Travel Extra March 2016

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AWARDS SPECIAL THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY PICKS ITS WINNERS JAMAICA FALCON’S NEW DESTINATION Ryanair’s big plans

Trans-Atlantic in 2016

Travel writer awards

UR O Y

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VOLUME 21 NUMBER 3

Travel celebrates its new champions

Top of the World

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MARCH 2016 PAGE 3

NEWS

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Exhibition bliss

Holiday World’s 42,675 visitors and 541 exhibitors

H

oliday World 2016 in Dublin had 42,675 visitors and 541 exhibitors, brining attendances back to pre-recession levels.

Of these 775 were trade visitors.

The increase on numbers from last year indicates the popularity of this award-winning show still holds strong and the continued appetite for budget-conscious holiday options.

Exhibitors noted a surge in holiday bookings, as was also evidenced by the Irish Travel Agents Association last week who reported a 50% increase in business at travel agents across the country.

Edmund Hourican, Managing Director, Business Exhibitions Ltd., organiser of Holiday World Show Dublin said “Our 2016 show has been more successful than ever before with huge numbers attending not just to make enquiries, but to book holidays.

HOLIDAY WORLD 2016 Belfast 21,700 Dublin 41,900 + 775 trade

Irish as soon as it launched, a curving headland of beaches and resorts, with great Yucatan experiences nearby, headlined by Chichen Itza.

LAS VEGAS strip’s first park will

open April 4.

rolling out ATMs that can let you withdraw cash or do other transactions on a smartphone.

US border control is to use facial comparison technology at JFK Airport

BRUGES was the surprise first choice in a Travel Smart survey by Agoda seeking the destinations most favoured by couples for Valentine’s Day.

BULGARIA

Peter McMinn’s Travel Solutions winter season to Bulgaria from Belfast for 2017-8, wil hold prices at 2016 levels and increase capacity by 50pc.

DEUTSCHE BAHN is to axe all Dee Burdock chair of Visit USA Dublin, ambassador Kevin O’Malley and Maureen Ledwith of Holiday World sut the tape on the Visit USA section of the event The Belfast Holiday World show in the new Titanic Exhibition Centre had 21,700 visitors and 380 exhibitors.

After 23 years at the King’s Hall the

MONTEGO BAY Luxurious all inclusive product with nearby ziplining, river rafting, canyon tours to see crocodiles and the fatuous palm-fringed beaches.

HARTFORD Once home to MONTPELIER Lively

Mark Twain, his house is the pick of the local attractions. Great launch point for the leaf and ski playgrounds of upstate New York and New England. Hang out in the Mortensen Riverfront Plaza.

thorisation comes into effect on March 15, 2016. The eTA costs $7 CAD and is valid for 5 years, it is similar to USA's ESTA which costs USD14 and is valid for two years.

ATMs JPMorgan Chase says it will start

show moved to the Titanic Exhibitions space at the heart of the Titanic quarter for the first time January.

SIX NEW DESTINATIONS FOR 2016

CANCUN A big hit with the

CANADA’s new electronic Travel Au-

and studenty ancient city with easy reach to the Med and the Pyrenees, the treasures of Languedoc are within easy reach.

VANCOUVER

Few cities celebrate their waterfront as splen-

didly as this regular winner of world’s most liveable city awards, take a trip to the lookout to get your bearings,stroll the seawall,try the boat tours,and go island hopping, check out gardens and easy access to great mountain resorts.

VIGO Galicia’s second destina-

tion from Ireland, with its famous Puente de Rande, is close to some of the best beaches in Europe, Playa del Vao, Playa Samil and Islas Cies.

Hike the Senda del Agua.

overnight sleeper and couchette trains in December.

JAMAICA saw a 6.5pc increase from

visitors from Ireland in 2015 with 2,362 visitors. The tourist board said numbers were expected to grow this year with the launch of the Dublin-Montego Bay route.

HOLIDAYS Research by Expedia

showed the Irish population will lose 5m holiday days this year, with the average worker losing two and a half days each with employees are taking shorter trips. Thai employees have the lowest average holidays (10 days) while the US averages just 15.

ENTERPRISE Rent-A-Car launched an Exotic Car Collection at Heathrow Airport to give consumers access to Rolls-Royce, Maserati, Lamborghini, Porsche, Ferrari, Range Rover and Bentley vehicles. A second Exotic Car Collection branch in central London is also set to open in the coming months.

THAILAND

reported a record 29.88m visitor arrivals in 2015. Ireland sent 64,317 visitors to Thailand, up 2pc on 2014.

ESCAPE FROM REALITY THIS SUMMER Online Call In store Thomson is fully Licensed and bonded by CAR (TO 021). Offer is subject to availability. Terms and conditions apply.

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THE KNOWLEDGE Travel Extra Advertising & Subscriptions 59 Rathfarnham Road Terenure Dublin D6WAK70 t+3531 2957418

CONTENTS 3 News Holiday world 6 Hotels: News

Editorial Office Clownings Straffan Co Kildare W23 C6X9 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

t: +3531 291 3700 Sales Manager Paulette Moran paulette@bizex.ie t: +353 (0)1 291 3702 Accounts and Advertising: Maria Sinnot maria@bizex.ie T: +3531 291 3707 Distribution Manager Shane Hourican shane@bizex.ie t: +3531 291 3706 Pictures: pix@travelextra.ie Sunday Supplement & Online: Conor McMahon conor@travelextra.ie Chief Features Writer: Anne Cadwallader anne@travelextra.ie Contributors : Eanna Brophy Marie Carberry marie@travelextra.ie Siobhan Coakley Carmel Higgins carmel@travelextra.ie Cauvery Madhavan Sean Mannion Louise McLoughlin Catherine Murphy cathmurph@yahoo.com Cathy Wilson

Travel Extra takes no responsibility for errors and omissions.

Origination: Typeform

Printer: W&G Baird Limited Greystone Press Caulside Drive Antrim BT41 2RS

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M

8 Postcards: News from the trade 12 ITIA Awards: This year’s winners 26 Jamaica: All inclusive with Falcon 28-31 Flying: Airline and airport news

32 Afloat: A quantum leap 34 Global Village Inside the travel industry 36 Window seat: Our columnists 37 Pictures: Out and about

Travel Insurance

any people have a fixation on price as the determining factor when choosing travel 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 in-

You never know when and where: River ambulance in Venice clude it at all. Check the 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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MARCH 2016 PAGE 5

www.travelextra.ie

Not so open sky

Americans stop Cork-Boston in breach of open skies

A

nalysts in Brussels say that US authorities are in breach of the landmark EU-US Open Skies deal by delaying a licence to the airline planning the first transatlantic flights from Cork Airport to the extent flights will not now take place.

The European Commission wil raise the issue with the US Department of Transportation amid fears that the proposed Cork to Boston flights, which were due to launch in May, could be stalled by the lengthy impasse.

Norwegian’s application to the DoT two years ago for a foreign carrier permit for its Dublin-based Norwegian Air International to operate flights from Cork to the Boston and from Cork to New York next year.

American trade unions, airlines and politicians have contrived to stall the permit. It is now the longest pending

NEWS EGYPT‘s Government signed a contract

with Control Risks ‘to enhance airport security as part of our commitment to a world-class gold standard. Control Risks’ teams are already on the ground beginning their work, and building on the huge efforts undertaken by both the Egyptian Authorities as well as International Government security delegations.

FINLAND and Estonia’s capitals, which

are80km apart, are developing a joint ticketing system that would introduce a single transport card for use in public transport in either city.

NEW YORK CITY officials agreed

Norwegian at Dublin airport: Cork Boston route now unlikely application of its kind.

Bjorn Kjos says Cork's first transAtlantic route to Boston with Norwegian will not commence in 2016 as planned. Norwegian cannot launch flights from Boston to Cork and Cork to Barcelona in May 2016 as planned.

Norwegian must wait three months after US. government grants approval before putting seats up for sale The 2007 Open Skies deal provides

that any airline registered and approved by an EU member state may be granted traffic rights to fly from anywhere in the EU to anywhere in the US. Minister Donohue says “New services from smaller airports such as Cork, which have never had transatlantic services, is precisely the type of innovation that the agreement was designed to facilitate.”

to reduce the number of tourist helicopter flights over the city. The number of flights to and from Downtown Manhattan Heliport at Pier 6 will be cut by 50pc, flights over Governors Island will be banned and no flights will be allowed on Sundays starting April 1.

ICELAND An additional 300,000 tourists will visit Iceland in 2016, according to figures from Icelandic bank Landsbankinn.

ENTERPRISE Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car are now available in Luxembourg.

MGM Resorts International will debut its

park, dining and entertainment district on the Las Vegas Strip on April 4.

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MARCH 2016 PAGE 6

HOTELS

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TRIPADVISOR’s top 10 Irish hotels

for 2016: 1 Harvey’s Point, Co Donegal. 2 Ashford Castle, Cong, Co Mayo. 3 The Merrion Hotel, Dublin. 4 Castle Durrow, Co Laois.

5 The River Lee Hotel, Cork. 6 Adare Manor, Co Limerick. 7 Hayfield Manor, Cork. 8 Dromoland Castle, Co Clare. 9 The Brehon, Killarney. 10 Ballygarry House Hotel, Tralee.

TripAdvisor’s top 10 small Irish hotels for 2016: 1 Castlewood House, Dingle. 2 Lough Lein Country House, Killarney. 3 Bellingham Castle, Castlebellingham, Co Louth. 4 Heaton’s Guesthouse, Dingle. 5 Ballyfin Demesne, Co Laois. 6 MacNean House & Restaurant, Co Cavan. 7 The Ross, Killarney. 8 Brook Lane Hotel, Kenmare. 9 Rosleague Manor, Letterfrack, Co Galway. 10 Strandhill Lodge & Suites, Co Sligo.

N IRELAND Hotels Federation pre-

dicts that 1,074 more hotel rooms are expected to be built in Belfast by 2018, with four and five star room offerings up by 25pc. Belfast City Council agreed to back plans for two hotel projects in the city centre, a new 179-room hotel on Hope Street and an extension to the Ten Square Hotel.

The Pinrce’s Palace in Monaco goes green for St Patrick’s Day. Monaco is top of Europe’s hotel price list

the Hotel Ritz Paris will delay its reopening until June.

M

RITZ PARIS A fire that broke out at

HAYFIELD Manor Cork introduced a

new white-glove afternoon tea experience conrad dublinConrad Dublin started its €8m renovation which will see rooms and public areas revamped.

WESTIN Hotels & Resorts partnered with Fitbit to debut a series of fitness programmes.

DALATA plans to build a four-star, 181bedroom hotel on any €11.9m site previously occupied by the Charlemont Clinic on the Grand Canal. Total investment in the hotel project, including the site acquisition, to hit €40m. Planning permission, with conditions, was granted by Dublin City Council last month HOSTELWORLD grew by 21pc in

the second half of 2015, up 17pc on a full year basis.

TALBOT Hotel in Wexford has taken over he ‘Stonebridge’ building on Paul’s Quay, 73-luxury apartments located less than 100 metres from the four-star family owned Talbot Hotel. picture shows owner of the Talbot Hotel Collection Cormac Pettitt and group Managing Director Philip Gavin.

MOORE STREET An Bord Ple-

nala approved the development of a sevenstorey, 107-room hotel on Moore Street.

DALATA Hotel Group bought the Clar-

ion Hotel in Sligo for €13.1m.

DES O’CONNELL, who was

manager in Jury’s hotel in Ballsbridge for many years and then director of accommodation and catering in Trinity College has died.

He initiated the use of accommodation for conferences with third level colleges around the country and set up a charity called Outreach Moldova where he spend a lot of time working on in recent years.

Monagasquet

Russian city hotel prices plunge to historic low

onaco topped Geneva by a euro as Europe’s most expensive destination on the aggregated Trivago hotel price shart.

Trivago;s database draws on 250 booking sites and aggregates one million daily hotel search queries, over a billion hotel offers and 190m hotel ratings. Prices are restricted, howver, to the searches on online travel agencies and not on the hotel’s own website or its other sales streams. Travel agent and bedbank deals are not included in the index.

St Petersburg hotel prices plunged to a historic low for the Trivago Euripean chart of €49 in February, down from €54 in January. Istanbul prices have also plunged, through a combination of political pressures and the arrival of a large numebr of hotel beds

from what has beocme Europe’s storngest hotel room pipeline.

There are bargains to be found with a city destinations reporting large monthly price decreases compared to January including Paris, Florence, and Vienna.

According to Trivago’s hotel price index, the average price of a hotel room in Dublin is up 15pc since Febraury 2014 to €124 and the Irish monthly average up 5pc to €95.

Derry is up 11pc, and Belfast up 5pc.

This month’s Irish hotel prices are: Athlone €85, Belfast €114, Cork €100, Derry €92, Dingle €102, Dublin €124, Galway €90, Kenmare €103, Kilkenny €94, Killarney €107, Kinsale €94, Limerick €83, Sligo €90, Tralee €83, Waterford €87, Westport €95, Wexford €86.

The Scotland match on March 19 is the most expensive Six Nations stay night in Dublin at €255.

Trivago’s index indicates that average prices in European cities is up 2pc compared to last month. David Lintott, the London-based Public Relations officer for Trivago said: “Average hotel prices have risen in Ireland and across Europe this month, with Dublin in particular seeing a significant 11pc increase compared to last month, and a 15pc increase on February 2015.

There are currently 167,251 rooms in 1,152 hotels under contract in Europe, London has 4,792 rooms in 33 hotels, Istanbul 4,679 rooms in 24 hotels, Moscow, 3,830 rooms in 16 hotels) and and Berlin 2,330 rooms in six hotels.

€239

EUROPEAN HOTEL PRICE INDEX €143 €122 €102 €94 €84 Amsterdam

Barcelona

€238

€142

€117

Monaco Geneva

€206 Berne

Frankfurt

€140 Oslo

Munich

€116 Brighton

Dingle Lyon Madrid Vienna

€101

€187

€138

€114

Florence Kenmare

€162

€137

€113

€158

€132

€109

€145

€128

€107

€144

€124

London Milan

Stockholm Venice

Mancester

Paris

Copenhagen Helsinki

Cologne

Dublin Edinburgh

Belfast

Liverpool Brussels

Hamburg Killarney ource: Trivago.ie

Kilkenny Kinsale

€92 Derry

€90

€100 Cork

Galway Kiev Marseille Sligo

€99

€87

€98

€86

Berlin Rome

€95

Westport

Waterford Nice Wexford

€85

Athlone

Athens

€83

Limerick Lisbon Sevilla Tralee Valencia

€72

Budapest Istanbul

€70 Porto

€69

Belgrade

€81

€67

€79

€62

Lubjiana Dresden Malaga

€74 Prague

€73

Moscow

Bucharest Sofia

€59

Warsaw

€55

Krakow

€49

St Petersburg

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NEWS

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Ships on the side Record year of 126 cruise calls to Dublin port

D

ublin port will receive a record 126 cruise ship calls in 2016. That is up from 90 three years ago.

The calls include the return visit of the world’s 11th longest cruise ship, the MSC Splendida,, which reversed into Dublin last year.

The first cruise ship to call will be the 550-passenger CMV Azores on March 27, followed by Fred Olsen’s Balmoral on March 30 and CMV’s Marco Polo on April 21.

Fred Olsen and CMV are the biggest customers of the port over the summer. Disney Dream and National Geographic Orion are among the more distinguished calls.

