irish travel agent awards 2023

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Ireland’s Best Travel Agent or Tour Operator Winner 2023

TD Team | 21 January 2023

We’re delighted to announce that we have won for the first time in the Irish Independent Reader Travel Awards 2023 for Ireland's Best Travel Agent or Tour Operator .

For over 25 years, we’ve been providing our customers with expertly crafted travel experiences to some of the best destinations across the world. On our guided holidays, we do everything for you from start to finish, planning the itineraries, flights, accommodation, transfers and expert local guides.

From everyone at Travel Department, we really want to thank all of our lovely customers and friends who voted for us and helped us achieve this incredible honour in the Reader Travel Awards !

Sara Zimmerman, Travel Department CEO said: “For us, this really is the ultimate accolade. Every member of our team, from our back-office staff at our HQ in Dublin to our partners and guides overseas, does their utmost to make every holiday memorable for our customers. We couldn’t be more proud of winning this award, and I couldn’t be more proud of the team. Thanks so much to everyone who voted for us. It really means a lot.”

Take an award winning guided holiday experience, discover all our holiday destinations and holiday types .

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ITAA Confirm Irish Travel Industry Awards Scheduled for January 2023

The Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) has confirmed that the next annual Irish Travel Industry Awards will be taking place in January 2023

The Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) has confirmed that the next annual Irish Travel Industry Awards will be taking place in January 2023. Organised on behalf of the ITAA by Business Exhibitions, the event looks forward to celebrating the achievements of the Irish Travel Industry for the coming year at this later date in the Mansion House, Dublin.

Pat Dawson, CEO of the ITAA, said, “We are looking forward to a revival of the Irish Travel Industry in 2022 after such a difficult period for our industry and look forward to celebrating with style in 2023. Events such as these are an invaluable opportunity for travel agents and tour operators to have their hard work recognised, celebrate their successes and network with their fellow professionals from Ireland and abroad.”

He continued, “Naturally we were very disappointed to have to postpone the eleventh annual Irish Travel Industry Awards last year, however, as always the welfare of our members, suppliers and customers is paramount, and in the interests of safeguarding these groups and others we decided to delay these events until 2023 when the risk of COVID will hopefully have passed.”

Maria Hourican, CEO of Business Exhibitions and organiser of the Awards on behalf of the ITAA, stated, ‘’While we are disappointed to have to postpone the Irish Travel Industry Awards once again due to COVID, we are delighted to be continuing our partnership with the Irish Travel Agents Association into 2023. We look forward to recognising the hard work of professionals throughout the industry when hopefully we will be able to celebrate this wonderful industry.’’

The Irish Travel Industry Awards are an initiative of the ITAA, with the support of Worldchoice and Travel Centres, and are organised on behalf of the ITAA by Business Exhibitions Limited. The Awards are designed to showcase excellence in the delivery of international travel services to both leisure and business customers travelling from Ireland.

A key feature of the Awards programme is the series of ITAA Member Awards, which are judged by a panel of expert judges from the travel industry, and presented at the prestigious Gala Banquet in the Round Room at The Mansion House.

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Voting for the Irish Travel Industry Awards now open

The Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) is excited to announce that voting for the Irish Travel Industry Awards in association with MSC Cruises is now open.

The Irish Travel Industry Awards are the premier awards for suppliers and agents in the travel industry in Ireland. Winners will be announced at a gala banquet which will take place in the historic Round Room at Dublin’s Mansion House on Thursday, 25th January 2024.

The Supplier Awards feature a number of categories spanning all areas of the travel industry including air travel, tour operators, cruise lines and ferry companies, agency services providers and destinations. Full details of Categories and Awards can be viewed HERE .

Voting for the Supplier Awards is open to all licensed travel agents in the Republic of Ireland who each have one vote in each category. