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HomeTravel NewsThat Was The Year That Was

That Was The Year That Was

ITTN’s News & Features Editor Neil Steedman looks back over 2014 and selects some photos taken by ITTN’s cameras at travel trade events. Can you spot yourself or your colleagues? ‘Like’ Irish Travel Trade News on Facebook and start tagging!

Orla Tooher, GoHop.ie; Liz Kildare, Affordable Car Hire; and Fabolia Portalanza, GoHop.ie
Orla Tooher, GoHop.ie; Liz Kildare, Affordable Car Hire; and Fabolia Portalanza, GoHop.ie

 

Tour Operating: The biggest change came with Thomas Cook ceasing its ex-Ireland charter operations from 30th April, moving its Irish operation exclusively online, and closing its Dublin office, with the loss of 44 jobs.

Back Row: Michelle Cullen, Icon Travel; Katie Keyes, Skytours; Grainne Caffrey, Lowcostbeds; Liz McGonagle, Padraic Keogh Travel; Yvonne McCarthy, Strand Travel; Front Row: Patricia Ryan, Limerick Travel; Erica O’Reilly, King Travel; Niamh Byrne, Ask Susan Travel, Conor McMahon, Journalist; and Linda Byrne, Killiney Travel
Back Row: Michelle Cullen, Icon Travel; Katie Keyes, Skytours; Grainne Caffrey, Lowcostbeds; Liz McGonagle, Padraic Keogh Travel; Yvonne McCarthy, Strand Travel; Front Row: Patricia Ryan, Limerick Travel; Erica O’Reilly, King Travel; Niamh Byrne, Ask Susan Travel, Conor McMahon, Journalist; and Linda Byrne, Killiney Travel

Other changes included the arrival of Just Sunshine and Fanfare, and the takeover of Wings Abroad by Sunway.

Lee Osborne, BookaBed, with Mary Denton, Sunway; Ita Hendrick, Travelworld; and Martin Skelly, Navan Travel
American football fans at Croke Park: Lee Osborne, BookaBed; Mary Denton, Sunway; Ita Hendrick, Travelworld; and Martin Skelly, Navan Travel

Travel Agencies: New licences included Blue Sea Holidays/Broadway Travel, eDreams/Opodo, GBT, Gold Medal Travel, RSD Travel Ireland, Stena Line Travel Group, Travel Solutions, TravelPlan Corporate, Virgin Holidays, Walt Disney Company, and Wendy Wu Tours.

Members of the Irish travel trade were invited to a ship tour and lunch onboard Boudicca
Members of the Irish travel trade were invited to a ship tour and lunch onboard Fred Olsen Cruise Lines’ Boudicca

Donabate Travel launched Island Escapes. John Galligan Travel and King Travel celebrated 25 years in business. Lee Travel won the inaugural ITTN Travel Agency of the Year Award, while Club Travel, Fahy Travel and Knock Travel won the Leinster, Connaught and Ulster Awards.

Karen Hogan,Just Split with Mary King,Travelsavers  and Nicola York on the M.S.Rotterdan.
Karen Hogan, JustSplit.com, with Mary King, Travelsavers and Nicola York on the MS Rotterdam

Travel Counsellors Ireland brought the total number of Travel Counsellors operating throughout the country to a record 60.

Denise Breen of Travelmood,KarenWhyteoff Travelmood ,Roisin-Carbery of Topflight and Leah,Parmeshwar of Topflight.
Denise Breen and Karen Whyte, Travelmood, with Roisin Carbery and Leah Parmeshwar, Topflight

ITAA members headed to Southampton on 31st October for their annual conference on a two-night ‘pre-inaugural’ sailing by Royal Caribbean International’s newest ship, Quantum of the Seas, before she made her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York.

Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, Executive Vice President – Operations, Royal Caribbean International, is thanked by ITAA President Martin Skelly
Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, Executive Vice President – Operations, Royal Caribbean International, is thanked by ITAA President Martin Skelly, at the ITAA Conference onboard Quantum of the Seas

A team of 15 volunteers from across the Northern Ireland travel trade travelled to Romania to build a home for young people for Habitat for Humanity, working beside a local community in Oradea, west Romania.

