ITIA Awards

MARCH 2020 PAGE 8

ITIA AWARDS 2020

All the award winners pose for their annual photograph,

Atlantic Travel Letterkenny and Tour America have won travel agency of the year awards at the Irish travel Industry awards in the Mansion House, Dublin.

Siobhan Byrne Learat won the travel agent of the year award. Atlas Travel and FCM won the corporate travel agency awards. Noel McAuliffe’s Travel Focus were time winners in the long haul and specialist tour operator categories. Camino Ways were first time winners in the digital market

And the winners are:

Four travel awards recipients make it ten years in a row

ing category.

The winners included serial winners of the award in several categories. Amadeus won their tenth award as technology provider, Irish Ferries their tenth award in the ferries category, Lanzarote their tenth in the winter destination category. Bookabed won the accommodation provider for the ninth time in ten years. Spain won their ninth successive award for best tourist board, Sunway won their eight successive award for best tour operator to Europe. Austria remain undefeated in the ski destination category, having won on the eight occasions it was included as a category. Barcelona won the combined Europe and worldwide city award.. They were undefeated in the Europe category.

The supplier representative award has been discontinued and the supplier team award split into four new categories, won by Amadeus, Bookabed, Emirates and MSC. MSC also retained their cruise line of the year award.

The new value airline category, to include Ryanair and Vueling, was won by Aer LIngus. And a newTravel Agency International Corporate award.

The airline business class to Europe category has been discontinued, as have the Destination City Worldwide category, the shopfront marketing campaign, the corporate agent of the year award and a category for the supplier promoting the trade to the public..

¡GRACIAS!

Thank you very much for your continued support throughout the years. We are delighted and honoured to have been awarded with this prestigious prize once again. We look forward to welcoming you and your customers back to sunny Lanzarote, you will always be welcome! And continue being your favourite winter sun escape!

ITIA AWARDS 2020

Ca m i n o w a y s founded by Roland Montesgu, have expanded to other markets under the Greenlife umbrella.

Roland moved to Ireland in 2002, and founded the company in 2011.

Their digital marketing award follows awards in many sectors. Last year they launched our new website in Spanish and also our new brand CanariaWays.com, featuring walks in the Canary Islands.

Previous winners: 2014 Earth’s Edge (website award). 2018 Clickandgo 2019 Tour America AGENCY DIGITAL MARKETING: CAMINO WAYS Category sponsor Matt Lebbern of Princess Cruises with Maria Golpe and Karl Bradshaw of Camino Ways,

Tom Randles of J Barter Travel and Category sponsor Matt Lebbern of Princess Cruises

JBarter Travel was founded in 1865 by Joseph Barter. It is still a family owned business to this day and claims to be the oldest established travel agency in Ireland.

It has also one of the best internet presences, Travelnet, their site in

AGENCY MARKETING: J BARTER TRAVEL

viting live chat with an agent as you log on. Shortlist: Click & Go. Previous winners: 2011 FCm, 2012 Shandon Travel, 2015 Tour America, 2016 Clickandgo, 2017 Tour America. 2018 Grenham Travel 2019 Tour America (no award in 2013-4).

Atlas Travel’s Stephen McKenna expressed his satisfaction as winner of the corporate travel award for the second successive year. “Atlas Travel is a modern travel company who have driven change and innovation in travel for over 50 years. We are a next generation corporate travel management company with a difference.

Atlas was recently sold to Liam Lonergan. The Atlas difference is our ability to deliver smart solutions coupled with our commitment to deliver the highest quality personalised service while helping companies transform their travel programme.

We are an Irish-owned and managed company who have been recognised by Deloitte as a “Best Managed Company in 2019, 2018 & 2017”, we are the only Corporate Management TMC to have achieved this standard.

We have over 180 customers operating across 18 different markets and we service small to medium sized business in addition to servicing global multination clients such as the ESB, Airbus Helicopters & many more across a broad range of industries and verticals. On the corporate side of the business our primary focus is on driving exceptional service levels coupled with relevant smart solutions. We have a diverse suite of specialised corporate online tools, mobile solutions and platforms that are aligned with our mission of ‘Enhancing every customer experience’ enabling company road warriors and their travellers fly with comfort, ease and peace of mind while on an organisational level we can ensure travel safety, duty of care, optimal service efficiencies and drive policy compliance.

A key objective is to target specific industry verticals such as Pharma, HQ Ireland Companies and further target the Aviation sector with targeted sales initiatives.

Atlas Travel have been awarded a Deloitte Best Managed award for the 4th time in 2020,

Previous winners: 2011 CWT, 2012-3-4 FCm, 2015-6 Atlas, 2017 CWT, 2018 HRG, 2019 Atlas & CWT AGENCY CORPORATE: ATLAS TRAVEL Category sponsor Jenny Rafter of Aer Lingus with Tania Crinion and Stephen McKenna of Atlas Travel,

Category Edel Redmond of Dublin Airport with Onur Gull and Hasan Mutlu

Turkish Airlines won best business class to Europe in previous years. This year they won a new category.

Turkish now serve 319 destinations in 126 countries. The new airport opened in Istanbul last year and the Dublin team are seeking a third flight in Dublin to add to their double daily service, eventually hoping to have four flights in each direction daily, one for each of the banks at Istanbul airport.

Shortlist: Air France, B r i t i s h A i r w a y s , Lufthansa, SAS, Turkish. Previous winners: 2011- 2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 Aer Lingus. Airline to Europe Business Class: 2015-6 BA, 2017-8-9 Turkish. AIRLINE TO EUROPE FULL SERVICE: TURKISH AIRLINES

Category sponsor Edel Redmond of Dublin Airport with Anita Thomas and Enda Corneille of Emirates,

Emirates won the hard fought long haul airline award for the fifth year.

Enda Corneille said the award indicates that Emirates is a brand to be trusted. “we like to think we are a global brand with a very distinctive Irish flavour.”

They run a double daily service to Dubai and onward to 50 cities

AIRLINE LONG HAUL:

EMIRATES

in 80 countries across six continents . The service started with a single daily A330 flight and quickly went to B777 and since 2014 they have run a double daily.service. The growth in demand for Asia has been phenomenal, with bangkok trailing Dubai as the most popular destination. This year Expo will be the big event in Dubai.

Shortlist: Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Turkish Airlines. Previous: 2011- 2-3-4-5 Etihad, 2016-7- 8-9 Emirates.

ITIA AWARDS 2020

Category sponsor Jenny Rafter of Aer Lingus with Emma McHugh and Christina Cuffe of Atlantic Travel

Letterkenny-based Atlantic Travel were popular winners of the small agency award. .

What’s next for Atlantic Travel? The launch of our new website which will include a live search feed for Jet2 Holidays. Belfast departures are currently really strong for us so this will continue to help us drive and grow our existing Belfast market share. In conjunction with the developer we have designed the functionality to view our Jet2 live pricing in sterling and in euro, I do not believe this is being done elsewhere at the moment.

We also decided to create a dedicated facebook page called Just|Cruise. This will allow our followers who are mostly interested in learning about cruise and the most recent offers to do so on a separate platform from the Atlantic Travel page – it also means that our AT page will be more balanced in the content published, giving a broader range of destinations and holiday types to our followers. Given the opportunity 2020 will see us continue to grow the number of ships our team will have sailed on as this has had one of the biggest impacts in relation to our cruise market growth.

The Irish Travel Industry Award is such a significant one to have won for Atlantic Travel. It is recognition for the consistent dedication and willingness to adapt and change to fulfill the demands of our clients. Going the extra mile and above and beyond are terms often used but are the most apt in the description of each and every member in Atlantic Travel. We are very proud to be recipients of this award and look forward to continuing to do what we do and do it well.

Previous winners: 2015 Navan Travel, 2016 Fahy Travel Galway, 2017 Grenham Travel Athlone, 2018 Manning Travel Kilkenny, 2019 O’Hanrahan Travel AGENCY <10 ATLANTIC TRAVEL

Category sponsor Jenny Rafter of Aer Lingus with Deirdre Maher of Tour America,

Mary McKenna picked up another award for Tour America at the awards. .

Mary says; “Tour America will be 25 years old in October 2020. Whilst its journey has not always been plain sailing, the past four years have shown year on year growth and increased profits. 2019 was an amazing year for Tour America, and Cruise Holidays, being it’s most profitable and having the highest turnover to date.

Tour America recently received the Travel Agent of the Year award from the ITAA, which means so much to me personally and indeed to our fantastic team. I have consistently asked my team to grow individually, and as a business to raise our standards. We are all clear on the vision of the company, and the importance of our journey of providing outstanding customer service. I am extremely proud about the recent promotion of our financial controller, Deirdre Maher, to COO (Chief Operations Officer) of the company. Deirdre will run the day to day operations of the organisation, which will allow me the necessary time to work on new projects for the brand and also to develop the future strategy for the business.

The travel industry is consistently going through huge changes and challenges, and Tour America, and Cruise Holidays, want to be a company that is resilient and adapt to all these changes fast. Winning Travel Agent of the Year, shows our commitment to excellence and never standing still, not being complacent, and to ensure we continue our journey on providing customer service along with being profitable.

Previous winners: 2011 Lee Travel, 2012 Tour America, 2013 (one category) O’Hanrahan Travel, 2014 (one category) Lee Travel, 2015 Club Travel, 2016 Cassidy Travel, 2017 Shandon Travel, 2018 Tour America, 2019 Cassidy. AGENCY >10 TOUR AMERICA

Emma McHale and Nicola O’Brien of Hertz, category sponsor Stephen Sands of Riviera Travel, Paul Manning and Sinead Murphy of Hertz,

Hertz are won the award for Best Car Hire provider for the sixth year in succession.

On accepting the award John Barry, Head of Sales commented. “The award is a testament to the dedication of our staff in Ireland and across the globe in making sure we do our utmost to deliver great customer service. With the Best in Class loyalty program ‘Gold Rewards’ and ‘Ultimate Choice’ where the renter gets to choose their car from an entire row of vehicles we continue our focus on quality and service in order to win our customers’ hearts each time they book a car with Hertz

We remain and will always be, ‘Here to get you There’.

Shortlist: Affordable Car Hire, Alamo Car Hire, Flexible Autos, Hertz, Your Car Hire. Previous winners: 2011-2-3 Holiday Autos, 2014-5-6-7-8-9 Hertz. CAR HIRE: HERTZ

Category sponsor Stephen Sands of Riviera Travel, Maeve Slalom and Ciaran Mulligan of Blue Insurances,

Blue Insurances won the travel i n s u r a n c e award for the eighth year in succession..

“It has been an extraordinary year for Blue Insurance with the buyout of the company by CoverMore a subsidiary of Zurich Insurance Group and confirms the company’s position as Ireland’s favourite Travel Insurance provider. We are also delighted that we have won a Travel Insurance Award every year since opening in 2003. “We would like to thank the Irish Travel Trade for their continued support and we look forward to launching some new innovative products with them over the coming year”.

Shortlist: Accident & General, AXA Insurance, Blue Insurance, Worldwide Insurance. Previous winners: 2011 Accident & General, 2012-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 Blue Insurance. TRAVEL INSURANCE: BLUE

Without you, this wouldn’t be possible

A big thank you to everyone who voted for Irish Ferries as ‘Best Ferry Company’ for the 10th year in a row at the Irish Travel Industry Awards. We appreciate your support, and look forward to sailing with you and your clients again very soon.

Get in touch: Ireland Trade Support 0818 300 400 N.I. Trade Support 00353 818 300 400 tradesupport@irishferries.com www.irishferries.com

ITIA AWARDS 2020

Brian Gallagher of Cork Airport with service to the industry award Marie Grenham of Grenham Travel and John Spollen of Cassidy Travel president of the ITAA,

Marie Grenham says she was “ c o m p l e t e l y overwhelmed” with the industry award.

Marie’s grandfather, John Grenham, started the business as a general merchant with bar, grocery, hardware and garage. In 1911 he procured a shipping licence for operating the North Atlantic Shipping route. His involvement in the travel business was indicative of the history of the time, that of large scale emigration, mainly to the United States. The business also experienced the illfated Titanic voyage on April 1912, tickets for which were issued and sold by Grenham Travel.

Marie’s father, Tom, took over the business in the mid¬ 1950s ably supported by his wife Breda, a secretary of exceptional calibre. As a team their work reinforced the foundation of the business in preparation for large scale industrialisation, high technology and geographical mobility; social changes which were to have a profound effect on the travel business. The late Tommy became one of Ireland’s most recognisable Travel Agents winning many top Aer Lingus and Travel Agent Awards. From an early age she was attracted to the travel business and would help out during school holidays. Marie worked alongside her father and mentor from the late 1970s and became MD of the company in 1999.

Previous winners: 2012 Paddy Power, 2013 Con Horgan, 2014 Tanya Airey, 2015 Antonio Martin,, 2016 Eoghan Corry, 2017 Liam Keller, 2018 George Barter. 2019 Edmund Hourican and Maureen Ledwith. INDUSTRY AWARD: MARIE GRENHAM

Michael English, Valerie Murphy and Lorraine Quinn and category sponsor Charles Wilson of Germany Travel,

Celebrity cruises have won this award wince it was introduced in 2018. Michael English and Jo Rzymowska have been great supporters of the Irish trade over the years and Celebrity have home ported in Dublin

CRUISE PREMIUM: CELEBRITY

for the past two years.

The fleet will see the addition of the high profile Apex this spring.

Shortlist: Azamara Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Cunard Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Princess Cruises. Previous winners: 2018-9 Celebrity.

Silversea have dominated the awards at the top end of the cruise market.

Amanda Middler and Lynda McCorry have proven to be strong supporters of the Irish trade. Shortlist: Azamara, Crystal, Regent Seven Seas, Silversea, Seabourn. Previous winners: 2011-2 Celebrity, 2013-4 Silversea; 2015 Celebrity, 2016-7-8-9 Silversea. CRUISE ULTRA LUXURY: SILVERSEA John Spollen of Cassidy Travel president of the ITAA with Amanda Middler and Connie Georgiou of Silversea of Silversea and president of the ITAA,

Wendy Wu have established remarkable visibility in Ireland in the four years since John Booty arrived to head up the Irish operation.

The China-centred tour operator has expanded into Japan and South America, committed to growing those markets by 25pc even in advance of recent events. Business in Ireland has doubled in each of the five years at that they have been working in Ireland.

Shortlist: Discover Travel, G Adventures, Insight, Riviera, Wendy Wu. Previous winners: 2013-4-5-6-7 Insight Vacations, 2018 Wendy Wu. TOUR OP ESCORTED: WENDY WU Category sponsor Emma McHale of Hertz, with John Warr and John Booty of Wendy Wu,

Uniworld has d o m i n a t e d the specialist cruise category in the history of the awards. Sharon Jordan said “we are very grateful for all of the continued support that we receive from our incredible Irish travel agents and trade partners. Shortlist: AMA, CrosiEurope, Riviera, Uniworld, Viking. Previous winners: 2013-4-5-6-7- 8-9 Uniworld. CRUISE RIVERCRUISE: UNIWORLD Chris Townson, Sharon Jordan and Brian Hynes of The Travel Corporation category sponsor Charles Wilson of Germany Travel and Adam Goddard of the Travel Corporation,

Aicard Guinovart Director for Catalan Tourism in London, category sponsor Tara Magee of BA and Ruben Lopez Director of the Spanish Tourist Board office in Dublin,

The European City Destination award reflects sustained interest in Barcelona.

Headlines about over-tourism have not diminished the city;s draw on Irish people.

The city has 39 flights a week form Dublin in summer time, 18 from Ryanair, 14 form Aer Lingus and seven from Vueling. Nearby Reus has 12 Ryanair flights a week and some charter services and Girona has four flights a week from Ryanair. Shortlist: Barcelona, Istanbul, Krakow, Lisbon, London. Previous winners: 2011 Barcelona/Paris, 2013- DESTINATION CITY: BARCELONA

ITIA AWARDS 2020

Category sponsor Matt Lebbern of Princess Cruises and travel agent Siobhan Byrne Learat of Adams & Butler,

Travel Agent of the year is Siobhan Byrne Learat. A graduate in Spanish and Arabic, Siobhan speaks several languages .She set up Adams & Butler in 2002, the business plan for which was her MBA thesis.

Adams & Butler is an upmarket tour operator for wealthy and sophisticated clients, including many celebrities, inbound sand outbound. Siobhan lectures part

TRAVEL PROFESSIONAL: SIOBHAN BYRNE LEARAT

time in Entrepreneurship and Innovation and is the President of the Ireland US Alumni Association and a member of the Institute of Directors.

Previous winners: 2013 Katrina McMullan of Navan Travel & Clare O’Dwyer of Shandon travel, 2014 Christine Rickard of Tour America & Katrina McMullan of Navan Travel; (2 categories), 2015 Louise Brennan Ormsby of Club Travel, 2016 Liz Wright of Tour America, 2017 Sandra Mooney of Cassidy Travel, 2018 Joanna Gomez of Travel Focus, 2019 Ann Mullins of The Travel Broker.

Category sponsor Joe Gilmore of Ireland West Airport with Olwen McKinney of Amadeus,

Amadeus’ award for the Best Travel Technology Provider set another record. “It is particularly satisfying for us as we have now won this particular honour nine times in a row,” Olwen McKinney says, “and the entire Ireland team are very thankful for the continued vote of confi - dence 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 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 2020.”

Shortlist: Amadeus, Dolphin Dynamics, Proactive Labs, Sabre, Travelport. Previous winners: 2011-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 Amadeus. TECH PROVIDER: AMADEUS

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

ITIA AWARDS 2020

Increased air lift has meant that there is no sign that the 285,716 Irish who went to Ireland’s favourite Canary Island last year (up 5.9pc) 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.

Lanzarote is the most easterly and most exotic if the chain. Holiday-makers gravitate towards Puerto del Carmen, Matagorda, Playa Blanca and Los Pocillos but there is a smoking volcano to climb.

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 smoldering nature.

Shortlist: Dubai; Gran Canaria; Las Vegas; Tenerife. Previous winners:2011-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 Lanzarote.

Shortlist: Dubai, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Las Vegas, Tenerife. Previous winners: 2011-2-3-4- 5-6-7-8-9 Lanzarote. DESTINATION WINTER: LANZAROTE Tvl Extra Half Pg All Product 2019.qxp_2020 13/02/2020 15:54 Page 1 Hector Fernandez and Angel Vazquez of Lanzarote Tourism, category sponsor Caitriona Toner of American Airlines and Ruben Lopez Director of the Spanish Tourist Board office in Dublin,

The Corporate Travel award follows FCM’s success in being named the World’s Leading Travel Management Company at the World Travel Awards for the ninth consecutive year. FCM is recognised for the development of new products. Their proprietary Innovation Labs continue to develop their technologies, including our pocket travel assistant Sam, an award winning mobile app that blends artificial intelligence with the advice of FCM consultants. FCM Ireland has held Excellence Through People accreditation since 2002 ensuring ongoing focus on Brightness of Future with excellent career paths for our staff ensuring high staff retention.

Valerie Metcalfe said: “Providing choice and flexibility to our clients is of primary importance to our success and to client retention.

We are delighted to have received this award which recognises the excellent work and commitment of all of our FCM Ireland staff who complement our technology by providing a personalised service to each of our valued clients.” AGENCY INTERNATIONAL CORPORATE: FCM Category sponsor Jenny Rafter of Aer Lingus with Valerie Metcalfe, Karen Gleeson and Ruairi Sandison of FCM,

Thank you for your support in 2019 We look forward to working with you all in 2020!

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Your Holiday, Your Way

ITIA AWARDS 2020

Noel McAuliffe of Cork-based Travel Focus was a double winner on the night, Shortlist: Classic Resorts, Intrepid Travel, Sunway, Travel Focus, Wendy Wu. Previous winners: 2011 Sunway, 2012 Classic Resorts/Sunway, 2013 Classic Resorts, 2014-5 Sunway; 2016 Classic Resorts, 2017 Sunway, 2018 Classic Resorts. 2019 Wendy Wu. TOUR OP LONG HAUL & SPECIALIST: TRAVEL FOCUS Category sponsor Emma McHale of Hertz, with long haul tour operator winner Noel McAuliffe of Travel Focus,

The Spanish Tourist Board retained the coveted tourist board award.

Kathryn MacDonnell replied: Receiving the industry award for Best Tourist Office is our personal professional favourite. While it is an honour and matter of pride that our destinations receive awards this one recognises the work we carry out in the market with the trade, the media and the public so it means an awful lot to our team and we certainly are not complacent about receiving it. We hold our breath in anticipation until the award is announced on the night and we still get excited when we win. We sincerely thank those who voted for us and we will continue to support the trade and media wherever we can and build the links and contacts between our markets. Shortlist: Las Vegas, New York, Portugal, South Africa, Spain. Previous winners: 2012-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 Spain. TOURIST BOARD: SPAIN Category sponsor Stephen Sands of Riviera Travel with Sara Rivero , Kathryn MacDonnell and Ruben Lopez Director of the Spanish Tourist Board office in Dublin,

Aileen Eglington of AE consulting and Josef Treml of Advantage Austria accept the ski destiantion award from category sponsor Tara Magee of BA,

Dave Cole of Universal accepts the them park award from Category sponsor Caitriona Toner of American Airlines

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ITIA AWARDS 2020

Category sponsor Edel Redmond of Dublin Airport with Yvonne Muldoon, Dermot Lee, Lisa Hammond, Bill Byrne and Ivan Beacom of Aer Lingus,

New routes to North America and an extensive network to sun destinations helped Aer Lingus retain their awards at the ITIAs.

Minneapolis was the marquee new route of 2019, and subject to aircraft availability, Aer Lingus are talking to ten further trans-Atlantic airports. Aer Lingus has rebuilt trust with the Irish travel trade successfully over the past ten years.

Shortlist: Aer Lingus, Air Canada, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, United Airlines. Previous winners: 2011-2 Aer Lingus 2012-3-4 United, 2015-6-7-8-9 Aer Lingus. AIRLINE TO EUROPE & N AMERICA: AER LINGUS

Irish Ferries were voted as Ireland’s Best Ferry Company for the eighth year in succession.

Irish Ferries are in expansion mode, with the plush cruise ship-like WB Yeats serving France direct from Dublin for the first time.

A new, larger ferry and larger fast craft will be arriving on Dublin Holyhead and there are plans for more expansion. Shortlist: Brittany Ferries, Irish Ferries, P&O Ferries, Stena Line. Previous winners: 2011-2-3- 4-5-6-7-8-9 Irish Ferries. FERRY COMPANY: IRISH FERRIES Ann Pye and Marie McCarthy of Irish Ferries with Charles Wilson, GNTO

Jenny Rafter of Aer Lingus, Category sponsor Edel Redmond of Dublin Airport with Yvonne Muldoon and Alan Molloy of Aer Lingus,

Algarve winners of the summer destiantoin, Dulce Almeida of Class Travel, Hugo Nascimento and Cátia Guerreiro of Algarve Tourism, category sponsor Tara Magee of BA and Susana Cardoso of Portuguese TBin Dublin,

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ITIA AWARDS 2020

Suzanne Rowe, Erica Oglesby , Antonio Paradiso and Alana Byrne of MSC with category sponsor Charles Wilson of Germany Travel,

MSC won the cruise award for the second successive year, a triumph for Suzanne Rowe, in her first year in charge of the Dublin operation. Antonio Paradiso says that this year’s ITIA awards has been the highlight of her career. “Our hard work and dedication to the industry was recognised and we won

CRUISE: MSC

three awards.

To win Best Mainstream Cruise Line after seven years was no mean feat and we are hugely grateful to our trade partners who voted for us. We o we are successes to them. I want to thank each and every one of you for your continued support. The launch of MSC Bellissima boosted MSC’s presence further in the Irish market.

Shortlist: JMG, Marella, MSC, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean. Previous winners: 2011-2-3-4-5-6-7 Royal Caribbean. 2018-9 MSC.

Suzanne Rowe, Erica Oglesby and Alana Byrne of MSC with category sponsor Joe Gilmore of Ireland West Airport, Category sponsor Emma McHale of Hertz, with Mary Denton and Philip Airey of Sunway,

The stewardship of Sunway recently passed from Tanya Airey, whose father founded the company, to Mary Denton but the penchant for winning awards stayed unchanged.

Sunway have changed their res system, to integrate scheduled, charter and low cost air fares, and moved from separate long haul and short haul databases, has been causing problems since it was implemented two years ago and caused knock on effects in dealing with travel agents.

Sunway’s US product, on sale this month is one area of growth. Club Med is also growing. particularly its ski resorts.

Sunway, which reduced capacity in 2019, is to continue moving away from chartered aircraft to using scheduled services. “We changed because charters did not give us the same flexibility as scheduled services,” Mary says. key charter destinations that remain include Turkey, Salou and the Lapland product. The tour operator’s traditional base in Agadir, however, has been disconnected by the decision of Air Arabia to discontinue its 2w service, without warning, on November 2. Sunway offers extremely cheap transfers from the Ryanair destination, Marrakesh to its Agadir hotel portfolio.

The tour operator is committed to dealing with the trade. At the recent Travel centres conference Mary engaged with agents outlining the advantages of dealing with a tour operator, including issues such as supplier failure. Shortlist: Classic Collection, Concorde Travel, Croatia Tours, Sunway, TUI. Previous winners: 2011 Sunworld, 2012 Thomas Cook, 2013-4-5-6-7-8-9 TOUR OP EUROPE: SUNWAY

Category sponsor Stephen Sands of Riviera Travel with Beverleigh Fly and Lee Osborne of Bookabed,

BookaBed won the accommodation supplier of the year awards for the ninth time in ten years.

Karl Tyrrell, MD of BookaBed. “We have continued to focus on improving user experience of our websites, increased distribution via xml partners and off line travel agents and improving our already high stan

ACCOMMODATION ONLY: BOOKABED

dards of customer care” “Staff numbers have increased 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. Shortlist: Arrow Tours, Bookabed, Globe Hotels, Sunway, Topflight. New category. Shortlist: Arrow Tours, Bookabed, Expedia, Innstant Travel, Stuba. Previous winners: 2011-2-3-4. Bookabed, 2015 Lowcost, 2016-7- 8-9 Bookabed.

Category sponsor Joe Gilmore of Ireland West Airport with Colleen Butler, Lee Osborne and Beverleigh Fly of Bookabed,

DESTINATION SVG

On rare days off, you’ll find Joseph Scott-Lennon soaring above the waves on Union Island. The 26-year-old hops across from Canouan Island to go kite-surfing with one of the world’s top pros, Jeremie Tronet. Joe is the son of Killiney Castle owner Eithne Scott-Lennon and Abbey Tavern owner James Scott-Lennon, and the nephew of Fitzpatrick’s Manhattan hotel boss John.

An economics graduate, he worked at Intercontinental hotels in Dubai and New York before getting a call from billionaire Dermot Desmond offering him a job on Canouan, one of nine inhabited islands in St Vincent & the Grenadines.

Desmond, who had previously invested heavily in the opulent Pink Sands (now Mandarin Oriental) hotel on his favourite Caribbean island, developed a 120 berth marina in 2017 and phoned Joe to say he was looking for an Irish manager.

Named after Sandy Lane in Barbados, Sandy Lane Yacht Club and Residences (SLYCR) at Glossy Bay may be set amidst the white sand and turquoise waters of the southern Grenadines but there’s a distinct homage to Ireland.

Desmond’s yacht ‘Celtic Bhoy’ is moored

Azure days

Catherine Murphy on St Vincent & the Grenadines

Up close and turtlesonal

at the marina (his private jet is parked up at the nearby airport), the beachside bar and restaurant is named Shenanigans and two forty foot containers serving as a shack bar at the water’s edge have been named Scruffy’s, after the legendary Scruffy Murphy’s in Dublin.

In June, at the end of the tourist season, the marina is quiet but with stylish Foxy Jack’s restaurant, a grocery store and high end accommodation, it’s fully geared up for intrepid yachters who want to stock up and spend a few days on dry land in relative luxury.

St Vincent & the Grenadines is dubbed ‘the Caribbean you’re looking for’. Up until now, this 32 island chain has been marketed less strongly than other Caribbean destinations but the opening of a new airport on St Vincent heralds a new tourism era.

Irish visitors may have to travel a little bit further to get there – via London to Barbados and onwards to St Vincent or Union Island – but what awaits them is a Caribbean idyll of tiny private islands, secluded beaches, great sailing, relaxation and adventure.

The island resorts –

Young Island, Bequia, Mustique, Petit St Vincent, Palm Island and Canouan – may seem to offer up the same slice of Caribbean life but in fact, visitors will find distinct experiences to savour.

Canouan is home to the most opulent corporate bolthole on the islands, the Mandarin Oriental, where it is said billionaires go to get away from millionaires. The setting here is merely a lottery dream for most of us with room-only rates starting from $1,400 per night.

The MO was formerly the Pink Sands which Dermot Desmond invested in, reportedly to the tune of 120 million dollars. He subsequently parted company with his Italian partners in the project but the property’s luxe suites retain a focus on pink, Desmond’s favourite colour.

The vast complex features 26 fabulous suites and six villas overlooking the ocean. Guests are checked in from the comfort of their own suite and enjoy butler service. Suite functions are controlled by ipad and a full size ‘tv wall’ opens or closes depending on whether guests want to watch tv or enjoy jaw-dropping ocean views. Dressing rooms, private terraces and classically stylish living rooms complete a memorable suite scene. The scale of the property is such that you may get lost until you notice the stunning Murano glass chandelier which ascends the stairs to a spacious, refined foyer. The kids club is like a private complex in itself complete with swimming pool and games rooms. Dining at the Mandarian Oriental – whether eating lunch at the waterside bar or dinner in the Italian restaurant – is a fine experience and at sunset, guests like to be taken by golf buggy to the island high point – Mount Royal – to sip champagne and enjoy

Clockwise kitesurfing JT Pro Center. Canouan hotel lobby, kite surf ice cream, Barbara Mercury of SVG Tourism,Mark Semark GMof Petit St Vincent, amd Catherine Murphy. infinity pool

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the views. There’s also a little-played golf course for those who fancy teeing-off.