MSC say the decision to bring Splendida to Dublin came after the captain became interested in the berthing procedure during a visit to Cork. He tried it on a simulator and then decided to bring the ship to

LEGOLAND Discovery Centre, Sealife Berlin, Madame Tussauds Berlin and the Berlin Dungeon were added to the Berlin Pass sightseeing card.

ALICANTE An English tourist driving

on the wrong side of the road in Spain crashed into German professional cycling team GiantAlpecin, which was training near Alicante, and injured six cyclists.

CABFORCE, the travel technology platform that is part of CarTrawler, was appointed preferred online taxi and private transfer provider to GobalStar Travel Management.

ST LOUIS has been named the most vi-

olent city in the USA taking over from Detroit.

Caracas Venezuela is most violent in the world.

HAPPINESS

Croisières de France Horizon in Dublin Port, last July Dublin. Splendida returns on May 3, May 13 and August 30.

Other old favourites returning to Dublin include Riyal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas, Celebrity Silhouette, Silverseas Silver Whisper and Silver Explorer, Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth, Seabourn Quest, Prinsendam, Mein Schiff 5, Seven Seas

Voyager and Crown Princess. Busiest days for ships is June 4 and the busiest day for passengers will be August 30.

July will see visits from Europa and Europa 2, the luxury cruise ships which are heirs to the original cruise ship to call at Dublin, the Europa.

the UAE appointed Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi as minister for happiness.

SKAL Founding member of SKAL in Kerry Conor Hennigan was honoured for his contribution to tourism at the annual SKAL dinner in the Muckross Park Hotel.

ALEX INCORVAJA who for-

merly headed up the Malta Tourism Authority in London, has been appointed GM oft Le Méridien St Julian’s.

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MARCH 2016 PAGE 8

POSTCARDS FROM THE TRAVEL SCENE

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here was much to talk about at FITUR in Madrid, where the displacement boom that is pushing numbers (and prices) upwards.

There were 10,000 exhibitors and just over 120,000 trade buyers at the event, which is the staging point for the Hispanic world as well as Spain, as well as what FITUR CEO Luis Gellego called 47 “full ministers.”

FITUR has some of the best hospital-

S

heepdogs are the new stars of Ireland’s tourism circuit judging by the increased number of sheepdog trail recipients of awards at the annual CIE International tourism awards.

Big winners were Slieve League , Donegal (visit), Glen Keen farm, Mayo (tour feature), Don & Barry’s Kinsale Historic Stroll (walking tour), Dunloe Hotel, Killarney (5 star hotel), Brehon Hotel, Killarney (4 star Hotel), Benners

B

ordeaux came to Dublin this week to advise Irish fans on what to expect in the French city, which has completed a unique €4bn revitalisation.

It will become home to a new Vinopolis-stole wine experience to open next May. Speakers included Lochlann Quinn of Château de Fieuzal, Christoph Chateau talked about the impending opening of the Bordeaux

ity on offer at the circuit, and the scene was set with a star-studded Malage event in Cine Callao on the evening before the opening.

Gonzalo Ceballos conducted a series of meetings with the Spanish regions to help scale up activity in the Irish market in what will be his last year in Dublin.

Gonzalo Ceballos is pictured with Antonio Martin from Andalusia at the event

Hotel, Dingle (3 star hotel), Dromoland Castle, Clare (hotel accommodation), Fitzpatrick’s Castle Hotel, Killiney (Hotel Dinner), Kee’s Hotel, Co Donegal (hotel service & hospitality), Brazen Head, Dublin (event dinner/entertainment), Killeen House Hotel, Killarney (dinner feature), Davitt’s, Kenmare (lunch) and Giant’s Causeway,(National Heritage Award). Brian Stack presided over the awards for the last time.

Grand Vins experience, a Vinopolis style interpretation of the wines of the world.

The price of beds in Bordeaux for the Euro 2016 group match against Belgium was raised, the deputy mayor advised fans to stay in the suburbs and hinterland. Picture shows Christoph Chateau, Stephan Delaux, deputy mayor of Bordeaux, French ambassador Jean-Pierre Thébault, and Olivier Bernard president of Les Grand Crus de Bordeaux.

N

YC & Company and United hosted Irish Agents on a fam trip to New York.

Agents stayed in the Fitzpatrick Manhattan and visited Indigo Hotel, Intercontinental, Berkley, Hotel Beacon, Blue Man Group, the 9-11 and One World galleries and had some time to shop.

Picture shows Travel agents hosted by NYC & Company pictured with Tom

T

he GPO was a witness to history, we are not interpreting it, the GPO Witness History says project manager Barney Whelan, who handed over the nearly completed centre at the beginning of February.

He assured the journalist from the Daily Mail who asked about the “contested history” of 1916 in advance of the new visitor centre opening on March 29, in time for the Easter weekend com-

T

he train has left the station as regards global warming,” Professor Enda McGovern told Féile na Stoirme in Dingle.

The peninsula’s “storm festival” designed to kick-start winter tourism to the Dingle peninsula, where, as Travel Extra’s Eoghan Corry pointed out, transAtlantic travel was invented at Brandon Creek. The festival addressed coastal erosion and sustainable tourism.

Travers GM of the Hotel Beacon in Manhattan, Terry Sheehan of American Holidays, Aoife Carbin of Club Travel, Sheila Treacy of Ace Travel,Annette Hynes of Corrib Travel Lorraine Connolly of Kanes Travel, Tryphavana Cross of NYC & Company, Sophie Phelan of Strand Travel, Aoife Gregg of United and Samantha Van Aswegen of Atlas Gohop with Tom Travels, GM of the Hotel Beacon.

memorations.

Entry for the anticipated 300,000 visitors a year costs €10, and will be to the right of the façade. A previously hidden square within the GPO is now accessible to the public. The area will have interactive displays and some artefacts which have been assembled The exit leads on to Princes Street, having passed through the hidden jewels of the world’s oldest functioning general post office.

Corry noted that Kerry, which attracts more visitors than counties like Iceland, Fiji and Myanmar, could have a waterfall-and-surf winter product which would augment its overcrowded summer product, Gary Percival of the South Pole Inn in Anascaul was among the many eclectic participants in the Féile. Picture shows Travel Extra’s Eoghan Corry speaking at the event.

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MARCH 2016 PAGE 9

POSTCARDS FROM THE TRAVEL SCENE

R

uth Petherick was the first winner of the Irish Times Reader’s Travel Writing Competition.

She won for an article on Cambodia and she was presented with her prize, an 11-night trip to India with Travel Department, who are celebrating 20 years in business in 2016.

Sara Zimmerman of Travel Department, 20 years old this year, saw record sales in January, up 50pc on 2014. Star

T

oday FM’s Topflight ski trip brought 500 insomniac skiers to Austria for an event that is as well known for it slate nights as its morning ski runs.

The 17th annual trip headed back to Bad Hofgastein in the Gastein Valley, Austria, with its 5 regions 25 resorts 760km of piste and 270 lifts. Spearheaded by Paul Collins, the Poc Fada event, is recognised and supported by The GAA Poc Fada,

P

orridge is an aphrodisiac is the title of a book that hotelier Howard Hastings presented to Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness.

It happened before their first event as first and deputy minister. The 2016 Year of Food and Drink is Arlene’s legacy initiative from her time as Stormont tourism minister.

The body hosted 220 tourist and food stake holders to the Ulster Hall, includ-

performers are Italy, Spain, Iceland, Portugal and a resurgence of our most popular destinations such as Lake Garda, Lake Como and Sorrento. Travel Department took more bookings on January 11th, than any one day in its 20 year history. Picture shows Rachel O’Sullivan, Irish Times Magazine Editor; Sara Zimmerman, MD, Travel Department; with Ruth Petherick and her daughter Ella and Joan Scales.

The H1 run on Hofgastein is one of the best in the brochures, a 10.4km run with an altitude difference of 1,440m.

Ski is only part of the story. Ski instructor Ski instructor Sem from Hoefgarten summed up the Topflight Today FM trip best when he described how the Irish all turn up full of enthusiasm on the first day, and each day the number declines to a hardy faithful. make it up for the morning lesson.

ing the province’s leading chefs and restaurateurs.

TourismNI has organised a theme for each of the 12 months of the year, January was breakfast month, February local, March is heritage, April brewing and distilling, May landscape, June dairy, July rivers and loughs, August meat, September bread, October harvest, November legacy and learning, December premium foods.

A

record 100 tourism stake holders turned out for an event organised by Tourism Ireland in the Davenport Hotel.

The event was to highlight the potential of Spain and Italy for Irish tourism.

Minister for Tourism Paschal Donohoe launched strategies for both markets aiming at growth to 825,000 each by 2020 – up 25pc.

Spain has grown from fewer than

N

ew buildings to go green in 2016 include Molle Antonelliana in Turin.

Other new greenies include Japan’s two first greenings, the light rail system in Addis Adaba, and Elevador Lacerda, the world’s largest urban elevator in Salvador in Brazil. Boston Red Sox will dress in green for their match against Florida on March 17 and Fenway Park will light up in green.

T

he Irish Open press conference hosted by Michael Davern at the K Club focussed on the paradox of Ireland’s showcase golf event.

How is it that ]a tournament which is among the top two best attended and is just outside the top five in prize money is assigned a date in May. Because Straffan has no restriction on attendance we could see a record attendance for a European PGA event, ideally

100,000 visitors in 200 to 300,000 now and is now fifth largest source market and has delivered huge growth since 2000, with potential for considerable growth in the near future. Italians stay longer and spend more than other visitors, and 50pc are pure holidaymakers.

Picture shows Niamh Kinsella, Tourism Ireland’s Manager Italy, and Barbara Wood, Tourism Ireland’s Manager Spain.

Niall Gibbons set out Tourism Ireland’s marketing priorities for 2016 and said that the brand was performing strongly across all main markets.

He reported that Ireland has the fifth strongest brand in the world according to the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Target is to increase spend by 5pc to €4.4bn, and 5-10pc capacity increase in summer to 500,000 seats a week, air and sea.

with Rory and another Irishman contending for the lead on Saturday and Sunday and 130,000 filling the galleries. e A letter signed by Rory McIlroy was sent to every golf club in Ireland outlines a five-point plan on how they could show their support, including the Irish Open Club Challenge, a golf tournament which gives one club team an opportunity to play alongside a top professional and a plan to develop youth golf.

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A tram or taxi ride from the Golden Mile of Blackpool and the beach, this location has it all, the bright lights of the fun city plus the secluded activities of a family resort laid out for everyone on one, flat, level. The kids will spend days in their own dedicated outdoor ‘Splashzone’ pool or doing archery, playing pool, roller blading or chasing each other around the beach. Meanwhile you can say you’re going down the Spar shop, and lie in the Spa instead.

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Page 012 ITIA Awards 2 19/02/2016 15:38 Page 1

MARCH 2016 PAGE 12

ITIA AWARDS 2016

The travel industry pays tribute to the late Ray Treacy at the annual Irish Travel Industry Awards

I

t started, like many a great Dublin night, in Sam’s Bar where Sharon Jordan and The Travel Corporation team were ensuring the throats of the thirsty travel professionals of Ireland were well wet before the awards ceremony started.

John Cassidy and John Spollen’s Cassidy Travel and Maura Fahy’s Fahy Travel won the Travel Agency of the year while the individual awards went to Liz Wright for leisure travel professional of the year and Karen Gleeson the corporate travel professional award.

The coveted long haul airline award was wrested

by Emirates from Etihad, who had won four years

And the winners are: Industry celebrates the pursuit of excellence in Irish travel

in a row. Enda Corneille dedicated the award to the late Stephen Davitt.

Rebecca Kelly won the travel supplier representative award for the third year in succession from a shortlist that included Holly Best of Virgin Atlantic, Brian Hughes of United Airlines, Thomas McNally of Bedsonline and 2013 winner Lee Osborne of Bookabed.ie.

Karl Tyrrell’s Bookabed won the accommodation supplier award for the fifth time in six years

having ceded it last year.

MSC retained the supplier support team award they wrested from Amadeus last year.

Royal Caribbean won best cruise line for the sixth year in succession, as did Aer Lingus in the best airline to Europe category (they retained best airline to North America as well) and Irish Ferries for best cruise company.

Amadeus also completed six in a row as the best technology provider, New York and the Spanish Tourist Board while

Panoramic view of the Round Room as Martin Skelly speaks

Austria won the best ski destination in the five years the award was included.

An innovation this year was a pictorial memorarium and tribute to members of the industry who died during the year, which drew a round of tributary applause from the audience.

Sharon Jordan of The Travel Corporation and Gonzalo Ceballos of the Spanish Tourist Board won three awards each, John Spollen of Cassidy Travel, Rebecca Kelly of

MSC and John Keogh of Aer Lingus two each.

Cassidy’s won a travel agency and a tour odorator award, a first for the awards.

Chuffed and humbled was the reaction of Eoghan Corry, editor of Travel Extra, who received the contribution to the industry award, the first and, as ITAA President Martin Skelly said, “probably the only person from outside the industry to ever receive it.”

“Those of you who know me well know what

is going to happen next,” he declared, and led the 520 attendees in a rendition of Fionnghuala, followed a little later by the Parting Glass.

And then it was back to Sam’s Bar in pursuit of the award for the last man or woman standing.

Roll on 2017, back to the Round Room in the Mansion House and Miriam O’Callaghan, hopefully, imploring ciúnas again.

All the award winners pose for their annual photograph,

IRISH FERRIES_Layout 1 19/02/2016 10:10 Page 1

THANKS FOR GETTING ON BOARD!

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 to all your clients when they sail with us in 2016.

BEST FERRY COMPANY K671

Page 014 ITIA Awards 19/02/2016 11:22 Page 1

MARCH 2016 PAGE 14

ITIA AWARDS 2016

Karen Gleeson of FCm Travel Solutions accepts the award for ITAA Corporate Travel Professional from Caitríona Toner of American Airlines and Martin Skelly President of the ITAA.

Liz Wright of Tour America accepts the award for ITAA Leisure Travel Professional from Caitríona Toner of award sponsor American Airlines and Martin Skelly President of the ITAA.

L

“I have i z LEISURE TRAVEL worked in Wright most departPROFESSIONAL: LIZ of Tour ments within America says WRIGHT, TOUR AMERICA Tour America she has always starting in been interested sales, moving in the travel industry.

“I studied Travel and Tourism for a to operations, accounts, IT and to prodyear in Galway IT and then for two uct where I have been for the last seven years.” years in Cathal Brugha Street.”

“I have also project managed the im“After that I worked in American Holplementation of two back office systems idays for over three years. I moved to Tour America in 1995 and I have been which I have really enjoyed as a challenge.” there ever since.”

“It is my current role as Product Man“I started in Tour America in 1995 when the company opened its doors for ager that I am happiest. I love meeting all the suppliers that we work with and I business for the first time.”

“I was one of a team of three and was have made some great friends over the very much involved in setting up the years.”

“I particularly enjoy travelling to the business with Mary McKenna.

“I am very lucky to have had Mary as US to the various destinations whether a mentor for the last 20 years. Mary has for business or pleasure.”

“The day after I won the award I flew been fantastic to work for, she is an incredible business woman and I have out to Florida Huddle which is always a learnt so much from her over the years. great show for catching up with everyI’m also particularly lucky with the col- one.”

“I love working in the travel industry leagues and friends I work with, which and I can’t imagine working in any other means going to work is never difficult.” field where everyone is so friendly. I “We started out in a small office on Eden Quay for a few years before we was so proud to be awarded Best ITAA moved to our current office in Middle Leisure Travel Professional at the Irish Travel Industry Awards last month.”

Abbey Street.”

K

lutions Irea r e n CORPORATE TRAVEL land.”

Gleeson “As Sales & PROFESSIONAL: KAREN w a s straight out of GLEESON , FCM TRAVEL M a r k e t i n g Manager, I college in 1995 lead the AcSOLUTIONS when she began count Manher travel career agement team in Eugene Magee Travel on Dublin’s of six and work very closely with all South Anne Street.

She was assistant to the then Senior other sides of the house, including our Business Development, Reservations Team Leader, Valerie Metcalfe.

Since those days, Eugene Magee and Finance Teams, not forgetting also Travel has changed guise a number of liaising with our global presence in the times, merging with the corporate side 90 other FCm offices around the world.”

“My day starts at 5.45am, getting two of Abbey Travel to become CTP and little ones off to crèche and then it is moving to Lincoln Place.

“I worked my way from Junior Reser- onto our offices in Middle Abbey Street vations Agent to Senior Reservations to begin my working day at 8am.”

“The nature of this business means Agent and then subsequently becoming the company’s first dedicated “Relief” there are never two days alike. It is demanding but exciting to be working with staff member.”

“This involved travelling all around such a wonderful team alongside some the country filling in for others on leave of the most defining corporates both in in any one of our 14 implant offices of Ireland and globally.”

“Within the Account Management that time and enabled me to gather a team we are constantly involved in new wealth of experience.”

“One day an opportunity arose to join implementations, ongoing review of exthe then new Sales & Account Manage- isting clients, rolling out new and front ment department. Travel agents were be- edge technology and the inevitable troucoming TMC’s and that involved a ble shooting that is challenging at times whole lot more than just booking flights, but keeps us on our toes and always wanting to be one step ahead in our hotels and cars.”

“My first Team Leader Valerie Met- field.”

“Now, 21 years later I can wholecalfe is now our Managing Director and heartedly say FCm still feels very much a true inspiration. Her love of the busilike an extended family, we are a team ness and passion to delivering the best possible service to our clients has never and as such we achieve nothing alone.”

“So it is with thanks to my colleagues wavered and filters from the top down that I have the happy working life I through every member of our team, which is now known as FCm Travel So- enjoy today.”

Our journey is focused on yours As well as award-winning service, extensive on-board features and great value fares, we bring you a vast choice of destinations across six continents.

* Airbus A380 flies to selected routes from London Heathrow.

AER LINGUS FULL PAGE_Layout 1 19/02/2016 09:56 Page 1

best airline to europe best airline to north america Thank you for choosing Aer Lingus as the best airline to fly to Europe and North America

New destinations in 2016: Murcia Pisa Belfast - Alicante Cork - Dusseldorf

Montpelier newark hartford los angeles BEST AIRLINE TO NORTH AMERICA

aerlingus.com

Page 012 ITIA Awards 2 19/02/2016 14:12 Page 3

MARCH 2016 PAGE 16

ITIA AWARDS 2016

Jason Whelan and Ciaran Mulligan of Blue Insurance accept the Travel Insurance Provider award from Stephen Sands of award sponsors Riviera Travel from Stephen Sands of category sponsors Riviera Travel

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lue Insurance have dominated the award for 'Best Travel Insurance Provider' at the recent Irish Travel Industry Awards for five years.

Ciaran Mulligan, Managing Director said of the win, “We are delighted and are extremely grateful to the entire Irish travel trade. We are passionate about providing our clients and customers with great value insurance products and first class customer service. We also would like to thank the Irish Travel Agents Association for hosting a wonderful event”.

Blue Insurance is an Irish company and was formed in 2003 with just one brand. They currently employ over 65 staff in both Ireland and England.

Specialising in Travel Insurance, Blue Insurance also offers gadget, pet, wed-

TRAVEL INSURANCE PROVIDER: BLUE INSURANCES ding, breakdown, bicycle and car hire excess insurance. The company, whose recognised brands include Multitrip.com and Gadgetinsurance.com, started selling two year car and home Insurance in Ireland in June 2015. Blue Insurance has won awards for business each year since opening, including Best Travel Insurance.

Product by the Irish and Northern Irish Travel Trade and Best Travel Insurance Company by the Irish Media.

The company has also won the Deloitte Best Managed Company’s Award for the past three years.

DREAM

THANK YOU We were so proud to win Best General Cruise Company at the Irish Travel Industry Awards, and we couldn’t have done it without you! Providing amazing service to our guests is at the heart of everything we do, and our travel partners are such a big part of that, so it feels fantastic to be recognised in this way. On behalf of the whole Royal Caribbean team, THANK YOU.

BEST GENERAL CRUISE COMPANY

cruisingpower.ie

Maura Fahy, Catherine O’Toole and Clodagh Connolly of Fahy Travel Worldchoice in Galway accepting the ITAA Travel Agency of the Year (under 10 employees) from award sponsor Tara Flanagan of British Airways i n g Galway their travel TRAVELAGENCY OF THE tickets agency YEAR: FAHY’S TRAVEL as well that has been in for the business since the 1880s won the best little travel agency in sailings to the new world.

The travel agency she founded has reIreland. mained in the Fahy family’s hands since.

It is a business that has gone full circle since its early days, from helping 19th The company has come full circle with century emigrants sail to a new life in ships featuring prominently in the busiAmerica, to sending holidaymakers off to ness again, cruise ships, an area that has visit the world’s exotic locations on grown so much in popularity that in the past year a dedicated cruise shop has been cruise ships.

It was established by Kate Fahy about established at Fahy Travel Worldchoice.

They are the first travel company West 130 years ago — and today it is run by her great-grand-daughter, Maura Fahy, of the Shannon to win the ITAA Travel making it the second oldest travel agency Agency of the Year title and the first company run by a woman ever to win the in Ireland.

Kate’s husband originally ran a pub on award.

“Obviously we are absolutely deBridge Street, but his death left her widlighted to win the award in our category owed at a relatively young age. She didn’t like the idea of selling alcohol so she — we’ve been knocking at the door for a turned it into what would today be a few years, and we have done well in Connacht in other awards,” said Managing newsagent’s shop.

She was prevailed upon by a priest to Director Maura Fahy.

And the big sellers this year? help some people from Connemara with “The old favourites are still huge for little or no English to fill in forms they family holidays — Spain, Portugal, needed to emigrate to America.

Soon she became the go-to person for camping in France, camping in Italy — the task, prompting her to expand her as- that’s the core of what we are doing in sistance to become a shipping agent, buy- terms of family breaks.

A

Olwen McKinney, Siobhan Boskett, Trish O’Leary and Volker Lorenz of Amadeus accept the Technology Provider award from Stephen Sands of award sponsors Riviera Travel from Stephen Sands of Riviera Travel

A

madeus’ award for the Best Travel Technology Provider set another record. “It is particularly satisfying for us as we have now won this particular honour six times in a row,” Volker Lorenz says, “and the entire Ireland team are very thankful for the continued vote of confidence we receive from our customers.”

“It is a great honour for 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

TECHNOLOGY PROVIDER: AMADEUS 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 2016.”

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Page 012 ITIA Awards 2 19/02/2016 09:32 Page 4

MARCH 2016 PAGE 18

ITIA AWARDS 2016

Atlas Travel Group, Sarah Duncan, Noelle Foley, Orla Tooher, Stephen Mc Kenna, Olive Fitzsimons, Eamonn Murray and Maria Hyland, winners of the award for ITAA Corporate Travel Agency

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tlas and their CORPORATE TRAVELAGENCY: online brand Gohop entered ATLAS TRAVEL GROUP the corporate travel business just as the recost of travel that includes time, savings, cession was beginning. “We were hugely control and accountability.” honoured to have picked up the Best Cor“For example, if someone spends a couporate Agency for the second year run- ple of hours attempting to change or book ning,” Stephen McKenna says. a flight when a TMC can do it quickly alAndy McKenna, Stephen’s father beit for a fee, the bottom line savings to started the business in 1967 and they the company in using a TMC are considstarted into corporate in 1992 after they erable when you consider the total cost of sold American Holidays. The corporate travel.” business became serious after American “When we talk to companies about the Express closed their office in Ireland in fees we charge, we highlight the fact that 2009 and they asked Atlas Travel to han- they may pay us 3pc however we then dle and service many of their International work to reduce the other 97pc of costs ascorporate customers. sociated with travel through increased ef“It is highly competitive now, as com- ficiencies, online booking solutions, panies seek to drive procurement to the mobile apps coupled with our level of bottom line savings. We believe that the service which is available 24-7. We help combination of smart solutions i.e. ex- companies look after the people who look pense, online and mobile travel solutions after their business.” can drive those savings, increased effi“Thankfully over the past number of ciencies coupled with exceptional offline years Irish companies have had to travel service that is charged at a premium is the further and more often as the drastic domodel for the next generation travel com- mestic situation throughout the recession pany that we are working hard to be- prompted that they look to other markets come.“ to ensure their survival.

“The most common misconception we “We have been only too happy to help come across is that the customer can al- companies expand into foreign markets ways get a cheaper fare online.” and their success has been coupled with “ Companies do need to assess the total our own.”

Paul Hackett of ClickandGo.com accepts the award for ITAA Member Marketing Campaign from Caitríona Toner of award sponsor American Airlines and Martin Skelly President of the ITAA. lickando won the award for The Irish MOST INNOVATIVE Travel Industry MARKETING CAMPAIGN: Most Innovative Marketing Campaign for their “€1 CLICKANDGO.COM holiday deposit”.

“We all know that holidaymakers can book their holidays by dividual elements themselves directly.”

“We also allow the customer to pay off booking directly with airlines, then booking the accommodation themselves the holiday in stages. The €1 deposit is and then adding transfers,” Paul Hackett a commercial risk for us but we manage that very effectively,” says. “it costs us in terms of cash flow and “At ClickandGo.com we know that administration but it has been a key USP we have to make it easier, better value of ClickandGo.com for over 2 years and more affordable in order to get since we introduced the €1 deposit in clients to book with us.”

“The €1 deposit is a key part of that. 2013 and it totally differentiates from the We see it as giving the customer a really rest of the market.”

“Some companies offer low deposits good reason to book with a travel comor €1 deposits for hotel only bookings pany.”

“If the client books direct with the air- but ClickandGo.com is totally unique in line they have to pay in full, up-front for offering a €1 deposit on the full holiday the flights, with ClickandGo.com we package. Paul Hackett, CEO and cotake the pain out of payment. We do what founder of ClickandGo.com – Home of the client cannot do if they book the in- the €1 deposit.”

C

Dervila Mc Garry John Keogh Michelle Lee and Theo Ocks of Aer Lingus accept the Best Airline to N America award from Vincent Harrison of air travel category sponsors Dublin Airport. and Martin Skelly

Paul Manning and Michael Rienhoff of Hertz accept the Car Hire Company award from Stephen Sands of award sponsors Riviera Travel from Stephen Sands of agency services category sponsors Riviera Travel

H

ertz are won the award for Best Car Hire provider for the third year in succession.

“Last year was another great year for Hertz,” Paul Manning says, “helped majorly by the support of the Irish Travel Trade who continue to choose Hertz as their preferred car hire supplier.”

“We are finding that many agencies looking to increase ancillary revenue are realising that car hire in particular is a very strong revenue source and one which needs to be offered where and when possible. The strong local support that we offer to Irish agents helps to make car hire and easier product to understand and trust, basically local serv-

CAR HIRE COMPANY: HERTZ ice from a global supplier.

“The Irish Travel Trade is a very close community and one that we thoroughly enjoy and are very proud to be part of, our aim is to be the first choice for all agents when choosing a car hire provider anywhere in the world.

“We have had a great start to 2016 and are really looking forward to the year ahead. We would also like to thank all of our trade partners for their continued support and for their recognition by voting for us.”

A

er Lingus have domiAIRLINE TO EUROPE: nated the best airline to Europe award since the AIRLINE TO N AMERICA: Travel Industry awards were inAER LINGUS augurated in 2011. They have also son the best airline to Catania, Corfu, Dubrovnik, Faro, LanNorth America in 2011-2 and 2014-5.

The introduction of new services and zarote, Lanzarote, Lisbon, Malaga , a new business class product were the Naples, Palma , Perpignan, Pula , Santiairline’s north American innovations, ago de Compostela, Tenerife, Toulouse with new routes to Los Angeles, Hart- and Venice. ford and Newark to follow in 2016.

The airline has codeshares with They wil also launch five new serv- Oneworld, Star Alliance and SkyTeam ices to the Med in summer 2016: from members, as well as interline agreeDublin for summer 2016 to Pisa 3w, Murcia 4w, Montpellier 2w, Cork-Dus- ments with Etihad Airways, JetBlue Airways and United Airlines. The airline seldorf 2w and Belfast-Alicante 5w.

Capacity increases from Dublin in- operates a fleet of 38 narrow body and clude Alicante (up 92pc), Athens, eight widebody Airbus aircraft.

Barcelona, Bilbao, Bordeaux, Bourgas ,

Page 012 ITIA Awards 2 18/02/2016 19:01 Page 5

MARCH 2016 PAGE 19

ITIA AWARDS 2016

Marie McCarthy and Dermot Merrigan of Irish Ferries accept the Ferry Company award from award sponsor Maureen Ledwith of cruise & ferry category sponsors the Holiday World Show and Martin Skelly

I

“That is why we rish Ferries were FERRY COMPANY: strive every year to voted as Ireland’s raise the bar that we Best Ferry ComIRISH FERRIES set ourselves and to pany for the sixth year exceed expectations in succession.

Dermot Merrigan of Irish Ferries de- in terms of quality, value, comfort and scribes it as “an achievement of which safety. When choosing Irish Ferries, we are all genuinely proud. Retaining travel agents know that their customers the award is a wonderful thing, but what are in very good hands.”

“We at Irish Ferries know that the satis most important to us is the affirmation isfaction of their customers is our enthat our travel agents and their cusjoyment.” tomers continue to enjoy a pleasant and “Whilst we’re delighted and honoured friendly experience with Irish Ferries.”

“We take great pride in the quality of to win this acclaimed award, it’s rewhat we do and how we do it, be that warding in itself to know that our longonline, ashore or onboard. However at standing relationship with our partners Irish Ferries, we are under no illusions in the travel industry remains as strong regarding the stiff competition that we as ever. Their appreciation, cooperation face for business each and every year and support is of great comfort to us and and are also very conscious of the ex- really helps to drive us on. A very grateceptionally high standard that the Travel ful and sincere thanks to all of our industry colleagues once again.”

Industry demands for their customers.”

Daniil Elterman, Lynda McCorry, Luke Clarke and Amanda Middler of Silversea Cruises accept the Ultra Luxury Cruise Company award from award sponsor Maureen Ledwith and Martin Skelly President of the ITAA. ilversea won best ultra cruise LUXURY CRUISE company something Amanda Middler feels “demonstrates the COMPANY: SILVERSEA success and strength of the relationships we have built with the trade over Expeditions offer unique, awe-inspiring the years.” journeys to some of the world’s most ex“Sailing to over 800 destinations otic destinations, including Antarctica spanning all seven continents, Silversea takes you to more destinations than any and the Galápagos Islands, aboard our other cruise line. Our small, luxury ships fleet of luxury expedition vessels.

“As the luxury cruise industry exglide into secluded harbours where othpands year on year, Silversea continues ers cannot go.

“All-suite and spacious ocean-view to focus on innovation and offering suaccommodation comes with butler serv- perlative European service. ice. Beautifully appointed lounges and “The addition of Silver Muse will exbars offer an elegant yet relaxed ambi- pand Silversea’s fleet to nine ships in ence. Gourmet dining; beverages in- 2016, and will once again significantly cluding wines, beers and spirits; and raise the bar in the ultra-luxury cruise onboard gratuities are always included. market with enhancements to the on“For the curious traveller, Silversea board experience.

S

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Page 012 ITIA Awards 2 18/02/2016 19:03 Page 6

MARCH 2016 PAGE 20

ITIA AWARDS 2016

Gonzalo Ceballlos of the Spanish Tourist Board and Spanish ambassador Jose Marie Rodriguez accepts the Summer Sun Destination award from Murat Balandi of Turkish Airlines and Martin Skelly President of the ITAA.

Michaela Banks, Jennifer Callister and Jenny Rafter of Royal Caribbean International accept the Cruise Company: award from award sponsor Maureen Ledwith of the Holiday World Show

pain has been Ireland’s leading sun destination for seven decades with a consistent performance of attracting around 1.3m visitors since the industry first moved from pilgrimages to more exciting holiday escapades in the 1950s.

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 changed. Things have moved on and tourism has become so central to their presence in Dublin that

oyal Caribbean have been undisputed champions of cruise since the awards. began. Ben Bouldin says “we pride ourselves on being the pioneers of many firsts at sea and at the heart of our business is our ambition to revolutionise the industry, making every holiday unique and memorable.”

“This is going to be a great year for Royal Caribbean with two state-of-the-art ships coming to the UK. Ovation of the Seas will be arriving in April 2016 and is the first ship specifically designed for the Chinese market. Just a few weeks later will be the launch of the world’s largest adventure, Harmony of the Seas which debuts in Southampton in May 2016.

With these two additions, it will allow us to reach more new to cruise holidaymakers and find the perfect cruise for their needs.”

“This year also promises to be an exciting time for Royal Caribbean passengers with the introduction of our new luxury offering, Royal Suite Class. Along with luxury accommodation, this will offer guests a range of exclusive features based on three tiered service levels: Star Class, Sky Class and Sea Class. Premium

S

SUMMER SUN DESTINATION: SPAIN TOURIST BOARD: SPANISH TOURIST BOARD Spanish ambassador to Ireland Jose Marie Rodriguez 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.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR VOTING FOR US IN THE ITIA AWARDS AND HELPING US WIN! BEST ESCORTED TOUR OPERATOR INSIGHT VACATIONS BEST SPECIALIST TOUR OPERATOR The Travel Corporation BEST SPECIALIST CRUISE COMPANY (including River): Uniworld

R

CRUISE COMPANY: ROYAL CARIBBEAN features include a Royal Genie, certified by the British Butler Institute to meet the needs of every guest; free VOOM - the fastest internet at sea; complimentary speciality dining; an ultimate beverage package; inclusive gratuities; preferred seating at select onboard venues and upgraded room facilities.

“We’re also seeing Club Royal continue to go from strength-to-strength and now have over 9,000 members. The engagement has been incredible with #getmeonharmony, it’s proved a great way to engage with agents about Royal Caribbean and increase their knowledge about our brand.

“To continue attracting new generations of cruise fans in 2016, working closely and effectively with our trade partners remains a key focus and they are very important to the success of our organisation. We have a long history of working very successfully with our trade partners and look forward to another fantastic year in 2016.

New York team: Tryphavana Cross of NYC & Company ,Tom Travers of Hotel Beacon, Reginald Charlot of NYC & Company and Mary Farrell of Top Of The Rock accept the Worldwide City Destination award

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 & Company, represented in Ireland by Tryphavana Cross, have repeatedly won the best city worldwide award.

New developments include the opening of one world observatory at the World Trade Centre and

WORLDWIDE CITY DESTINATION: NEW YORK the addition of an Aer Lingus service to Newark to commence in September 2016.

Where only 75,000 people visited from Ireland 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 of Hotel Beacon and Mary Farrell of Top of the Rock, great supporters of the Irish Trade.

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MARCH 2016 PAGE 21

ITIA AWARDS 2016

Wilhelm Nest of the Austria Trade Commission accepts the Ski Destination award from Murat Balandi of destination category sponsors Turkish Airlines and Martin Skelly President of the ITAA.

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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 relatively 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.

Gonzalo Ceballlos of the Spanish Tourist Board and Paula Muñoz of Lanzarote accept the Winter Sun Destination award from Murat Balandi of destination category sponsors Turkish Airlines and Martin Skelly.

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 prerecession 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-mak-

ers 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.

THE MOUNTAIN IS YOURS Passo Tonale | Pas de la Casa | Söll | Cervinia | Tignes | Mayrhofen and loads more

Thank you for voting us Best Ski Tour Operator.

Specialist Holiday Group Ireland Limited. Registered in Ireland No 45287. Crystal Holidays is a trading name of Specialist Holiday Group Ireland Limited a member of the TUI Travel PLC Group of Companies.

Page 012 ITIA Awards 2 19/02/2016 14:14 Page 8

MARCH 2016 PAGE 22

ITIA AWARDS 2016

Donna Kenny, Paul Melinis and Sharon Jordan of The Travel Corporation accept the Specialist Tour Operator award from Paul Manning of tour operator category sponsors Hertz and Martin Skelly President of the ITAA.

T

he Travel SPECIALIST TOUR OPERATOR: Corporation THE TRAVEL CORPORATION portfolio of products picked up tions, Luxury Gold is going really well three awards in the night and nine in the with itineraries such as our new Peru history of the awards, Uniworld having tour, Treasures of the Incas selling a dominated the specialist cruise category number of seats for the 2016 season. and Insight the escorted tours category.

Other destinations such as Southern Sharon Jordan looked forward to further expansion in 2016. “Uniworld is sit- USA, India and Canada are also receivting at 20pc up year-on-year with guests ing a lot of interest from past and booking higher category rooms and ex- prospective guests.”

“At TTC we are delighted to have ploring our new exotic locations such as John Grehan join the team and are so India and the Ganges. The Danube continues to be the biggest seller out of Ire- proud to have won such amazing awards land followed closely by the Rhine and at the recent ITIA awards. Thanks to all our 8 day south of France cruise, Bur- the fabulous agents across Ireland for gundy and Provence.” the much appreciated votes. We promise “Our new product for Insight Vaca- to work even harder this year.”

BEST LONG HAUL TOUR OPERATOR

Thank you for voting us Best Longhaul Tour Operator 2016

ldwide

Wor Luxury

Philip Airey and Mary Denton of Sunway accept the European Sun Tour Operator award from Paul Manning of tour operator category sponsors Hertz and Martin Skelly President of the ITAA.

S

unway got their 50th year in business off to a great start with the European tour operator award, their eight award in three categories in the history of the awards.

Tanya Airey commented - “Awards such as these, as voted by our friends and colleagues in the Travel Trade are an excellent accolade to the hard work that the whole team at Sunway put in throughout the years. I’d like to thank the wonderful team at Sunway for their hard work throughout the year and I’d also like to thank the Travel Trade for their continued business and support, we would not be where we are without them” Sunway was founded in 1966 by Roy Beatty, Tanya’s Grandfather. Originally opened in Blackrock as a Corporate and Leisure Travel Agency, In 1991 Sunway started Tour Operations to Morocco and has since expanded their programme over the years to offer more than 75 destinations worldwide.

“We believe in a strong relationship with the travel trade in Ireland and Sunway are the only Irish tour operator that supports the travel trade 100pc.

“Our longstanding relationships with the Airlines, Hoteliers and Suppliers allow us to have fully trained and experienced staff but also provide us with the

EUROPEAN SUN TOUR OPERATOR: SUNWAY facilities for training and incentivising agents through familiarisation trips, road shows, events, training webinars and booking incentives.

“Our European package holidays are inclusive of a Sunway Representative Service, 20kg baggage and transfers in order to provide an all in one package for our clients. At Sunway we provide a full brochure distribution system for all our products to be offered in agencies and offer marketing support and travel concessions for travel agents.”

“With our 50 years of travel experience we have survived many booms and busts, ash clouds, strikes and political situations.

We are renowned for our outstanding representative service in our European resorts, we understand what Irish holidaymakers want and as our loyal customers in the Trade show through their repeat bookings year after year.”

“Sunway is proud to be celebrating our 50th year in business and look forward to another 50 years providing exceptional holidays at competitive prices through the Trade.”

s

Holiday

Enda Corneille, Anita Thomas and Filippo Rocchi of Emirates accepts the Long Haul Airline award from Vincent Harrison of air travel category sponsors Dublin Airport and Martin Skelly President of the ITAA.

Worldwide Weddings Indian Oc ean

& Honeym oons

Second Edi tion

- Arabia

- Africa -

Asia - Ca ribbean

Classic Resorts team: Fiona, Paula, Carla, Craig, Siobhan and Marek.

Tel: 01 8745000 Email: info@classicresorts.ie Web: www.classicresorts.ie

E

mirates marked 30 years of operations, and the introduction of double daily flights from Dublin to Dubai.

“Four years ago, when we said we were going to start operate from Ireland people said we were nuts,” Country manager Enda Corneille says.

“Now we are selling 22,000 seats a month, carrying 50 tons of cargo a month. Just before Christmas we carried our one millionth passenger out of Dublin.”

During the year, Emirates launched

LONG HAULAIRLINE: EMIRATES six new points, expanding its network to 150 destinations. Emirates also received 26 aircraft, retaining its position as the world’s largest operator of the Boeing 777 and the Airbus A380.

The airline currently serves 37 cities around the world with the double-decker A380, which features its trademark Onboard Lounge and Shower Spa and industry-leading First Class private suite.

Page 012 ITIA Awards 2 18/02/2016 19:12 Page 9

MARCH 2016 PAGE 23

ITIA AWARDS 2016

Orla Markey and Ray Scully of Crystal Holidays accept the Ski Tour Operator award from Paul Manning of tour operator category sponsors Hertz and Martin Skelly President of the ITAA.

C

rystal won the ski award for the third year in succession.

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

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

SKI TOUR OPERATOR: CRYSTAL HOLIDAYS 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.”

Beverleigh Fly, Celine Buckley, Lee Osborne and Karl Tyrrell of Bookabed accept the Accommodation-Only Provider award from Stephen Sands of agency services category sponsors Riviera Travel and Martin Skelly

B

ookaBed won the accommodation supplier of the year awards for the fifth time in six years.

“We have continued to focus on improving user experience of our websites, increased distribution via xml partners and offline travel agents and improving our already high standards of customer care” said Karl Tyrrell, MD of BookaBed. "Staff numbers have nearly doubled in 2015, now employing over 25 staff in areas such as product/contracting, sales, customer service, admin and our fast growing flight+hotel section in order to provide a better service our loyal and ever growing customer base.

All in all it’s been a very positive year with a 25% growth in sales v 2014 and winning the awards which we are very proud of.

This year 2016 has started off ex-

ACCOMMODATION ONLY PROVIDER: BOOKABED tremely well with arrivals booked in currently over 50pc up and we will be trying our hardest to retain the accommodation supplier of the year awards Some exciting improvements to our site on the way in early 2016 include better quality and larger images, improved descriptions, ability to combine airlines, improved email and print quote feature and branded printable window display offers.

We would like to express how grateful we are to the agents that book with us and for their loyal support for the past 10 years and wish them all every success for 2016"

Page 012 ITIA Awards 2 19/02/2016 14:13 Page 10

MARCH 2016 PAGE 24

ITIA AWARDS 2016

John Spollen, Robert Smart, Suzanne Reynolds and Paul Kelly of t he Cassidy Travel team accept the ITAA Travel Agency of the Year (over 10 employees) from award sponsor Tara Flanagan of British Airways

C

assidy Travel have already won an ITIAaward in the tour operator category as best long haul tour operator in 2012 (joint), 2013 and 2015 and best specialist tour operator (2013), best long haul tour. This year they landed on the podium twice, the first time as travel agency of the year with more than ten employees..

It was a pleasant way to end a 30th anniversary year. John Cassidy and John Spollen started Cassidy Travel 30 years ago “There his a great opportunity to get into the trade and make a great living out of it,” John Cassidy says.

“When we initially started we dropped circulars into everyone up and down Grafton Street. Then we were out on the town, handing business cards to everyone we could.”

“We had approaches from a couple of companies who could see a bit of sunlight at the end of the company we were running, to know if we were interested in selling. It

TRAVELAGENCY OF THE YEAR: CASSIDY TRAVEL LONG HAULTOUR OPERATOR: CLASSIC RESORTS happened twice and it focussed us.”

“Our survival was no surprises when we got such wonderful support from the airlines and tour operators.”

“We were lucky enough in 2008 to have made the correct cuts in shops and staff only to be able to go again, which we have done, and we are in the process of doing a bit more expansion.”

“We try to reinvent ourselves every year to make sure we are there for another year or two.”

Fiona Dobbyn and John Spollen of Classic Resorts, accept the Long Haul Tour Operator award from Paul Manning of tour operator category sponsors Hertz and Martin Skelly President of the ITAA.

Tara Flanagan and Brenda Morgan of British Airways accept the Business Class to Europe award from Vincent Harrison of air travel category sponsors Dublin Airport. and Martin Skelly President of the ITAA.

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 2014 BA operate to Terminal 5 in Heathrow giving business class passengers access to the terminals’s state of the art lounges.

Rebecca Kelly and Janet Parton of MSC Cruises accept the Supplier Support Team award from Stephen Sands of agency services category sponsors Riviera Travel and Martin Skelly President of the ITAA.

R

ebecca Kelly SUPPLIER REPRESENTATIVE: started in the travel industry 16 REBECCA KELLY years ago and has loved it ter accounts.” ever since.

“If they have any issues, they nor“I think I am a travel agent at heart mally just send me a message and it’s rewhich is why I love my current job so much: it allows me to relate to the agents solved quickly. I think having that that I work with and understand what rapport with someone helps enorthey need from me to make selling MSC mously.” cruises easier.”

MSC Cruises also won ‘Best Supplier “I can’t put into words how delighted Team’ for the second year running. ReI am with this win. To win the award becca said “my amazing reservations once was amazing; twice was humbling team made this possible, I get such great but three times is just crazy.” support from them.”

“There is some seriously tough com“MSC Cruises has had a fantastic petition out there so I’m over the moon.” year, seeing us work with more agents “The fact that the award is voted for than ever.” by my peers and the people I work with “We have had some big success stoall the time makes it even more special. ries as well, including large group bookI make a point of being constantly in di- ings and a strong turn of year campaign rect contact with front counter staff, with our ‘Best All-Inclusive at Sea’ ofmainly through my Facebook and Twit- fering.”

I

TAA President Martin Skelly pointed out that travel writer Eoghan Corry was the first and perhaps the only person from outside the trade to get the lifetime achievement award.

He has edited Travel Extra since 2002 and, in Skelly’s words, become the “go to person nationally and internationally” about the travel trade in Ireland.

The career fits into three uneven thirds. He started his career in sports journalism, becoming Sports Editor of the Sunday Tribune, moved to news where he became Features Editor of the Irish Press, and eventually to Travel.

“I first came into contact with the industry as travel editor of the Irish Press between 1987 and the closure of the newspaper in 1995, but that role was subsumed with other roles such as Features and Literary editor.” “ It struck me as a fascinating industry which deserved more sophisticated coverage than it was receiving. This was an energy and excitement about the industry which was not being reflected.”

“Media did not appreciate importance in financial and lifestyle terms to the Irish public. Smaller industries were being covered more seriously. My only role has been to bring a level of that serious coverage to travel.”

“When I started in sports the standard of coverage was pretty routine. Over the decades I have seen the standards of coverage grow from who scored the

INDUSTRY AWARD: EOGHAN CORRY

Eoghan Corry with his award. winning goal to a body of more informative and creative commentary in print and on the airwaves. My dream is to see coverage of travel evolve to that level.”

“I am merely reflecting the energy and sophistication of a great industry.

This award, bestowed by the travel community, is really to the travel community itself to celebrate."”

Page 012 ITIA Awards 2 19/02/2016 09:49 Page 11

MARCH 2016 PAGE 25

ITIA AWARDS 2016

Ali Nicholls of Universal Orlando Resort accepts the Worldwide Theme Park award from Murat Balandi of destination category sponsors Turkish Airlines and Martin Skelly President of the ITAA.

Gonzalo Ceballlos of the Spanish Tourist Board and Paula Garcia of the Catalan Tourist Board, representing Barcelona, accept the European City Destination award from Murat Balandi of Turkish Airlines

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 with another addition to the growing Harry Potter product in Orlando and the addition of the Wizarding World to its California campus.

The gigantic family budget 1,800 room Cabana Bay hotel has made onsite stays popular with the Irish market with another midrange hotel the new 1,000 bedroom Loews Saphire

WORLDWIDE THEME PARK: UNIVERSAL ORLANDO Falls hotel, priced between the budget Cabana Bay and the more upscale Portafino, to follow.

Universal will have a total of 6,800 onsite beds for visitors when Saphire Falls opens Next up is the King Kong attraction, Skull Island. Not that the home of the Simpsons, Superman and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter needs any introduction to the Irish trade.

Universal Orlando 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 retrothemed family Cabana Bay with two large pools, a lazy river and a bowling alley.

Thank you!

For voting Amadeus your Best Travel Technology Supplier for 6 years running at the Irish Travel Industy Awards.

‘11

‘12

‘13

‘14

‘15

‘16

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.

Page 026 Jamaica 17/02/2016 18:22 Page 1

MARCH 2016 PAGE 26

DESTINATION JAMAICA

H

ow long is a Jamaican minute?

As long as it

takes.

The living is easy on this island, to quote its most famous son. And yes, the sun is shining too.

But the biggest selling point for Jamaica is its people. They have a wild sense of humour and a graceful flair for words, thanks mostly to their flirtations with Patois, a lively language that is part English, part French, part Spanish, part everything.

“There is a mystic vibration around this island indeed,” our Thomson rep Pauline says.

The vibrations are created by the language and the luscious landscape; Mother Nature went to town on the Caribbean’s most mountainous island.

Montego Bay’s biggest asset is Dunn’s River Falls, near Ocho Rios.

We arrive at the falls on the Cool Running’s catamaran, which Thomson guests have priority over on Saturdays.

She stops off at a reef where guests jump into the warm waters and snorkel if they wish.

As experiences go, there aren’t that many sea creatures in this spot, but the turquoise waters are glorious and make the juicy beef patty served afterwards all the sweeter.

When we disembark, we split into groups of 10, join hands and are led up the falls by a guide.

The terrain is rocky

is handed out afterwards, with an address to send pencils, paper and other supplies.

The finish line is at a waterfall, where local teens are eager to guide us into the deep waters — of course, you are expected to show your appreciation here as well, but with cash.

As with every transaction of this nature, the price is negotiable and it is up to you to argue a reasonable fee.

A rum time Conor McMahon goes all inclusive with Falcon in Jamaica and slippy, but relatively easy to climb as a big group.

As with a lot of tourist experiences here, we are trailed by a daring camera crew, who snap footage of us spluttering in the water and dunking ourselves into the “crystal punch”.

Of course, there is a $30 DVD for sale afterwards. If you’re not interested, turn to your Patois phrasebook and say “Me no want it, man.” It is the only way to give a definite no.

The climb takes just over an hour-and-a-half to complete and it is a joyous experience, one that you will definitely recommend to clients — especially because the journey home is topped with limitless servings of rum punch.

L

ocals say of Jamaican rum: One shot will open your eyes. Two shots will close them. Three shots will bring you closer to heaven. Apparently, they start their cars with the stuff.

There are rum bars beside every church, we’re told, so the wife can get the holy spirit on a Sunday while the husband gets the distilled spirit.

Bear in mind, the island holds the world record for the most churches per square mile.

If you ever need to sober up, Blue Mountain coffee is the best option.

We take the Freewheelin’ bike tour of Blue Mountains. It takes a three-hour bus ride to get to the top, but our driver Woney puts on a fantastic performance to

JAMAICA ME CRAZY

n Tell your client to book into the Club Mobay Lounge before departure.

The $30 fee alone is worth booking for the immigration fast track alone. Plus it will spare them from the extortionate snacks on sale in the airport (a Mars bar costs around $6). n A new toll road is being built from Ocho Rios to Kingston, which will mean the journey time to the capital will be cut from nearly two hours to 40 minutes. There is some controversy about the route: The company constructing the route is claiming ownership of the land that includes Dunn’s

River Falls. n Ireland has a strong connection with the island: A community of Irish immigrants came to live in a settlement in Blue Mountain. There are villages with a clear Irish influence: Dublin Castle, Kildare, Belfast, Ulster Spring and Irish Town. And the island’s first prime minister was part Irish. n When you mention that you are Irish, the first thing that comes to a Jamaican’s mind is Ireland’s three wicket win against Pakistan in the 2007 Cricket World Cup.

keep us entertained en route.

He says there are two sets of drivers on the island. CDs and CJs. CDs are careful drivers. CJs are crazy Jamaicans.

Woney is certainly the former: He has been driving since he was nine years of age.

He says that driving is a legal gambling in Jamaica, but he takes it easy and skilfully navigates the narrow roads.

“The left side is the right side,” he says, “and the right side is suicide.”

Our journey takes us from one end of St Mary parish to the other.

We pass through Portland town, where Jamaica’s tourist trade was founded, and James Bond beach.

007 has had a lasting legacy in Jamaica. Three of the books were set here — Dr No, Live and Let Die and The Man with the Golden Gun — the first Bond film was shot here, and Ian Fleming resided here at his Goldeneye residence, which is now a luxury boutique hotel.

A

s we pass through the farmlands, we see graves on residential properties, a common sight in Jamaica. It is legal to bury your loved ones at their home place.

“They are the best neighbours you could ask for,” Woney says. “They don’t complain about the noise and they never ask to borrow anything.”

When we get to the top of Blue Mountain, a trailer load of bicycles awaits. They are varied in size — and in brake power. Take your pick as quickly as possible.

Most of the journey down is spend looking at the gravel and loose rock rather than the surrounding landscape, but there are plenty of pitstops along the way to explore the coffee plants and coconut trees.

Coconuts are used for everything in Jamaica: Soap, rum, sun tan lotion.

If you go to your doctor with heartburn, they’ll prescribe you with coconut water.

We also stop at a primary school, where the children shake hands with the group and perform two songs. A slip of paper

O

ur Rasta guide at Nine Mile is called Crazy. We were warned that the guides here are from another planet — Crazy was on another planet as we shuffled our way to Bob Marley’s mausoleum.

Some people find the experience emotional. I found it baffling, each of us on edge waiting for Crazy to pick on us for the butt end of one his cryptic jokes, even as we walked sombrely around Bob Marley’s grave.

We see the single bed that Marley sings about in ‘Is This Love’ and the rock where he liked to meditate with a joint in each hand: “Have you ever seen a bird fly with only one wing?” Crazy reasoned.

It’s a shame that the overall product was a little disjointed. Perhaps with a more sober guide, we would have been able to embrace the experience.

Oh well. It is difficult to get stressed on this island. Everything is “irie” — Patois for “ay okay”.

When Bob Marley sang “everything little thing’s going to be all right,” you know he truly meant it.

Conor McMahon stayed at ClubHotel Riu Ocho Rios as a guest of Falcon/ Thomson Holidays.

n Conor McMahon travelled to Jamaica courtsey of Falcon Holidays. He stayed at Riu ocho rios lead in 19th June from €1559pp all inclusive on a Thomson 787 dreamliner.

Holiday World_Layout 1 19/02/2016 10:43 Page 1

Featuring:

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Page 028-031 Flying 18/02/2016 17:04 Page 1

MARCH 2016 PAGE 28

THE FLYING COLUMN

Aviation with Gerry O’Hare

MARIAN Pilgrimages are to run direct

charter services from Dublin to Tel Aviv. Two flights a week will include direct departures from Dublin, Cork, Shannon and Belfast. The first flight wil depart from Dublin at 10am on October w2nd and 1pm on October 3rd. Marian Pilgrimages as 20 staff and offices in Dublin Boston and London, servicing 20,000 pilgrims a year from Ireland, England and USA. See Marian.ie

AER LINGUS announced 3,000 extra seats from May to August 2016 on its Dublin to Orlando 3w service. The service will be operated by a larger aircraft, an A330-300t.

RYANAIR increased its business fasttrack service to 25 airports: Birmingham, Budapest, Brussels-Z, Edinburgh, Eindhoven, Glasgow, Hamburg, Malaga, Rome F, Stockholm S, and Stuttgart. The service is available in Dublin but not yet in Shannon or Knock.

RYANAIR’s 76 cabin crew bases agreed

Fintan Clarke photographing Ryanair’s Tammy Donohoe and Liana Pavlucenko in their new uniforms

Winter warmers

a five year pay deal.

AER LINGUS announced an extra

6,000 seats for Shannon-Boston for summer.

CITYJET t-SukhoCityjet’s Sukhoi Superjet 100 made its first flight.

SHANNON Airport reported 5pc

growth in 2015 to 1,714,872 with its third successive years of passenger increases.

RYANAIR welcomed AENA’s freeze of

charges in Spain after years of increases and warned AENA that "Spain is more than Madrid and Barcelona,"

HEATHROW

Express launched weekend advance tickets for £5.50.

CORK

Airport is set to change both of its runway designation numbers for its main runway in April due to alternations in the earth’s magnetic poles. From April 2016 the runways will be numbered as 16/34.

RYANAIR said will carry 12.3m cus-

tomers through Dublin Airport this year, with 85 routes across Europe

SINGAPORE Airlines announced a new capital express’ service to connect Singapore, Canberra and Wellington.

EMIRATES pushed back the launch of

its 17 hours and 35 minutes flight from Dubai to Panama City to March 31.

DRONES The Department of Transport confirmed that there are 1,200 registered drones in Ireland.

AVOLON is set to receive $1.25bn funding from its parent company HNA Group for expansion.

LUFTHANSA

added two online preflight services. Passengers can browse and reserve in-flight shopping purchases and download journals for their personal devices.

RYANAIR said it will add 30 extra flights between Dublin and Birmingham for Cheltenham festival from March 15 to 18.

Ryanair announces Hamburg and Sofia for winter

R

yanair is to continue its expansion at Dublin airport into winter 2016-7.

Kenny Jacobs told a press conference in Dublin that Ryanair’s winter operating programme which will have new routes Hamburg (5 weekly) & Sofia (3), continuation of summer 2015 routes into the winter Athens (2 weekly), Bologna (2) Murcia (2), Porto (2) & Seville (2) and more flights to Bucharest (5 weekly), Gatwick (8 daily). That will give a total of 68 routes, 670 weekly flight and annual total of 12.m passengers (+1.2m).

Ryanair will have 19 daily flights to London airports [which is more than Aer Lingus -10 Heathrow plus 5 Gatwick]. Ryanair delivered 70pc of the extra passenger numbers to

Dublin Airport in 2015.

Ryanair asserted that the extra tourism revenue from the extra visitors in 2015 would cover the cost of the runway, It also said that it would be interested in feeding to long-haul airlines rather than harbour ambitions to launch its own long haul services, even using 737s.

It did not signal that a deal with Aer Lingus was likely. “Talks with IAG are gone a little colder than we might have hoped. We are hoping they wil get warmer again. Talks with Norwegian are the ones that are most progressed We want to do it quickly but there is more to it. We would be disappointed if it does not happen this calendar year.”

“It is still on our agenda. We think it is a natural thing that wil evolve in the European industry as low cost continue to dominate. It makes cost for high cost airlines to concentrate on long haul and use low cost carriers to feed them. It solves two problems as it gives them extra demand and means they do not have to go head to head with low cost carriers.”

“Maybe when we do a deal with Norwegian others wil come on board.

I think it is the natural thing to happen, low cost airlines feeding IAG, AF/KLM and Lufthansa as they do in the United States.

Kenny Jacobs said Ryanair will have 19 daily flights to three London airports next winter. Aer Lingus currently has 15, 10 Heathrow and 5 Gatwick. .

RYANAIR CHASES GERMAN SHARE

R

yanair stepped up its invasion of Germany when it announced 13 routes from Berlin-Schönefeld.

This makes Schönefeld its biggest base in Germany. The flights are to: , Budapest (daily), Fuerteventura (2w), Gran Canaria (3w), Lanzarote (2w), Lisbon (daily), Manchester (Daily), Rzeszow (3w), Sevilla (3w), Sofia (daily), Thessaloniki (daily), Timisoara (2w), Toulouse (4w), Vilnius

(3w)..

The Ryanair Germany bases announced so far are: Berlin-Schönefeld (9 aircraft), Dusseldorf-Weeze (7), Frankfurt-Hahn (6), Cologne (3), Bremen (3), Hamburg (2), Baden Baden (2), Nuremberg (1).

Ryanair announced its biggest winter schedule from Cologne / Bonn for 2016/2017. With 3 based aircraft, new routes to Sofia (daily) and Malta 2(pw) and additional flights to Gran Canaria (2

pw) and Palma de Mallorca (5 pw), it will offer 19 routes, 141 round trips and carry approx 2.6 million passengers annually.

Ryanair confirmed its 80th base at Hamburg from 1 Nov with 7 new routes to Brussels (2 daily), Dublin (5 pw), Gran Canaria (3 pw), London (daily), Manchester (daily), MilanBergamo (daily) and Sofia (3 pw) and a new winter service to Palma - 14 routes in total, 88 weekly round trips, 650,000 customers

annually.

Ryanair said with new bases and routes their market share in Germany will be increased from the current 5pc to 10pc in 2016 and 20pc in five years.

Ryanair is seeking 180m passengers. Kenny Jacob told Travel Extra that the markets most expected to deliver those passengers will be German-speaking Europe, the Netherlands, Scandinavia and Central and Eastern Europe

Page 029 Flying_New 19/02/2016 15:41 Page 1

MARCH 2016 PAGE 29

THE FLYING COLUMN

Aviation with Gerry O’Hare

Robin Kiely, Tammy Donohoe, Matthias Wenk, Liana Pavlucenko and Kenny Jacobs of Ryanair

180m pax by 2024

Ryanair expects market leader in 6th country in 2016

R

yanair says it has experienced the fares, Kenny jacobs says. “The unprecedented demand for distance between ourselves and the Spain and Portugal as tourists next best competitors on fares has inlook for somewhere other than North creased.”

“That will always anchor us in Africa to go on holidays.

“If 25m German decided they do what we are doing. We are still ruthnot want to go to Turkey this year, less on costs, but if we are ruthless on costs we can be ruthless on fares.” prices will rise.”

Ryanair expects to beRyanair have 350 come the number one in new aircraft in AVERAGE FARES Portugal on market share order, 105m passen- Ryanair €47 in 2016. It is already margers in 2015 and in- Wizz €60 ket leader in Belgium, Iretend growing to Norwegian €81 land, Italy, Poland and 180m by 2024.

Easyjet €84 Spain, second in Morocco It is still all about and Portugal, and third in

England, France and Germany.

Ryanair had a record year in 2015 in Athens, in both Zaventem and Charleroi in Brussels, Copenhagen, Cologne, Dublin, Edinburgh and Porto and had their best year in eight years at London Stansted.

They are continuing to move into major airports with new schedules from Amsterdam and Hamburg.

“Never say never serves us well nowadays. The list of things that Michael said we would never do has turned out ot be about three quarters of our Always Getting Better plan.”

NEW! Air Canada rouge non-stop service

Dublin to Vancouver 3 TIMES WEEKLY COMMENCING 11TH JUNE ‘16

Flights conveniently timed to connect with Air Canada’s extensive network serving 60 Canadian and 52 US destinations.

For more information please contact us at 01 6793958 or aircanada@premair.ie

FLYING FALCONS Lufthansa Technik has created the Falcon Master. The patented bird stand enables VIPs to bring their falcons on board while keeping them nearby in the cabin during flight – a safe and comfortable solution for both owner and falcon. Sadly, it seems to fit the economy cabin only. I suppose the falcon minder is used to that.

BOMBARDIER is to cut 1,038 jobs

at Belfast. A week earlier IAG CEO Willie Walsh praised Bombardier for "taking on" giants Boeing and Airbus with its CSeries jet, the wings of which are made in Belfast, in a talk at Ulster University Business School. "It's going to be a massive challenge for them, but it's good to see more competition in aircraft manufacturing sector."

SKYSCANNER nominated Dublin-

Miami as the underserved route of the week, with 60,000 searches in 2015 mainly outbound, most Miami passengers travel through London Heathrow followed by JFK and Newark.

BELFAST The Causeway Lounge and Viewing Gallery opened at Belfast International Airport.

RYANAIR launched an online parking service at selected car parks in Dublin Airport.

CITYJET published the CRJ900 network it will operate for SAS this summer.

Page 028-031 Flying 18/02/2016 17:05 Page 3

MARCH 2016 PAGE 30

THE FLYING COLUMN

Aviation with Gerry O’Hare

ETIHAD Airways will open a First Class

Lounge at Abu Dhabi International Airport’s Terminal 3.

CITYJET may wet lease some of its ordered SSJ100s to Air France, it was speculated.

DELTA CEO, who oversaw Delta Air Lines' transformation into one of the world's most profitable airlines, will retire this May. His right-hand man, airline president Ed Bastian, will take over as CEO.

KNOCK is predicting 710,000 passenger numbers in 2016, up 3pc, a new record for the airport. The 2015 passenger numbers were down 2pc to 689,080.

IAG January group traffic was up 11.9pc,

load factor up 1.7 percentage points to 78.7pc. ryanair from above copy

RYANAIR reported January passenger numbers up 25pc to 7.5m, load factor up 5 percentage points to 88pc.

RYANAIR announced an €800m share

buy-back programme after reporting Q3 profit of €103m, up €54m, a 1pc fall in air fares drove Q3 traffic growth of 20pc.

TURKISH Airlines received its 300th

aircraft, an A330-300.

AIRCOACH responded to passengers complaining on TripAdvisor that their bags were allegedly stolen while using the service saying it was aware that some bags had been taken without permission and said a number of those incidents involved people mistakenly taking luggage that didn’t belong to them.

UNITED and American Airlines will join Delta and launch a no-frills far later this year.

CityJet announced a weekly service from Bastia to Avignon and Beziers, commencing June 25 to September 3. .

RYANAIR sponsored the anna.aero

London Marathon with a €5,000 donation for Anthony Nolan bone marrow transplants.

DUBLIN-DULLES Aer Lingus

Dublin service to Washington Dulles is to be year round once it resumes in March after finishing earlier this year. The route will be served by a B757-2 for winter season 2016-17.

ASL applied for permission to serve CDG and Shannon to Providence Rhode Island between May and September 2016. ASL serve Dublin to Halifax in Nova Scotia.

KNOCK Aer Lingus are to operate a single pilgrimage rotation from Boston to Ireland West Airport Knock on Thursday July 14.

FRENCH ATC workers called their 40th strike since 2009

DUBLIN-LONDON passengers

were up 9pc to 4.5m in 2015 making it the second busiest international route in the world.

CABIN SICKNESS English trade union Unite called for a public inquiry into the damage caused to cabin crew by ‘aerotoxic syndrome'.

Paschal Donohoe and Kevin Toland being photographed by Willie Dillon

The 25m question Parrallel runway looking more like agreed project

D

ublin airport end of year fig- ited.

Toland says that the airport had exures were up 15pc to 25m, perienced three years' growth in the which means that the parallel space of one. runway will be triggered by further A re-examination of progrowth. posals for a parallel runway is PAX FACTS 2015 Kevin Toland under way as a result, due to told journalists Dublin 24.9m +15pc finish by the end of March. that passenger Belfast Int 4.4m +8pc The Dublin runway will be charges were Belfast Cty 2.7m +5.4pc subject to Planning clearance, Cork 2.1m -3pc due to rise 60pc including lifting restrictions Shannon 1.7m, +5pc to pay for the on movements in the early parallel runway Knock 689k -2pc hours. While the regulator under existing has allowed €245 towards the runagreements, but hinted the planning permission would have to be revis- way Toland says the figure would likely be €300m.

When he's not focused on building the airport's infrastructure, Toland is working on adding more routes. First on the list is a flight to China. "I'm working very hard to ensure that we can get a flight to China either announced or commenced by the end of this year. It is absolutely critical that this country is directly connected to one of the most important economic regions in the world.. We are going to be marginalised if we are not."

A direct route to Russia, Israel and Mexico City are also top of his wishlist.

BELFAST CITY CAP LIKELY TO GO

A

restriction on the number of seats for sale at George Best Belfast City Airport to 2m pa should be removed, an independent inquiry said.

The airport is proposing to replace the cap with noise controls.

The Planning Appeals Commission PAC said: "Restriction 3, in respect of a 'seats for sale' limitation,

should be removed."

It said the area affected by noise levels which cause people concern, 57 decibels, should not exceed 5.2 sq km. That is the area which a Belfast City Council forecast for 2025 suggested would be affected if the seats for sale restriction remained in place.

A final decision will rest with Stormont Environment Minister Mark Durkan, who is not bound

by any recommendation the inquiry made.

Its other recommendations included: - A levy of fines should be clearly laid out, to be imposed on flights landing after 9.30pm, increasing incrementally every 15 minutes.

- A departure noise control system should be introduced setting out a specified maximum limit.

Fines should be established

and clearly set out in the amended agreement, with all penalties payable to an Airport Community Fund.

- A continuous descent approach should be adopted for all aircraft landing.

- A noise insulation scheme should be brought in for residential and noisesensitive properties experiencing noise levels of 63 decibels or above.

EU WARNS ON STATE SUBSIDIES

T

he European Union is seeking tough limits on public subsidies to airlines.

The terms and the option

of revoking traffic rights feature in a series of new commercial aviation agreements it wants to negotiate with several countries including Turkey and the

United Arab Emirates.

A draft "fair competition clause", which the EU executive wants to include in air transport agreements, lists the forms of public

support that could be considered unfair, such as protection from bankruptcy, provision of capital, tax relief and cross-subsidy.

Page 028-031 Flying 18/02/2016 17:05 Page 4

MARCH 2016 PAGE 31

THE FLYING COLUMN

Aviation with Gerry O’Hare UNITED

Airlines is to operate the longest scheduled flight,between San Francisco and Singapore.

CABIN COMFORT A study by

Airline Passenger Experience Association states 70pc of all passengers consider cabin comfort the most important contribution to the flying experience

BELFAST City Airport passenger numbers for 2015 were up 5.4pc to 2.7m IRAN It is reported in Tehran that several European airlines will resume their flights to Iran after nearly five years following a landmark nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.

Aircraft painted with the faces of customers under Ryanair’s 30 names campaign, the result of a competition to celebrate its new Facebook account and 30th birthday offering 30 fans the chance to have their name and face pictured on one of 30 Ryanair aircraft (see video here). The company received over 80,000 TURKISH Boeing Turkish Airlines entries and the winners were announced in October In early December Ryanair started applying the Chairman M.lker Ayci and Boeing Commercial names and face images to their aircraft. Here are two of the first images of the Irish winners Paul Carroll Airplanes President CEO Ray Conner signed a and Mairead Twohig taken at Dublin Airport by Mike Kelly. long-term collaboration agreement in Istanbul.

FR spring fever

Ryanair’s 22pc growth leads the world by a margin

R

yanair leads the world in capacity growth so far in 2016.

Ralph Anker’s anna.aero reports that “looking at which airlines have added the most seats in 2016 Q1 compared with 2015 Q1 there is only one winner. Ryanair has added more than 50pc more seats than any other car-

rier, easily beating China Eastern Airlines and Xiamen Airlines.”

In terms of additional seats, Emirates is still the fastest-growing MEB3 carrier beating Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways.

Five of the top 20 airlines are growing seat capacity by more than 10pc, with Ryanair reporting an impressive 22pc growth in scheduled

seats, followed by Turkish Airlines (+15pc).

The four biggest airlines in Q1 are the four biggest carriers in the US, followed by two Chinese carriers.

Ryanair is the leading European carrier ahead of Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa, easyJet and British Airways.

Better than expected Willie Walsh hails success of Aer Lingus takeover

A

er Lingus has worked out even "better" for IAG than it had anticipated, the Glasnevin born CEO of IAG Willie Walsh says when in Dublin for an aviation coherence.

We have always viewed Aer Lingus as a growth opportunity, principally North Atlantic “On the east coast of the USA the strong brand position Aer Lingus has there.

“Flying direct out of Dublin heading east is more of a problem. There is not a sufficient volume there. There is a market. You cannot coperate is as a hub because of the geographical location. Dublin works extremely well as a hub across the North Atlantic because of its geographical position, less so for travelling east” He said that infrastructure issues at Dublin Airport need to be addressed. “ to enable it to be an effective hub.

The scale of the existing operation is less than we would like to see."

QATARAirways is increasing its flights to

Zagred and Budapest to a 10-weekly service from April 3 and July 3, while flights to Baku increase to an 11-weekly service from March 27. Qatar will launch direct flights from Doha to Belgrade from March 16.

TURKISH Airlines announced a part-

nership with Warner Bros Pictures to launch experiences inspired by Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ahead of its release on March 25. A scene from the movie was filmed on board a Turkish Airlines B777.

SWISS unveiled its Dock E lounge at

Zurich Airport, which coincides with the arrival of its first B777-300ER. SWISS also confirmed that it will offer in-flight WiFi and roaming mobile phone access on the jets.

UNITED Airlines and American Airlines will join Delta and launch a no-frills far later this year.

ICAO The first binding energy efficiency

and carbon-dioxide emissions targets for aviation have been agreed at the International Civil Aviation Organization. The global CO2 standard will apply to all commercial and business aircraft delivered after Jan. 1, 2028,

CITYJET announced a weekly service

from Bastia to Avignon and Beziers, commencing June 25 to September 3. .

RYANAIR sponsored the anna.aero Lon-

Willie Walsh flies the flag at the Aer LINgus N mrica routes launch “It has worked well, but the scale of the existing operation is clearly smaller than we would like to see. It has issues in terms of taxiways and stands.”

"There's a good case for a second runway at Dublin," he said. "Runway slots at Dublin are all filled during the peak. There's capacity available in the off-peak. It's very difficult to change and operate an effective network in the off-peak, particularly if you're trying to keep operating as a hub.

"While I think there's a case for a

second runway, I think there's an important case to be made for improving the existing infrastructure that will enable Dublin to operate more efficiently."

Mr Walsh added: "The critical issue is to ensure that any additional infrastructure is built in a cost-effective manner.

"You can't just build infrastructure and hope it will work. It will only work if it's efficient in terms of operation and cost."

don Marathon with a €5,000 donation for Anthony Nolan bone marrow transplants.

FINNAIR announced additional flights to Lapland, Kittilä, Kuusamo and Ivalo, for winter 2016/2017.

FINNAIR

announced additional flights to Lapland — Kittilä, Kuusamo and Ivalo — for winter 2016/2017.

EU The Dutch Presidency hosted the EU

Aviation Summit, where topics included Smarter Regulation and Connectivity and the EU Aviation Strategy.

SHANNON

Airport carried 1.7m passengers in 2015, up 5pc YOY.

Page 032-033 Afloat 18/02/2016 17:09 Page 1

MARCH 2016 PAGE 32

AFLOAT PRINCESS Cruises released a picture

of Majestic Princess, the first of their ships to debut a new design.

CLUB Royal is offering €18 for every booking from February 12-26.

MSC Cruises commissioned two new ships

in the Meraviglia class due for completion in 2019 and 2020. Boasting an additional 200 staterooms and a maximum capacity of nearly 6,300 guests, the cruise line says the vessels will be “the largest ships at sea able to call at any port.”

CARNIVAL Cruise Line added 22 Journeys cruise, longer sailings of nine to 15 nights, to its inventory through 2017.

AIDA

cruises are recruiting 570 performers worldwide, holding auditions from London to Los Angeles.

NORWEGIAN Getaway will move from Miami to spend the summer in Germany in May 2017. Norwegian Jade will move to Southampton for summer 2017. The moves will boost Norwegian's presence in Europe to five vessels which also includes Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Spirit and Norwegian Star.

CELEBRITY Cruises ended mandatory prepaid gratuities on select dining.

TAUCK

said it is to reconfigure the majority of its river cruise fleet.

CLIA

reacted to the cancellation of cruise port calls: In the event of any safety concerns, cruise ships have the flexibility to alter their itineraries as needed to avoid areas of higher risk. Our priority is to provide for the safety of passengers and crew at all times.

OASIS

Class ships announced added benefits to some cabins.

HURTIGRUTEN

is to modify several of its vessels for shore power during the first half of 2016.

ROYAL

Caribbean Cruises signed a fiveyear partnership agreement with the World Wildlife Fund to reduce Royal Caribbean’s carbon footprint by 2020, increase awareness about ocean conservation and support the WWF’s global oceans conservation work.

SILVERSEA

Cruises launched a collection of health and fitness-themed expedition cruises on board Silver Discoverer for 2016 and 2017.

NORWEGIAN

Cruise Line announced the Norwegian Edge quality standard, part of its two-year $400 million investment through 2017.

AIDA cruises as recruiting 570 performers worldwide, holding auditions from London to Los Angeles.

ROSSLARE Stena Horizon and Stena Flavia took over three berths of Rosslare Europort in advance of Stena’s £4.4m refit of their Irish Sea fleet.

Waterslides over Caneal Park on Royal Caribbean’s biggest ships

Premium surprise A

E-travel says 35,000 Irish will cruise in 2016

report by David O’Grady’s etravel.ie says that Irish people book premium cruises at a greater rate than budget cruises.

The report says 58pc of their cruise sales are for four-star ships and 35pc are for five-star ships.

The report estimates 35,000 passengers from Ireland are expected to cruise this year, up 20pc since 2014 and 42pc of Irish cruisers are now under 40. The average price paid in 2015 for a fly cruise package was €1,476 in 2015 versus €1,383 in

I

2014 and stateroom sales breakdown to approximately 65pc balconies, 28pc inside and 7pc ocean view. So far in 2016 the trend seems to be upwardly mobile to the 5 and 6 star luxury liners like Celebrity, Silversea, Cunard and Crystal Cruises.

They say cruise sales are up as much as 46pc for some agents in January.

David O’Grady says: “The world has changed. Tastes have changed.