The team onsite in Oradea, west Romania
The Northern Ireland travel trade team onsite in Oradea, west Romania

Airlines: Numerous new routes were launched or announced, including (on transatlantic) Aer Lingus from Dublin to Toronto, San Francisco and (from summer 2015) Washington DC, while WestJet launched a Dublin to St John’s seasonal service. Ethiopian Airlines announced new B787 Dreamliner services from Dublin to Los Angeles and Addis Ababa from June 2015.

Ger Hayes,British Airways,Maurice Shiels, Topflight, Ruth Connolly,Topflight, Tom Kiernan,,ask susa, Ita Hendricks,TravelWorld, and Trica Mitchell ,Topflight.
Ger Hayes, British Airways; Maurice Shiels, Topflight; Ruth Connolly, Topflight; Tom Kiernan, Ask Susan; Ita Hendricks, Travelworld; and Trica Mitchell, Topflight

Etihad Airways went double-daily from Dublin to Abu Dhabi from 15th July, while Emirates went double-daily from Dublin to Dubai from 1st September, and Turkish Airlines announced going double-daily from Dublin to Istanbul from 1st April 2015.

Group at the Rosen Shingle Creek
BookaBed Orlando fam group at the Rosen Shingle Creek

Lufthansa unveiled its new Premium Economy Class, while Aer Lingus revealed its new Business Class.

Sarah Slattery 2

The Commission for Aviation Regulation issued an Operating Licence to Norwegian Air International.

Attending the event were Liam Lonergan, Club Travel; Kevin Nowlan, Topflight; Philip Airey, Sunway; and John Keogh, Aer Lingus
Attending the Aer Lingus Dublin – Washington DC announcement were Liam Lonergan, Club Travel; Kevin Nowlan, Topflight; Philip Airey, Sunway; and John Keogh, Aer Lingus

Airports:At the World Routes 2014 conference in Chicago, Dublin Airport won the World Routes Award for airports that handle between 20 million and 50 million passengers per year, while Shannon Airport landed the award for best marketing of airports in the world under four million passengers.

Enjoying the barbecue were David Kinsella,e-travel,Tim Carey,The Travel Boutique,Maxine Dunsdon,Hurtigruten,Linda James,The Travel Boutique, Danny Giles,Hurtigruten, Alice Swords,Sunway,Dawn Conway,Sunway, and Martin Skelly,Navan Travel
Enjoying a barbecue were David Kinsella, e-travel; Tim Carey, The Travel Boutique; Maxine Dunsdon, Hurtigruten; Linda James, The Travel Boutique; Danny Giles, Hurtigruten; Alice Swords, Sunway; Dawn Conway, Sunway; and Martin Skelly, Navan Travel

London Heathrow Airport’s new Terminal 2 – The Queen’s Terminal opened on 4th June to Star Alliance and other airlines including Aer Lingus, which promoted the Dublin T2 – Heathrow T2 journey as “the best terminal-to-terminal experience in Europe”.

Enjoying themselves were Martin Penrose,If Only,

The Government reduced air travel tax to zero from 1st April.

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Ferries: On 18th January Irish Ferries commenced its 19-hour weekend car ferry service from Dublin to Cherbourg with the Epsilon, which also serves Holyhead mid-week.

Irish Ferries - Haven-Whartons

Stena Line acquired the Irish-owned Celtic Link ferry service that operates from Rosslare to Cherbourg.

John Spollen,Classic Resorts,Ruth Haugh,Travelfocus,Declan and Rosemarie O'Connell Lee travel, were in Fota Resort.
John Spollen, Classic Resorts; Ruth Haugh, Travel Focus; Declan and Rosemarie O’Connell, Lee travel, were in Fota Resort

Rail:Voyages-sncf launched a new dedicated Irish trade website for European rail travel, Voyages-sncf.eu.

Travel Counsellors share their ‘light-bulb’ moments in the afternoon workshop session
Travel Counsellors share their ‘light-bulb’ moments in an afternoon workshop session

Legislation: The European Parliament adopted by 654 votes to 19, with nine abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on package travel and assisted travel arrangements, amending Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004, Directive 2011/83/EU and repealing Council Directive 90/314/EEC.

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