014 according to the Airports Council International Europe,

Calgary and Vancouver are popular connections through Toronto for Air Canada

Even more Canada

Another new route as Air Canada goes to 11 weekly

A

ir Canada Rouge are increasing their service to 11 weekly.

This surprise move will increase connection options through Toronto for the only wide body and the only year round service to Canada.

In its first summer season, Air Canada rouge offered an up to daily link between Toronto and Dublin using a Boeing 767-300ER They reverted to a three times weekly offering through the current winter schedule.

Frequencies will increase again from late April 2015, growing to ten times weekly in mid-June and up to

WOW Air’s €149 flights to the US via Iceland was heavily publicised by Skúli Mogensen. The promotional fares to Boston and Washington are available on Wow’s 3w flights.

EMIRATES President Tim Clark hit back at an effort by the three US mainline carriers to lobby the US government to roll back open skies with some Gulf nations, calling the airlines' allegations sweeping and unfounded.

He said reversing open skies would be s shame.

CAR The Commission for Aviation Regulation published the Quality of Service reports for Q4 (October to December) 2014.

AIR FRANCE CEO Alexandre de Juniac told Bloomberg that the entire European air transport industry is facing challenges of unprecedented magnitude.

RYANAIR and Aer Lingus won a court challenge against an EU state aid ruling on departure tax.

SEEFIN Bertie Ahern was appointed

Non Executive Chairman of Seefin Aviation.

I

eleven times weekly from the end of that month through to the end of August. The changes will mean Air Canada rouge will boost its summer capacity on the route from 35,528 seats in each direction in 2014 to 62,856 seats in 2015,up 76.9 pc.

Dublin became Rouge’s fourth European destination when it replaced Air Canada in the Toronto – Dublin market from May 1, 2014.

Air Canada has been serving Ireland since its predecessor, TransCanada Air Lines, first flew to Shannon in 1947 and until last year the Star Alliance member had continuously served the Dublin market on a

seasonal summer-only scheduled basis since 2002.

Calgary and Vancouver are the two most popular connection choices from Dublin, followed by Edmonton. n Europe Airpost is to operate a 737-700 service direct to Halifax between July 9 and Sept 11, outbound on Thursdays 2:25pm and back on Fridays landing 8.05pm, originating in Paris Charles de Gaulle and continuing on to Halifax. This was a route considered by Aer Lingus at discussions during the Routes conference in Las Vegas in 2013. Halifax is Dublin Airport’s fifteenth North American destination.

FUEL REPRIEVE FOR OLDER AIRCRAFT

n five years more than half the aircraft in the sky will be owned by leasing companies, up from 40pc today, Thomas Cahill of Morgan Stanley told. Delegates to the Global Aviation Finance Conference which brought some high rollers and high fliers to Dublin, 1500 delegates from 268 cities.

The message was that the pendulum activated by Tony Ryan and Steven Udvar-Hazy continues to swing Ireland;s way, and towards leasing rather than traditional airline ownership.

John Wojick of Boeing suggested that this was down to the way aircraft are financed.

Aengus Kelly, CEO of AerCap argued that lower fuel prices have made

older aircraft useful again and he was leasing older 767s, A340s and 747s again.

It was argued that the approximate $10m differential between an A320ceo and an A320neo cannot be justified at current fuel prices.

Elsewhere the conference was told that at least four non-US airlines are planning to do a EETC in 2015 Warwick: I think Boeing would admit they’re struggling to keep the 747 program running at an economic rate.

European carriers have the highest break-even load factor at 64.7pc.

Richard Owen Walker of Airbus declared “India is a frustration for everyone, including India. Bureaucracy and regulation is stopping growth.”

Seamus Ó Cróinín of A&L Goodbody Wizz Air CFO Mike Powell called for more consolidation among EU flag carriers. Nirmal Govinda Das of Emirates said there is no other choice than diversify funding base because of the large a/c fleet.

The legendary Bill Franke of Indigo Partners predicted there will be mergers among American low cost carriers, similar to the consolidation which has left just four major legacy carriers in the USA.

Page 031 - 033 Greg Evans advertorial 11/02/2015 07:48 Page 1

MARCH 2015 PAGE 31

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Make A Discovery Discover Philadelphia (PHL) - a modern renaissance city where history meets innovation and culture. Here for the making of your next great American adventure, PHL is conveniently located between New York City and Washington, D.C. along the North-East corridor of the U.S. Easy to get to and get around, once you arrive in PHL you will find a multitude of cosmopolitan experiences to choose from.

Take-in Philadelphia culture as you walk through the vibrant streetscape and immerse in America’s old world and new world. Safe and friendly streets are lined with parks, rivers, shops, public art, restaurants and museums. All within walking distance from downtown.

Make History Philadelphia is where the American Dream was founded and the model for modern day democracy was forged. Home to iconic places such as the Independence Hall (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the Liberty Bell and the National Constitution Center, here you will get a glimpse at the birth of a nation. Innovation and education are at the heart of both the Philadelphia and American stories.

Make it Creative Philadelphia’s art, music, film, design, fashion, performance and culinary energy are thriving.

World-class cuisine prepared by celebrity (and award winning) chefs can be found throughout PHL. Options abound with more than 2,500 restaurants, 250 outdoor cafes and 200+ BYOB (Bring Your Own Bottle) style

restaurants. Known as a culture capital, PHL boasts the most artistic mile in the country stretching from Philadelphia City Hall to the Philadelphia Museum of Art including the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, The Barnes Foundation and The Rodin Museum.

Make it Vibrant Neighborhoods are the fabric of Philadelphia. Check out cobblestone streets, American history and unique boutiques in Old City then stroll over to Northern Liberties where an open air piazza holds free concerts and festivals. Across Philadelphia’s neighbourhoods you will find more than 3,500 outdoor works of art.

Make It Green With the largest municipal urban park system in the world, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia is one of the greenest cities in America. Named “one of the world’s 10 best cities for parks” by Frommer’s, PHL offers a wide range of outdoor activities and urban adventures.

Make It Accessible Philadelphia International Airport (www.phl.org) connects Philadelphia with more than 124 cities, including over 30 international destinations making Philadelphia easily accessible from anywhere in the world.

Once visitors arrive, exploring other U.S. destinations is easy with rail services via Amtrak (www.amtrak.com). Philadelphia is located less than a two-hour train ride from both New York and Washington, D.C., Getting around PHL is easy too. Philadelphia is ranked “one of the top 10 walkable cities in the U.S.” by walkscore.com.

PHILADELPHIA: culture, cuisine, historic streets going green,

easy for walking, tax-free for shopping, wallet-friendly, chic and trendy, totally obvious choice

for your next AMERICAN ADVENTURE

www.discoverPHL.co.uk Photo Credit: bklphoto.com for PHLCVB/Miles Weaver

Page 031 - 033 Greg Evans advertorial 11/02/2015 07:48 Page 2

MARCH 2015 PAGE 32

Three East Coast USA options with a World of Visitor Appeal

Brandywine & Valley Forge in The Countryside of Philadelphia

W

ithin the countryside of Philadelphia, lies The Brandywine Valley and Valley Forge.

The Brandywine Valley has a rich tradition of horticulture from the benevolence of the famed du Pont family to arboretums paying homage to Pennsylvania – Penn’s Woods. This heritage resonates throughout the greater Philadelphia region, earning the moniker – America’s Garden Capital. The horticultural influence of the famed du Pont family is particularly strong in Southeastern Pennsylvania and Northern Delaware.

The Brandywine Valley is home to Longwood Gardens, the world’s premier horticultural display garden, founded by Pierre S. du Pont. Situated on 1,050 acres, Longwood features 20 indoor gardens as well as 20 outdoor gardens and a breathtaking conservatory. Built in 1919, the conservatory is one of the world’s great greenhouse structures; home to 20 different gardens featuring 5500 types of plants. Outdoor gardens overflow with gorgeous flowers and spectacular fountains.

The newly expanded Meadow Garden encompasses 86 acres and is a model of ecological gardening and design. Summer 2015 explore the gar-

dens by day – and night. Nightscape: A Light and Sound Experience opens July 1 and the natural canvas of plants, flowers, trees and lakes will come alive with moving imagery, light and music.