“Modern luxury is airy spaces with all the right, tasteful details, restau-

rants where the design is just as important as the cuisine, intuitive service with a keen eye for detail, and doing as much or as little as you choose.

“Cruise ships are often referred to as floating hotels and in some cases they are more like floating cities. You can choose the massive ships like Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas which can carry almost 8000 passengers and crew, or a smaller intimate river cruises which carry less than one hundred passengers.

MSC FAM TRIP AT SEA OFFER

n order to allow agents to experience their allinclusive offering, MSC are giving away 50 places on their ‘Best fam trip at sea’ mega-fam: a seven-night cruise Western Med cruise on board MSC Preziosa (currently their newest ship), sailing from Genoa on April 23rd, 2016.

All-inclusive drinks are included too. To enter agents should send details

of Wave period bookings to competition@msccruises.co.uk and include their name, agency details and booking number. We have given away six places already..

“We are aiming to have even more contact with the trade in 2016. This will include monthly competitions and rewards as a ‘thank you’ for all the support they have given us, in-

cluding ‘Disney on Ice’ tickets that we are giving away this month, and another amazing competition for March – keep your eyes peeled for more details.” “ We will also continue with our training and webinar sessions that have always proved popular and I’m excited to say that MSC Splendida will be back visiting our shores from May this year. Of

course we will be operating the ship visit programme, which we always have a waiting list for. Exact details and dates will be released shortly.”

“I want to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to everyone who voted for me to win this award.

Not just this year but for the past three years. I can’t tell you how much it means to me.”

Page 032-033 Afloat 18/02/2016 17:10 Page 2

MARCH 2016 PAGE 33

Back in big time

First look at Royal’s new 5,400 passenger goliath

AFLOAT CELEBRITY Dominic Burke accept-

ing the consortium award at the Celebrity Cruises Travel Agent Achievement Awards: Dondra Ritzenthaler, Sarah Harraghy, Dominic Burke of Travel Centres) Jo Rzymowska and Lisa Lutoff-Perlo. Trailfinders won the top agency Celebrity Cruises Travel Agent Achievement Awards.award,

MSC

NCL, Crystal Cruises have followed Celebrity Cruises and Disney Cruise Line became the latest cruise lines to suspend port calls in Turkey. Cruise ships will call to Greek islands, including Santorini, instead.

P&O

Ferries has ended Larne to Troon seasonal route it has operated since 2003 with immediate effect.

UNIWORLD is making a big push for the family market with the launch of a dedicated Family River Cruise Collection brochure featuring 11 new family-friendly itineraries SCENIC

River cruise specialist Scenic has ordered an ocean cruise ship for delivery in August 2018. The all-suite, 228-passenger Scenic Eclipse been described as more like a billionaire's yacht than a cruise ship, with an Raimund Gschaider head of operations, with Harmony of the Seas which is undergoing final works in STX ice-strengthened hull, twin helicopters, an aft marina with a fleet of Zodiacs and a seven-perFrance Shipyard in St Nazaire, Accessible cabins are available in son submarine. t will not launch until May but downwards, before the ride had been fitted, and it already looks scarey. virtually every cabin category includ- EMERALD Waterways two new ships Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of The cost of the ship was not reing: interior rooms with and without a due in 2017 will sail the Rhone- Saone and the Seas is already making waves vealed at the press conference in St virtual balcony (both 258 square Douro rivers. Emerald Liberté will carry 138 as the world’s largest cruise ship.

Selected Irish travel agents will be Nazaire but in answer to a question feet), oceanview (264 square feet), passengers in 70 cabins and Emerald Radiance able to join the ship in Southampton from Travel Extra the answer was standard balcony (272 square feet, will carry 112 passengers in 56 cabins. for a pre-launch cruise on May 20. “north of $1bn.” with 80 square foot balcony), BoardInspiration’s refurb will inIt will be slightly larger and 20pc walk or Central Park view balcony CARNIVAL Much of Harmony was still is a controduce Guy's Burger Joint, BlueIguana Canstruction zone when Travel Extra vis- more energy efficient than its sister (both 274 square feet, with 73 square tina, and three new bars. ships the Oasis of the Seas and Allure ited last month but many decks are foot balcony), family oceanview balof the Seas. Cabins are slightly longer close to completion. cony (272 square feet, with 42 square PRINCESS Cruises has commissioned The target market for this class of and make better use of space than the foot balcony), standard suite (390 a fourth 3,560-passenger Royal-class ship from ship is the holiday-maker who loves sister ships. While the ship is 30cm square feet, with 107 square foot bal- Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri. the buzz of mega-resorts, and the ship longer than Allure, it is about three cony), and Crown Loft suite (540 NORWEGIAN Cruise Line’s Belize will have three multi-story water- metres wider at upper deck level. square feet, with 98 square foot bal- private island, Harvest Caye, has been pushed The high speed technology availslides. They include the Ultimate cony). back to November. It was originally scheduled Abyss, the scariest ride at sea, which able on Quantum class ships will be Harmony will operate from to receive its first port call on February 16. riders will enter on a mat 54 metres used by Harmony, as well as the above ski level and land in a splash Bionic Bar where robot bartenders Barcelona for the summer before AZAMARA Club Cruises made its Auspool on the fifth deck. Travel Extra “serve up one-of-a-kind crafted cock- going to Fort Lauderdale for winter tralian debut after Azamara Quest sailed from and has already proved popular with stood on the edge to take a peek tails while dancing to a fluid beat.”

Bali to Darwin and on to Sydney.

The windowless inside cabins are the Irish public. fitted with $500,000 Virtual BalThis creates its own challenges for FRED OLSEN cruise ship Braemar conies, which offer a real-time sea the crew. Ship captain Gus Andersen rescued the 14-metre Nicollet sailing yacht and view from aligned cameras. said that European ports “are tighter her four passengers and crew after it was adrift New areas include a suite lounge, a than the Caribbean.” He picked out for three days. private suites-only restaurant called Civitavecchia, and said “the Mistral COSTA will build two new ships for its Coastal Kitchen, and a full-service creates its own problems in MarChinese market, joining the fleet in 2019 and Suite Sun Zone sun deck. seille.” Captain Andersen who will 2020.

New restaurants include Jamie bring the ship through its sea trials in Oliver’s Italian and Wonderland ROYALCaribbean has changed the name April. is relishing the challenge.

Imaginative Cuisine eatery that first of its Divinely Decadence restaurant onboard While the PSSC for the vessel is debuted on Quantum and Sabor, the Anthem of the Seas to Solarium Bistro, modern Mexican restaurant recently 8,880, and crew numbers will be NORWEGIAN Cruise Line cruisers added to Freedom and Allure. There 2,185, Royal will not attempt to sell logged 576,896 Facebook posts during the 20the passenger limit of 6,700.

While are eight free dining options and eight day period, c, 14,150 tweets and 11,367 Insta5,479 is berth capacity, most sailings premium restaurants, and 11 bars. gram posts for a total of 159m impressions off-peak carry around 3,000 passenThe Wonderland concept from Quantum class has been developed to cre- gers. A fourth Oasis-class vessel during the inaugural voyages of Norwegian Esate Wonderbar, a bar facility attached which is being constructed by STX cape. to the restaurant which is entered France in St Nazaire is due in 2018. CARNIVAL Corporation ships will Artist’s rendering of the Ultimate from Deck 12.

Abyss

I

Page 034 Travel Writer Awards 17/02/2016 18:31 Page 1

MARCH 2016 PAGE 34

TRAVEL WRITER AWARDS 2015

Spanish category winner Pól Ó Conghaile with Gonzalo Ceballos, Paula Garcia of Catalonia Tourism, Natalie Bel of Salou and Eoghan Corry

Isabel Conway wins writer award

I Conor Pope, Irish Times receives the Long haul award from Carina Dimech of Malta TA

Conor Power Irish Examiner receives the sun break award from MarieClaire Porter of Sunway

Isabel Conway accepts long haul from Halil Korkmaz and Murat Balandi of Turkish Airlines

Jamie Blake Knox, Sunday Independent accepts newcomer award from Charlotte Brenner of Falcon

Mal Rogers, Irish Times accepts the N Ireland award from Fiona Cunningham of TourismNI.

Mary Fanning RTE Nationwide accepts the boradcast award from John Cassidy of Cassidy.

sabel Conway was awarded Travel Extra Travel Writer of the year at a ceremony in Thomas Prior House Spanish Ambassador Jose Marie Rodriguez spoke at the event which was hosted by the Spanish Tourist Board. Gonzalo Ceballos gave an emotional speech to mark his last time hosting the event of his term in Dublin. The award winners in ten categories were: Young journalist sponsored by Falcon Holidays: Jamie Blake Knox, Sunday Independent, Home holiday sponsored by Failte Ireland: Yvonne Gordon Sunday Times Northern Ireland sponsored by TourismNI: Mal Rogers, Irish Times, , Spain sponsored by the Spanish Tourist Board: Pól Ó Conghaile National Geographic Traveller, Broadcast sponsored by Cassidy Travel: Mary Fanning RTE

Isabel Conway is announced as the winner ish Airlines: Isabel Conway Sunday Nationwide, Business Post, Overall sponosred by The Ski sponsored by Topflight: Catherine Murphy Sunday Business Travel Corporation: lsabel Conway, Irish Examiner.

Post, Previous winners of the overall New Media sponsored by Clliackandgo: Deirdre Mullins RTE award were: 2002 Cleo Murphy, 2003-4 Pól Ó Conghaile, 2005 Ten, Sun Breaks sponsored by Sun- Kathryn Thomas, 2006 Muriel Bolway: Conor Power Irish Examiner ger, 2007 Philip Nolan, 2008 Pól Ó Short breaks sponsored by Conghaile, 2009 Mark Evans 2010 Malta Tourist Authority: Conor Philip Nolan 2011 Isabel Conway 2012 Sue Morrell. 2013-4 Pól Ó Pope, Irish Times, Long haul sponsored by Turk- Conghaile, 2015 Isabel Conway

Award winners Catherine Murphy, Conor Power, Mary Fanning, Yvonne Gordon, Isabel Conway, Mal Rogers, Pól Ó Conghaile, Conor Pope, Jamie Blake Knox and Deirdre Mullins

Deirdre Mullins of RTETen accepts Digital award from Bettina Haltmeyer of Clickandgo

Catherine Murphy accepts ski award from Mihcelle Anderson and Anthony Collins of Topflight

Yvonne Gordon Sunday Times accepts home holiday award from Helen Brady, Failte Ireland.

Overall winner Isabel Conway accepts her award from Sharon Jordan of Travel Corporation

Page 034-035 Agent 18/02/2016 17:20 Page 2

MARCH 2016 PAGE 35

Inside the Travel Business

GLOBAL VILLAGE

Closer to home

Superbreak encourage agents to sell home breaks

S

uperBreak have created a bookable Euro website and launched a local rate number for Irish agents to access SuperBreak’s contact centre and sales support teams. In addition, Superbreak are distributing a 52page brochure to agents, featuring a taster of the product on offer.

SuperBreak’s domestic programme features 126 properties and sales manager Graham Balmforth this expects to expand to over 250 in the next six months.

Accommodation options are available throughout all key short break destinations including Galway, Cork, Limerick, Sligo and Waterford plus many more.

Commissionable add-ons can be pre-booked at 35 key attractions including the Guinness Storehouse, Jamieson Experience, Cliffs of Moher, and many more. Dublin is attracting some key shows making theatre breaks a big draw. Packages are on sale to show such as Annie, Break-

G

Madeleine Roast, Graham Balmforth and Wendy Cameron of Superbreak at Holiday World Dublin fast at TIffanys, Guys and Dolls, The will be on sale soon.

SuperBreak’s portfolio in Britain, Commitments and Billy Elliott.

Multi--centre itineraries can be Europe and worldwide is now availarranged including options with Irish able to book offering 5000 hotels.

Rail for twin centres such as Key destinations for breaks of five nights or less include London, Paris, Dublin/Galway or Dublin/Belfast.

New self-drive options offer car in- Iceland, Barcelona, Prague, Amsterclusive breaks with Irish Ferries and dam, Dubai and New York. as well P&O Ferries including options from as European beach resorts such as the Dublin to Holyhead, Dublin to Liver- Costa Del Sol, The Algarve, French pool and Larne to Cairnryan and Riviera and Costa Blanca.

Rosslare to Pembroke plus Stena Line

choice to Ireland. Allstar is a 50pc shareholder in Worldchoice Ireland.

On the fateful day 9-11, he was among the founders of Global Star worldwide and an active participant in the group’s early expansion.

Over three decades he was an intermittent board member of the ITAA and was one of the key players in ITAA politics in the 1980s. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis..

Niall McDonnell

DOSOMETHINGDIFFERENT.

com, headed up in Ireland by Graham Hennessy, is selling tours in Croatia, 17 trips in Dubrovnik, Zagreb and Split, including a range of walking tours, island cruises, food tours and off-the-beaten-track day trips to places such as Medjugorje in Herzegovina, Krka National Park and the Plitvice Lakes.

nounced details of their trade promotion: To be in with a chance of winning one of three One4All vouchers of €200, €100 and €50, send the EK locator and lowcostbeds booking reference to grainne.caffrey@lowcostbeds.ie for all bookings made before the end of March for travel from April to June. Winners will be announced at the Irish Travel Industry Trade Show, April 8.

HERTZ Up to 100 jobs are under threat

at Hertz in Dublin after the company informed staff of an outsourcing plan.

CONTIKI launched their 2016 brochure, highlighting 70 top-selling trips across the USA and Canada, Latin America, Europe, Asia, Australia & New Zealand, and showcases Contiki’s eight travel styles.

BRAND USA announced seven itineraries for their USA MegaFam 2016: 5 State Splendour, Southern Shine, Frontier Flavours, Lights & Sites, Alaskan Adventure, Heavenly Hawaii and California Finale. To enter: Register booking made to the USA with American Airlines or BA until April 3, complete the MegaFam Airlines badges which give tips to boost flights sales, and pass as many specialist badges as you can on the USA Discovery Programme.

INCREASED Members of the Irish

Gerry Armstrong at ITAA conference in 2006

NIALL’S CLASSIC TOUCH

C

extended its Orlando promotion for agents to Monday 29 February.

LOWCOSTbeds and Emirates an-

INNOVATOR IN ALL THINGS TRAVEL

erry Armstrong who has just died was an innovator and entrepreneur who saw the travel industry evolve through four decades.

Having started life in, RTE, he set up or established a national office for Eurotravel, Carousel, Travelplaces, Keith Prowse, and First Travel management. He was a founding member of Allstar and was instrumental in bringing World-

AER LINGUS

lassic Collections’ Irish operation is officially up and running, headed up by Niall McDonnell.

At an official launch in Dublin Niall pointed out the luxury tour op’s advantages, such as 20kg luggage allowance, free Dublin Airport Lounge access for bookings made before the end of February.

Classic’s private transfers, he said, really are private. if five people arrive at Malaga airport they get separate private transfers, they do not travel together.

He said Classic Collections will continue

to work with travel agents and will not accept online bookings because their offering does not suit online.

The tour op’s 228-page brochure offers a selection 200 individually contracted four and five star hotels in mainland Spain, Majorca, Ibiza, Menorca, the Canary Islands, Portugal’s Algarve and Lisbon Coasts, Italy, Croatia, Malta, Madeira, Corfu, Rhodes, Crete and Turkey. Prices at the Ria Park Hotel & Spa in Vale do Lobo, Algarve where 7 nights start from €1,038 per person during May.