Nightlife is centred on island regattas where socialising goes on into the small hours.

The scale and opulence on display at the Mandarin Oriental are an obvious far cry from the poor-looking village – home to 700 locals – which is the first thing visitors see after landing at Canouan’s tiny airport. Marketing bosses at the MO say its owners have pledged support to the building of a secondary school on the island.

Union Island is an antidote to Canouan. Described by tourism bosses as unsophisticated, it has yet to be developed for tourism but is a hub for holidaymakers flying on to Petit St Vincent, Palm Island and Canouan.

Its jagged peaks dominate the view from surrounding islands and it’s a popular stop-off for sailors stocking up or looking to soak up some unpretentious Caribbean vibes. The island’s airport runway is famously short and doesn’t allow for any margin of error when landing.

Professional kitesurfer Jeremie Tronet –who grew up on Martinique - travelled the world competing before deciding to settle on Union Island. He chose it because

Castaway beach dining at Canouan in St Vincent and the Grenadines

it’s small, authentic and has a real community.

Now, active holidaymakers can drop into his JT pro centre kiteboarding school and learn to kite surf. All levels are catered for, from beginner to expert with group (from $99) or private lessons available and excellent safety standards. Jeremie has the kind of laid-back, humble attitude that true pros often possess and convinces us that anyone can learn to kite surf.

If you’re on Union Island at the right time, you can enjoy full moon kitesurfing parties on the beach, complete with LED displays.

One new development on Union Island is the Ashton Lagoon eco trail through natural mangroves. It has been developed in an engaging way and is worth a visit for adults and children alike.

Union Island may prove to be the start or finish point of your St Vincent & the Grenadines island-hopping holiday. We can’t think of a better way to finish an active holiday than booking into simple accommodation and spending a few days earning to kite surf.

There are two distinct sensations when you visit St Vincent & the Grenadines. The first is of a bustling centre - Kingstown on the island of St Vincent is the historic hub, beyond it a small lush island which seems bigger due to its hilly terrain.

Behind the bustling

markets and colourful houses lies a history of British rule. The islands gained independence from Britain in 1979 but remain in the Commonwealth and continue to use the British judicial system. English is the first language, having replaced the islands’ original language, Garifuna. There’s plenty to do on St Vincent. Take a tour of the rum distillery which now imports molasses in order to produce its popular Sunset and Captain Bligh rums; bathe beneath the Dark Views waterfalls or hike to swim in volcanic craters, a rite of passage for many young islanders and an adventure to remember. Visit the Botanic Gardens, drink Guinness brewed at the island’s Hairoun brewery or simply wander through the busy markets and stop for a typical Caribbean lunch of fried fish and breadfruit at the Cobblestone Inn hotel, site of a former sugar mill.

A number of new hotels are due to be built on St Vincent from 2020. Many visitors who want to explore the island currently opt to stay on Young Island which is just a couple of minutes boat ride away.

With secluded cottages (we loved the outdoor showers) set into the hill or on the beach front, tropical gardens, a swimming pool and good food, Young Island is private and popular with yachters finishing their trip with homeward flights from St Vincent.

The sensation upon leaving St Vincent – by ferry to Bequia – is that the further south you go, the more relaxed you become.

One thing that strikes you continuously is the size of the islands - some of them are only a couple of square miles in size.

The island of Bequia is great for sailing, weddings and eco tourism. It feels like the Caribbean you’re looking for. The Swedish-owned Bequia Beach Hotel is a haven of palm tree-lined beaches with beautiful suites just steps from the sea and moments of relaxation that you’ll day dream about long after your holiday has ended.

It’s worth remembering that SVG’s beaches can be on the Atlantic or Caribbean side so the water can be livelier than expected. Some of the islands have experienced a seaweed problem in recent years but resorts are proactive in removing it on a daily basis.

Bequia Beach hotel is a spacious and un-crowded resort with a plantation-style reception villa. Bagatelle restaurant offers relaxing beach-side dining but watch out for vacationing American lawyers talking power politics over pre-dinner cocktails.

From the hotel, it’s a short golf buggy ride to downtown where colourful cafes and street traders remind you that you’re in the Caribbean. Each year, the island

hosts a carnival and also has a museum dedicated to its boating and now controversial whaling history.

Next to Mustique - an island name which conjures up images of exotic wildness and freedom. In fact, Mustique seems well manicured and managed, a kind of gated island for the very rich and famous. Tommy Hilfiger, Tom Ford and Mick Jagger are amongst the celebrities with homes here while British royals William and Kate just holidayed there. It’s no surprise that the island’s social scene is legendary. The Cotton House – with just seventeen rooms across five categories - is the only hotel on Mustique and has an intimate charm that will entice you to stay on a while longer. While away the hours in a beach-side hammock or sip cocktails at Basil’s bar where it’s traditional for guests and villa-owners to gather for pre-dinner cocktails and an occasional feast of pork cooked in sand pits. Take your lead from the turtles wandering around the grounds and move slowly – the pace of life is one of the best things about the island. Relax in your private cottage before fine dining on the restaurant terrace. M ustique is known for its lavish villas, one of the oldest being ‘Clonsilla’. Owned by Georgia Fanshaw, a member of the Guinness family, it’s named after the Dublin suburb from its more genteel days. Villas sell for up to $20million on the island but you can rent ‘Clonsilla’ for between 20,000 and 33.500 US dollars a week.