Valley Forge and Montgomery County, Pennsylvania are known for their history, but their appeal is modern-day. It is a shopper’s paradise, a culturelover’s haven, a place whose theaters and concert venues come alive at night. Explore the County’s dining, family fun, fine accommodations, open spaces and adventurous places.

The King of Prussia Mall, is the largest shopping complex on the East Coast of the United States, and offers the most discriminating shopper an endless selection of luxury department stores, with more than 400 dining and shopping venues. For outlet lovers, Philadelphia Premium Outlets, located in the northwestern suburb of Limerick, offers 150 brand name outlet stores, from designer fashions and sportswear to home furnishings and specialty gifts, all at 25-65 percent off everyday prices.

Don’t forget it’s tax-free shopping on clothes and shoes.

&more

everything

clothes & shoes

From the renowned Brandywine River Museum, to the site of Washington’s famous encampment at Valley Forge National Historical Park, a bottle of cabernet or chardonnay at Chaddsford Winery or over 1,000 acres to explore at the world-renowned Longwood Gardens, combining the best of Italian, French and English traditions creating one of North America’s most memorable gardens and of course the resplendent beautiful rolling hills and picturesque countryside.

And with tax-free shopping at The King of Prussia Mall or Philadelphia Premium Outlets, whatever you enjoy doing, there’s everything & more in the Countryside of Philadelphia.

For further information visit www.thecountrysideofphiladelphia.com

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MARCH 2015 PAGE 33

Three East Coast USA options with a World of Visitor Appeal

Now is the time to Do Atlantic City

A

tlantic City, the East Coasts original place to play! Championship golf courses, world renowned entertainment, vibrant nightlife, the latest casino games and a shoppers paradise with over 100 outlets, Atlantic City is the best choice for a vacation get-away.

Atlantic City is always on the move with new visitor attractions like Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville entertainment complex at Resorts Casino featuring the Margaritaville Restaurant, LandShark Bar & Grill, 5 O’Clock Somewhere Casino Bar, Margaritaville Coffee Shop and two retail shops. Who doesn’t love Jimmy Buffett and a cheeseburger in paradise! These changes resulted in Resorts Casino Hotel transforming into a destination appealing to visitors yearning for an island adventure. The Bass Pro Shop, a full city block of entertainment for the whole family, is slated to open spring of 2015, complete with an aquarium and fish-themed bowling alley. Of course our favorite pastime is shopping and it’s TAX-FREE! So don’t forget about the hottest shopping around. Tanger Outlets The Walk has over 100 retail establishments include Pandora, , Coach, Michael Kors, Guess, Old Navy, Yankee Candle and more.

For visitors who like to be entertained, the nightlife in Atlantic City is endless. From Country and Rock to Rodeos, Boxing and midget car racing, all

performed under the bright lights at Atlantic City’s casino properties and at Historic Boardwalk Hall. When the sun goes down, the action is just heating up as numerous night clubs, such as Mixx at Borgata, Dusk at Caesars, Boogie Nights at Tropicana, Haven at the Golden Nugget and The Pool at Harrah’s, allow patrons the opportunity to dance and party the night away until the wee hours of the morning.

When you come to Atlantic City, come hungry because our culinary menu is a delightfully tasty mix of gourmet restaurants with an amazing array of internationally-acclaimed chefs. Atlantic City offers many choices that are sure to please any picky palette and price conscience visitors. Dishes from all ethnic backgrounds, such as Mexican, American, Italian, Vietnamese, Asian, Indian, Southern, Cuban, Mediterranean and more, can be found at dozens of restaurants throughout the city and along the Boardwalk.

We offer complete Atlantic City information and knowledgeable staff to assist you, Meet AC is committed to making every visit a memorable experience. After all, it’s always about the stories and Atlantic City has many to share with visitors of all ages.

Page 034 Travel Writer Awards 10/02/2015 16:10 Page 1

MARCH 2015 PAGE 34

TRAVEL WRITER AWARDS 2014-15

Digital winner Pól Ó Conghaile with Laura McCormack of Clickandgo.