Travel Agents Association say bookings are 50pc ahead of last year with many agents reporting their strongest January since 2010.

Charlotte Brenner of Falcon Holidays said momentum built up from December 26th and the signs are that this going to continue into February. All distribution channels are strong, as are all customer types, families, couples youth are all out in the market booking. Customers are intelligent. We can see they are researching and thinking their requirements through. Falcon’s exclusive product doing well ie splash world resorts, holiday villages, family life and Sensatori. John Spollen of Cassidy Travel said there was a growing confidence about the country is one of the many reasons driving demand our travel shops seeing increased bookings from families along with cruises and lates as people look to escape the horrible Irish winter.

DUNDALK

travel agent John McGuill launched his new website, faty.ie.

ON THE BEACH’s license, issued on March 11 2015 with an expiry date of April 30 2016, but was cancelled by the Commission of Aviation Regulation.

€

Page 036 window seat 19/02/2016 11:39 Page 1

MARCH 2016 PAGE 36

WINDOW SEAT Last month in numbers 7.5m Number of passengers carried by Ryanair in January, up by 25pc on 2014.

1.7m Number of passengers who used Shannon airport in 2015.

689,080 Number of passengers through Knock airport in 2015.

2,300 Number of Irish citizens who needed consular assistance last year

i€1,476 Average price paid for a fly cruise holiday in 2015 according to research by etravel.

126 Cruise ship calls to Dublin port this year.

58pc Proportion of Irish cruise bookings that are for four star ships

18pc Travel agents January sales over 2015.

HOTEL FOR A NOMADIC INSTINCT

N

ooteboom revisits 30 years of enlivening travel essays, spanning four continents on a lifetime's journey.

Woven through the stories is his dream of an ideal nomad's hotel.His imaginary room resembles a Balinese hut, with a ceiling fan driven by a buffalo and its picture window overlooking Manhattan.

From his desk he hears the distant crashing of surf on a beach, senses a breath of Galician autumn wind and eats Viennese Sachertorte.

Throughout there is a sense of always floating several inches above the ground lends an appealing mystery to the places he visits.

Nomad's Hotel by Cees Nooteboom is published by Vintage

At the Ritz in Barcelona, the mirror on the cupboard opens toward the bed: “this mirror must have reflected a thing or two, but it remains silent as the earth into which so many of those guests have already disappeared.”

In Zurich he admires the choreography of the swans in the lake. On the great square in Isfahan, where he conjures the heyday of mighty Persian Shah Abbas, who “once stood, lay, or sat, while watching the polo matches and races far below him, the sides of the big terrace closed

off, the silk curtains billowing in the wind.”

Nooteboom get excited about things he doesn’t understand, signs and languages he can’t decipher, a culture that rebuffs him and the refreshing shock of the wholly unknown.

The secret is the intensity with which the author observes his experiences. This is a jewel of a travel book, free of pretension, full of easy adventure, fresh with childlike wonder for the world.

Busman’s holiday: John Bergin

Every month we ask a leading travel professional to write about their personal holiday experience. This month: John Bergin, managing director of Sky Tours

I

like travelling, so narrowing my favourite destination to one place would be impossible.

Mostly, however, ease of reaching my destination is a priority. When my kids were smaller it was invariably Portugal.

Short flight, short transfer, familiar places to visit and eat, and mostly keeping the two boys happy and occupied were very important.

The golf clubs were always close by just in case….

The Algarve fits the bill in so many ways. Apart from it being easy to get to there is a pace of life which hits you on arrival.

G

Alvor is a laid back town with the hustle and bustle of larger towns and resorts nearby if that is needed.

The beaches of the Algarve are arguably the best anywhere in Europe has to offer.

Food and wine, particularly locally produced, are of the highest

quality.

Communication is easy as most Portuguese speak perfect English, it’s often embarrassing when travelling that our command of foreign languages is so poor!

As a committed Lusophile (Google it!)

Portugal’s Algarve also provides me with many golfing opportunities. Accessible, quality golf courses at reasonable prices make a few days golfing very attractive.

In the past few years an annual trip to

Blue sea: behind the green: The golf clubs are close by just in case South Africa has also featured. My eldest son lives in Jeffrey’s Bay near Port Elizabeth and it’s hard to beat an escape from our cold wet winter to enjoy all this amazing country has to offer. There are sunny days and warm nights, incredible scenery and animal interactions.

The International Rugby Sevens are held in PE each year and it’s been a fantastic sporting occasion that I have enjoyed, with a great party atmosphere. I’ve

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

ood news. Researchers at Stanford University believe they have found a cure for jet lag.

Or, they say, a way to make it much less of a nuisance.

The solution is not that new.

Travel Extra has always advocated exposure to daylight as the key to happy travelling over long distances (avoid drugs, they just prolong the discomfort).

Stanford’s remedy also involves

light, which dictates our circadian rhythms.

Researchers subjected participants to brief, frequent flashes of light while they slept to see if they could alter the body’s natural rhythms and trick it into thinking it was on a different schedule.

According to the Stanford researchers, continuous light shifted a person’s internal clock by just 36 minutes. A two-millisecond flash of light every 10 seconds, by contrast,

advanced the clock by an average of nearly two hour or more. Old school sleep researchers say it takes about one day to adjust to a onehour time change. Dublin to Moscow would take three days to recover, which makes for a sleepy business trip.

Now the Stanford team is working to develop a sleep mask with LED lights that can be programmed with a smartphone.It beast the previous so-called cures.

just returned from two week in South Africa and crammed in some hiking, surfing, golf and animal ‘stuff’.

I flew south with the incredible Ethiopian Airlines in one of their Dreamliners. The flights were fantastic, airline food was great and the seamless transfer at Addis is to be recommended.

My next travel ‘project’ is to visit some Spanish cities. Cordoba, Toledo and Salamanca top the current wish list.

IN YOUR NEXT TRAVEL EXTRA: Available to Travel Agents or online March 21 2016

SUMMER CRUISE ISSUE Travel Industry Trade Show AVIATION CONFERENCE SPECIAL

Page 037 pics 17/02/2016 18:37 Page 1

MARCH 2016 PAGE 37

MEETING PLACE

Murphy and Antoinette Carol O’Connoe, Claire the Falcon & Thomson Young at the launch of 2016 Holidays programme for

Ruth MacCarthaigh an d Maria Slye at Holida y World in RDS Simmonsc ourt, Dublin,

hia and Atlantic City Greg Evans of Philadelp at er of American Airlines CVB and Caitriona Ton s ard Aw ry the irish Travel Indust

Carol Anne O'Neill of Wo rldchoice Ireland and Niall McDonnell of Cla ssic Collection Holidays at the ITIA Awards in the Mansion House, Dublin ,

Out and about with the Travel Trade

Laura Jean Tyrrell and Colleen Butler of Bookabed at Holiday World in RDS Simmonscourt, Dublin,

Mukesh Sharma of WT C and Pamela Brownlee of Flyaway Travel at the irish Travel Industry Awards in the Mansion House, Dublin,

Debbie Egerton and Nat Pieper of Delta in Dublin Michaela Banks and Holly Wilkinson of Royal s in Travel Industry Award for the aviation finance conferences that took Caribbean at the irish blin, place in January the Mansion House, Du

Eoghan Corry, Chris Lee of Tourism Authority of Lorraine Galbraith and Andrew Bolton at Holiday Thailand, Ann Marie Dalton of Turkish Airlines World in RDS Simmonsc ourt, Dublin, and Enda Corneille of Emirates at Holiday World

Sinead Reilly of Travelport and Doreen McKenzie of Knock Travel and ABTA at the Irish Travel Industry Awards in the Mansion House, Dublin,

fox, Rebecca Kelly at Angela Walsh of Travel , Simmonscourt, Dublin Holiday World in RDS

Tom Joyce of NUI Galway, Yann Schyler of Chateau Kirwan, Lochlann Quinn, Jim Browne of Ann marie Dalton of Turkish Ail tels Ho h rines and Ha;lil ent of the Iris Korkmaz of the World NUI Galway and Marc Verpaalen of Chateaux Stephen McNally Presid at an Tou nn rism Bre Fo sha rum at the irish Ely Tralee Federation with Rose of blin, Giscours at the Bordeaux French Embassy event Travel Industry Awards in the Mansion House Du rt, ou nsc mo Sim S the Holiday World in RD

Audrey McCreery and Fri eda O'Connell of Russb orough House at the CIE awards in Dublin Castle ,

Conor Hennigan receives a presentation from Skal President Margaret Cahill and Sean O'Driscoll, National President of SKAL.

rC & Company, Mary Fa Reginald Charlot of NY Invel Tra h iris the ck at rell of the Top of the Ro nsion House, Dublin, Ma the in s ard Aw y str du

Page 037 pics 19/02/2016 10:52 Page 2

MARCH 2016 PAGE 38

MEETING PLACE

land, Charlotte Brenner, Chris Logan head of Ire nch of the Falcon & lau and laine Slator at the gramme for 2016 Thomson Holidays pro

Holly Wilkinson, Ben Bo uldin, Stuart Leven an d Jenny Rafter of Royal Caribbean at the Irish Travel Industry Award s

ura dagh Connolly and Ma Catherine O'Toole, Clo ry ust Ind vel Tra h Iris the Fahy of Fahy Travel at House, Dublin, Awards in the Mansion

Douglas Jordan with Na tional President Sean O'Driscoll, Ewan Plenderl eith and Nicky Logue

Out and about with the Travel Trade

Will Walsh, Rebecca Ke Carol Anne O'Neill of Worldchoice Ireland and lly, Niki Cosgrave and Zit Con Horgan at the Irish Travel Industry Awards in a Forde of Clickandgo at Holiday Wo rld in RDS Simmonscourt the Mansion House

Adam McKnight of A2B transers and Holly Best of Virgin Atlantic at the Irish Travel Industry Awards in the Mansion House, Dublin,

Eoghan Corry, Halil Korkmaz and Martin Skelly at Dublin Holiday World Show in the RDS Simmonscourt

Emma Arnott and Chris Lee of the Tourism Authority of Thailand at the Irish Travel Industry Awards in the Mansion House, Dublin,

li- Vincente Salas, Luis Vargas, Humberto Cruz, Mason of Exodus at Ho Anna Perez, Sara Palacio and Beatriz Martinez Chloe Knott and Paula monscourt, Dublin, at Holiday World in RDS Simmonscourt day World in RDS Sim

Brigitte Brew and Liam O'Brien of Doolin Ferrie s at Dublin Holiday World Show,

Phil Donnelly of Kildare Failte is interviewed by Cian McCormack of RTE before Holiday World at the RDS Simmonscourt, Dublin

lf zewska Kem Travel Go Sylvia Cytrynska Morac ie rsk mo Po of an gri in Poland and Lucas Ma ny World in RDS Simmo lida Ho at ard Bo rist Tou

Amanda Walsh and Fio na Cusack of Granville Hotel at the CIE award s in Dublin Castle

Holidays and Niamh David Smith of Falcon Wales match, Gregg at the Ireland v

Mark and Eithne Scott Lennon of Fitzpatrick Hotels and Jim Myers of CIE international at the CIE awards in Dublin Castle,

ep en of Caherconnell she John and Sean Davor , stle Ca blin ards in Du dog trials at the CIE aw

Page 037 pics 17/02/2016 18:38 Page 3

MARCH 2016 PAGE 39

MEETING PLACE

Out and about with the Travel Trade

ntte Taylor and Mary De Dee Burdock Chair of Visit USA, Ivan Beacom Deirdre Sweeny, Jeane s ard Aw ry h Travel Indust of Aer Lingus, Holly Best of Virigin Atlantic and ton of Sunway at the Iris , blin Du , Clodagh Oxley of Visit USA at Holiday World use Ho on in the Mansi

Michelle Anderson of Sunway and Catherin e Bowe of Bowe Travel at the Irish Travel Indust ry Awards

acon and Tryphavana Tom Travers of Hotel Be any at Holiday World in Cross of NYC & Comp blin, RDS Simmonscourt, Du

Paula Lydon and Nora Walsh of the Dan O'H ara Visitor Centre at the CIE awards in Dublin Castle

Marie Claire Porter and Michelle Anderson of Sunway with Amanda Biddulp of Cassidy Travel at the Irish Travel Industry Awards

ria n-Pierre ThĂŠbault, Ma French ambassador Jea x au n Quinn at the Borde Madigan and Lochlan nch Embassy, Fre the presentation in

Roisin Wallace and Tony McDermott of Millpark hotel, Karen Fleming of the Malton Hotel and Ei- Antoinette Young of Falco n Holidays and Niamh Gregg at the Ireland v thne Cosgrove of Hotel Westport at the CIE Wales match awards in Dublin Castle

Kevin O'Brien of O'Brien's Wines and Yann Schyler of Chateau Kirwan at the Bordeaux presentation in the French Embassy,

Mul- Vivienne Jupp of CIE, Jason Clifford of the DunCaribbean, Katrina Mc Jenny Rafter of Royal loe Hotel and Peter Malone at the CIE awards in yal nifer Callister of Ro lan of Navan Travel, Jen at Dublin Castle. vel Tra Skelly of Navan Caribbean and Miriam , blin Du , use Ho Mansion the ITIA Awards in the

Louis de Corail Direct or General of Internatio nal Relations for Bordeau x and Ian Mallon of the FAI at the Bordeaux event in the French Embassy ,

Miriam Skelly of Navan Travel, Tanya Airey of Sunway, Philip Airey of Sunway and Trish O'Leary of Amadeus at the ITIA Awards

Eoghan Corry and Joanna Cooke of Visit California at Dublin Holiday World Show

a Pearson of Flynn ho Rosalie Delaney and Alv the at use ho r of Dualla tels with Grainne Powe stle, Ca blin Du in s CIE award

Ivan Beacom of Aer Lin gus and Frank McCaffre y of Air France/KLM at the Irish Travel Industry Awards in the Mansion House, Dublin,

InAnne McInerney of CIE Gabriel Kavanagh Mary h ag van Ka of h ag Kavan ternational and Gordon , awards in Dublin Castle CIE the at ls tria g do ep she

Irish Trave Show-ad Travel Extra_Layout 1 19/02/2016 09:58 Page 1

DATE

EXHIBITOR PROFILES

Thursday April 7, 2016

• Adventure Travel

2.00pm – 7.00pm

• Airlines

VENUE

• Airports

Ballsbridge Hotel (Formerly Jurys Hotel)

• Caravans & Motorhomes

Pembroke Road

• International Camping Sites

Ballsbridge

• Car Rental Companies

Dublin 4 Ireland

• Coach Tours

t. +353 (0)1 637 9300

• Cruise Companies

w. www.ballsbridgehotel.com

• Ferries

ORGANISERS

• Golf

The Irish Travel Industry Trade Show is organised

• Escorted Tours

on behalf of The Irish Travel Agents Association

by Business Exhibitions Limited 59 Rathfarnham Road

• Health Tourism • Home Holidays

Terenure

• Hotels

Dublin D6W AK70

• National and Regional Tourist Organisations

CONTACTS

• Overseas Property

Maureen Ledwith

Paulette Moran

• Weddings & Honeymoons

Sales Director

Sales Manager

t. +353 (0)1 291 3700

t. +353 (0)1 291 3702

• Over 55’s Holidays

e. maureen@bizex.ie

e. paulette@bizex.ie

Presented by

• Rail Holidays • Theme & Leisure Parks • Travel Agents/Tour Operators • Travel Related Services • Tourist Attractions • Travel Accessories

www.irishtravelindustrytradeshow.com