For the movie-makers among you, Coccoloba, a villa owned by Chicago billionaire William Doyle, boasts a private cinema. Reece Witherspoon is amongst the guests who have stayed there.

Of course, sailing is central to any holiday in St Vincent & the Grenadines. If you don’t sail yourself, there are many other ways to enjoy life on the Caribbean sea. Charter a private catamaran to take you to your next island or at the other extreme, take a small water taxi for day visits to some of the islands.

Hiring a private charter via ‘Wind & Sea’ to reach idyllic Petit St Vincent costs around $1,800. On landing at PSV you’re greeted with a cold fruit drink and refreshing towel, and welcomed by Matt Semark who manages the resort with his Balinese wife.

This tiny private island is owned by a US lawyer who worked with Bill Clinton and George Bush but Semark has put his stamp on it since taking on the role of resort manager. Fruit juices and rum punches are the order of the day in the Caribbean but UK native Matt has developed an excellent wine cellar, a must for European visitors and a draw for wine experts who travel from around the globe for seminars and tastings.

Importantly for diving fans, the island is home to a dive school owned by Jean Michel Cousteau, son of the legendary Jacques Cousteau. The 68-year-old owns just two dive schools, the other being on Fiji. P etit St Vincent feel wonderfully natural and safe (there are no room keys). Think barefoot relaxation and Balinese massages at the hill-top spa. There’s no wifi in rooms so visitors Canouan patio villa en suite bathroom n SVG likes its national symbols including the parrot (national bird) and Soufriere tree (national tree). Its national dish is fried jack fish and roasted breadfruit. So named because of its texture, breadfruit was historically used to feed slaves because it was cheap and plentiful but remains a firm favourite on the islands today. n Conch (seafood) is also popular as are tuna and mahi-mahi which feature strongly on menus. Popular fruit juices include mango and papaya with lime EAT SVG

can enjoy a digital detox. Although there’s no swimming pool, the island feels perfect for families with turtles and sheep wandering around. There are plans to install private swimming pools in some of the island cottages and you’re planning a wedding, you can buy out the island with prices more competitive in our summer months.

Intriguingly, PSV sits on a narrow channel of water that forms an international border with Petit Martinique, belonging to Grenada.

From PSV, make the final stop of your trip on Palm Island Resort & Spa, near the southern tip of the Grenadines. Like the rest of St Vincent & the Grenadines, this island needs no fake instagram features – nature

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has generously provided beautiful backdrops to keep your insta fans happy.

Palm Island has one unique selling points. It’s adult-only – no children under the age of 16 during winter and no under12s during summer.

Here, iguanas wander around and there’s a turtle sanctuary. You can cycle or walk around the island in around half an hour and there are regular events to entertain guests – movie nights on the beach, rum tastings and steel pan bands. There are five beaches and with no more than 80 people on the island at any time, you’ll feel as if you have it to yourself. We loved the secluded hammocks and picnic spots.

Palm Island is owned by British gaming millionaire James Lane and is run by his son, also James, who bears more than a passing resemblance to British royal Prince Harry. James Jnr is hands-on and tells us that bottom-line fishing is popular here along with boat trips to miniscule Mapion island for picnic lunches.

He also explains that the southern Grenadines are great for improving sailors as land is often in sight when sailing between islands, giving confidence to those in control.

Stay at one of the island’s newly renovated beachside rooms– just ten metres from the water, they’re delightful oases of brightness and colour with exterior day beds and great views of the water.

If you insist on instagramming, the views from the island’s spa are jaw-droppingly good.

One must-do from Palm Island is a boat trip to Tobago Cays. Johnny Depp and Kiera Knightly filmed a scene from Pirates of the Caribbean on one of the tiny islands but you’ll be far more interested in experiencing what every snorkelling fan wants to do here – swimming with sea turtles.

If your boat drops you off on one of the islands, you’ll need to be able to swim a hundred metres or more with fins to reach the turtle’s feeding spots. Alternatively, ask your boat man to stop near their feeding area.

n Catherine Murphy travelled to SVG courtesy of the SVG Tourist Board www. discoversvg.com n Fly Virgin Atlantic from London Gatwick to Barbados then onwards to ST Vincent with Liat Air (flight takes around 45 minutes). n You can fly from Canouan to Mustique via private charter with Mustique Air. Departing SVG to Barbados incurs a $40 departure tax which must be paid in cash in ECB (eastern Caribbean dollars) or US dollars. Three ECB is around one euro and 1.6 US dollars. n Irish tour operators Caribtours and Hayes & Jarvis both feature a number of SVG islands. If you plan on island-hopping, it’s worth using a tour operator or travel agent’s expertise to plan your island transfers. n For further information on individual resorts, go to mandarinoriental.com bequiabeachhotel.com palmislandresortgrenadines.com youngisland.com mustique-island.com petitstvincent.com

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