Short break catergory w:inner Conor Power of the Sunday Independent with John Spollen of Cassidy Travel All the award winners: Mary Fanning, Conor Power, Mark Graham, Ros Drinkwater , Gonzalo Ceballos of the panish Tourist Board, Eoghan Corry of Travel Extra. front row: Isabel Conway, Deirdre Mullins, Niamh McSweeney, Pól Ó Conghaile, Madeleine Keane, Deirdre Conroy and Mary Kennedy

Charlotte Brennan of Falcon with Sun winner Ros Drinkwater of the Sunday Business Post

Spain catergory Winner NIamh McSweeney of Business and Finance with Oriol Garcia of Portaventura, Elmo and Benet Presas of Salou

Overal winner Overall: Pól Ó Conghaile withVictor Bonett of the Maltese Tourist Board

Overal winner Overall: Pól Ó Conghaile with Gonzalo Ceballos of the Maltese Tourist Board

Talbot triumph: Conor Power, Pol O Conghaile, Independent.ie, Deirdre Conroy and Madeleine Keane of the Sunday Independent

Pól Ó Conghaile wins writer award

B

allinasloe born Pól Ó Conghaile was awarded Travel Extra Irish travel writer of the year for a record fourth time at an awards ceremony at Thomas Prior House sponsored by the Spanish Tourist Board and attended by Spanish ambassador Javier Garrigues.

There was a record number of entries, 98. The event lived up to its name as the highlight of the travel media year with a large attendance from all mainstream media.

The award winners were chosen by a distinguished panel of senior Irish journalists. The winners were: Broadcasting: Mary Fanning of Nationwide Kildare Arthur’s Way(sponsored by TTC) Digital: Winner - Pól Ó Conghaile independent.ie (sponsored by

Clickandgo) Home market: Winner Madeleine Keane of the Sunday Independent sponsored by Fáilte Ireland) Long haul: Winner Deirdre Mullins for rte.ie (sponsored by Sunway) Newcomer/Young Journalist: Deirdre Conroy of the Sunday Independent (sponsored by Turkish Airlines) Northern Ireland: Winner - Ros Drinkwater of Sunday Business Post Lisburn Road (sponsored by Northern Ireland Tourist Board) Short break: Winner – Conor Power of Sunday Independent for Puy de Fuy (sponsored by Cassidy Travel) Skiing: Winner - Isabel Conway of Metro Herald for Port du Soleil (sponsored by Topflight)

Clem Walshe of Sponsors Lowcost Beds and Mark Graham winner of the award for travel book of the year

Spain: Winner – NIamh McSweeney of Business and Finance for Ibiza (sponsored by Spanish Tourist Board) Sun holiday: Winner - Ros Drinkwater of the Sunday Business Post “In Search of Montalbano” (sponsored by Falcon Holidays): Travel Book: Mark Graham for Festivals of Ireland (sponsored by Lowcostholidays).

Overall: Pól Ó Conghaile (sponsored by Maltese Tourist Board) Previous winners were: 2002 Cleo Murphy, 2003-4 Pól Ó Conghaile, 2005 Kathryn Thomas, 2006 Muriel Bolger, 2007 Philip Nolan, 2008 Pól Ó Conghaile, 2009 Mark Evans and 2010 Philip Nolan 2011 Isabel Conway. 2012 Sue Morrell 2013-4 Pól Ó Conghaile.

Mary Fanning and Mary kennedy fo Nationwide, winners of the broadcast award with Carole Carmody and Shaorn Jordan of sponsors TTC

Page 035 Agent 10/02/2015 16:08 Page 1

MARCH 2015 PAGE 35

Inside the Travel Business

GLOBAL VILLAGE TRAVEL CENTRES say they

have 14 fully responsive websites under construction for their members in partnership with Irish web development firm Purplepod. The sites cost €1,000 each to develop. Dominic Burke says: “with the migration of internet users to mobile platforms such as smartphones and tablets, the need for travel agents to have fully responsive websites which re-configure themselves to mimic the form factor on which they are being viewed has become essential.”

TIGS Travel Industry Golf Society plans to

have two shot gun starts at Dun Laoghaire and on Captain's Day at Carlow in their 2015 schedule: Mar 11 Portmarnock Team Event Sponsor Turkish Airlines, Apr 16 Druids Glen Presidents Day sponsored by Etihad Airways, May 21 Fota Island sponsored by - Travel Corporation, May 22 Douglas sponsored by Cork Airport, June 19 Dun Laoghaire Golf Club sponsored by Amadeus, Sept 3 Carlow Captains Day sponsored by Travelport, Oct 22 Castle sponsored by Travel Extra.

IRISH visits to Germany increased 21.1pc Jerez de la Frontera Cathedral

All go for Jerez Jerez confirmed for 2015 ITAA Conference

A

Irish Travel Agents Association Conference on October 1-4 2014.

The conference will be hosted by Andalucian Tourism whose tourism Director Antonio MartínMachuca received a special ITAA CONFERENCE award at the Irish Travel Asso2005 Citywest 1995 Killarney ciation Awards in the Mansion 1996 Benalmadena 2006 Santry House in January.

2008 MSC Poesia 1997 Ennis This is the third time that 2009 Portlaoise 1998 Killarney Andalucia has hosted the con2010 Malaga 1999 Algarve ference and the successful con2011 Seville 2000 Tralee ference in Malaga in 2010, 2012 Istanbul 2001 Galway Seville in 2011 and Granada in 2013 Granada 2002 Newcastle 2013 each saw turnarounds in 2014 RC Quantum the trend of falling attendances 2003 Killarney 2015 Jerez 2004 Citywest for off-island conferences s predicted in the last issue of Travel Extra, jerez was selected as the venue for the

which had begun in 2002 when the ITAA conference was held in Newcastle in England.

It is expected that a direct charter service will run to Jerez airport, 8 km from Jerez de la Frontera and 45km from Cadiz, to transport delegates to the conference. The city is 227km from Malaga and 300km from Faro airport in Portugal.

Andalucia wil offer post-fam trips for Irish travel professionals who have attended the conference, highlighting a lesser known side of Andalucia, the Costa Luz and Huelva regions.

T

weekend. There were 192 at the gala dinner.

The conference has moved to a later date than has traditionally been the case.It was held on one of the first two weekends in November for the past five years.

The conference has been held in Killashee House Hotel since 2011..

Previous conferences took place in Wolseley Hilton in Tullow, the Castletroy Hotel in Limerick, and the Clarion IFSC. Travel Centres is the largest consortium in ireland with 76 members. It was launched By Dominic Burks in 2005.

ITAA Irish Travel Agents Association last

week who reported a 10pc increase in business at travel agents across the country during January. ITAA members reported a 30pc increase in bookings at this year’s Holiday World Dublin.

The ITAA’s January survey found that 66pc of agents reported that Spain was their most popular destination in 2014.

TRAVEL COUNSELLORS

launched a radio advertising campaign on Today FM on Monday. The homeworking network says they have had a great January again in 2015.

DSD DoSomethingDifferent’s Dubai fam

trip incentives is open to agents who make any DSD worldwide ticket sale and up to Mar 31.

The DSD Holiday-FAM takes place in May..

TRAVELPORT Ireland has moved to Building 2, Swift Square, Northwood Demense, Santry, Dublin 9. Telephone numbers remain the same.

SKILLNET Travel Professionals Skill-

TRAVELCENTRESKILKENNY CONFERENCE DATE

ravel Centres conference will take place in Lyragh, Co Kilkenny on Dec 3-5, Last year’s conference in Naas Travel Centres gathered 196 registered delegates, 36 owner managers and 45 suppliers for a celebratory

to November 2014. Irish visitor numbers to Sri Lanka increased by 14.4pc to 5,163 last year, compared with 4,512 in 2013.Total visitor numbers from Ireland to Malta increased by 7pc last year.

net and ITAA are offering free training for jobseekers who wish to take part in the 2015 Travel Professionals Essential Skills Programme. The programme begins on March 9.

LUXAIR

has appointed Paul Weir’s APG as GSA in Ireland.

BRAND USA, American Airlines and British Airways will host the USA MegaFam on May 14-21, 2015.

RCL Cruises announced a new reservation

Dominic Burke

system, Espresso, for travel agents selling Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises. The new system will launch in March.

€

Page 036 pics 11/02/2015 09:36 Page 1

MARCH 2015 PAGE 36

MEETING PLACE

Villalobros and Mary Yamini Kshatriya, Julia Show, Dublin, rld Mitrin at Holiday Wo

Stephanie Buck of Flo rida Beaches, Sirin Hu ffan of Florida Beachers an d Neil Jones of Louisian a Office of Tourism at Ho liday World Show

y and Laufey Gunnars Michael O’Shaughness rld Wo y lida Ho at d lan dottir representing Ice Show, Dublin,

James McManus, Barba ra Nzvaura and Laure n Flynn of Earth's Edge at Holiday World Show , Dublin,

Hope and Christian Luis Vardas, Millo Rivera Board at Holiday World Ortiz of Mexico Tourist Show, Dublin

Eimear McIvor and Jen nifer Dolan of Coman's promoting Argentina at Holiday World Show, Dublin,

Out and about with the Travel Trade

Stars of Holiday World from Eagles Flying in Ballymote: Director and Zoologist Lothar F Muschketat and Alaska the bald headed eagle

Eithne Cosgrove of Ho tel Westport and Ameri can ambassador Kevin O’M alley at Dublin Holiday World 2015

sted Karl McKenna, Paul O'Farrrell, Sean Reid, Anne Rebekah Shirley and Meagan Green who ho at ns itio hib Singleton, Maura Maloney and Angelica Kelly of dignitaries on behalf of Business Ex DAA at Belfast Holiday World Belfast Holidiay World

Mairead Morris, Mary Clare Porter, Mary McCormack and Sarah Dempsey of Sunway at Holiday Amanda O’Reilly and Yvonne Schwer of Kilashee House Hotel World Show, Dublin at Belfast Holiday World

Steve Conlon and Brigid Suddon from Waterways Ireland at Belfast Holiday World

Trina Houlihan of Tralee and Sandra Leahy of Kerry County Museum at Holiday World Show, Dublin,

Beyhan Onen, Burak Erim, Murat Balandi, with Serife Cetin and Yasemin Kaya of Agne tours at Belfast Holiday World

at Middler of Silverseas Jon Knight and Amanda blin Holiday World Show, Du

Massimo Larini, Brian Hughes and Pat Reed e of United at Holiday World Show, Dublin

Ires Tiernan of Waterways Brigid Sludden, Manu ve Ste rrowline Cruises, land, Orlan Crean of Ba n O’Neill of IBRA Ala d an Conlon of IBRA

Page 037 - 038 pics 10/02/2015 16:07 Page 1

MARCH 2015 PAGE 37

MEETING PLACE

Out and about with the Travel Trade

Ann Marie Dalton and ector of the Spanish Patrick McKinney at Tu Gonzalo Ceballos, Dir rkrtin of An- Julia Mitchell, Kristin Skinner and Bethany Bond ish airlines headquart Ma io ton An d an blin ers in Istanbul where they Tourist Board in Du at Holiday World Show, Dublin, Jan 23 2015 ho ste d Irish travel media d dalucia at Fitur in Madri

Yasemin Kaya and Se rife Cetin of Agne Tours at the Irish Travel Indust ry Awards

cer and Egle Orla Noonan of Stena, Kerry Prentice of Prentice Rosanna O’Leary, Elaine Spen nks C the TT sponsored dri PR, Diane Poole of Stena and Siobhan Jacobs Godliauskite of TTC at s ard Aw ry ust Ind vel Tra of Yellow Door inspecting Stene Superfast X reception for the Irish

of Geraldine McFadden Gustavo Cabrera and ustry Ind vel Tra h Iris the at Costa Sal Lanzarote Awards

Lucy Finneran and April McEntee at the Irish Travel Industry Awards at the Irish Travel Industry Awards in the Mansion House

Jacinta McGlynn, Miche le Anderson, Antoinett e Young, Jennifer Callis ter and Jenny Rafter at the Irish Travel Industry Aw ards

Paula Scanlon of Globe Hotels and Patricia Pu rdue Massachusetts Tou rism at the Irish Travel Industry Awards

Spanish delegates Benet Presas, Maria Navas, Xavier Martin and Maria Targa at the Irish Travel Industry Awards

C Reginald Charlot of NY Tryphavana Cross and ry Ma d an tel Ho n Beaco & Co, Gerry Treino of nt Rock at the NYC eve e Th Of Top of ll rre Fa

rSheridan, Helen McCo Miriam Skelly, Sharon at vel Tra van Na of llan mack and Katrina McMu ry Awards the Irish Travel Indust

Benoit Berger VP Sales and Revenue Management-Luxair, congratulates Paul Weir Director APG on his appointment as GSA for Ireland

Eileen and Jim Vaugha n of Justsplit at the Incredible India event at Ananda Restaurant in Dundrum, Dublin,

Claire Murphy, Clive Fie ld, Denise Mulhall and Orla Connolly at the Iris h Travel Industry Award

Vivienne Jupp, Chairman, CIE Tours International, Frances Thompson of Rathbaun farm accepting her CIE award and Brian Stack

, st Travel Roscommon Anna May of East We ula Pa d an ice rldcho Michael Doorley of Wo vel Tra on ws Da of n hla ug Co

Page 037 - 038 pics 10/02/2015 16:07 Page 2

MARCH 2015 PAGE 38

MEETING PLACE

Out and about with the Travel Trade

ector of the Spanish Paul Dawson, Trish O’Leary, Olwen Mckinney Gonzalo Ceballos, Dir is Gallego CEO of and Derek Pheasey at the Irish Travel Industry Lu d an blin Du in ard Tourist Bo d Awards Iberia at Fitur in Madri

Mary Farrell from Top Of The Rock and Regin ald Charlot at the NYC&Co function before the Iris h Travel Industry Award s at the Residence

Carol O'Connor of Falco n, Donna Starsmore of Thomson Cruise and Charlotte Brenner of Fa lcon at the Irish Travel Industry Awards

InAnita Kelly of Sunway and Lisa Tuckman of Sea- Jeremy Marie and Herdiwati Sidabutar at the in nt ura side Hotels at the Irish Travel Industry Awards at credible India event at Ananda Resta the Irish Travel Industry Awards Dundrum,

ans a’s Beaches, Greg Ev Ann Callanan of Intercontinental hotel with John Catherine O'Toole of Fahy Travel an Silvin Huffarn of Florid d Darren opSh on Sim of l che His na Ed Galligan and Toni Galligan at the Incredible India Hutchinson of Strand Travel at the Iris of Philadephia and h Travel Inow Sh rld du stry Awards in the Mansi liday Wo event at Ananda Restaurant in Dundrum on House ping Destinations at Ho

Karen Maloney, Niki Sta nford and Dawn Conw ay at the Irish Travel Indust ry Awards

Peter Malone, Board Member, CIE Tours International; Cormac O’Sullivan, general manager, Dingle Benners Hotel and Vivienne Jupp, Chair of CIE Tours International.

al; Tom O’Donohoe of Strand Tl, Don Shearer of mber, CIE Tours Internation Peter Malone, Board Me i- Worldchoice, and Joe Tully of Tully Travel at the Viv and ner of Cabra Castle Howard Corscadden, ow update sponsored by Royal Caribbean al tion rna Tours Inte enne Jupp, Chair of CIE

Adrienne Keogh, Joann e Burgess, Kristin Skinner nd Patricia Purdue at the Irish Travel Indust ry Awards

Deirdre Sweeney, Anita Kelly, Cristina Cunchillos, Richard Hume and Linda Maher at the Irish Travel Industry Awards

the King of Travelsavers at Jack Marafi and Mary vel InTra h Iris the at s ard Irish Travel Industry Aw dustry Awards

Pat Reede of United an d Philip Airey of Sunw ay at the NYC&Co functio n before the Irish Travel Industry Awards at the Residence,

ola Quigley and Stella Caroline McDermott, Nic vel at the Irish Travel Tra Grant of O"Hanrahan"s Industry Awards

page 39 holiday world 10/02/2015 16:19 Page 1

MARCH 2015 PAGE 39

Holiday World Dates for Holiday World 2016 Belfast January 15-17 Dublin January 22-24 Real information from Real People

Page 040 Spanish TB 11/02/2015 07:38 Page 1

Gracias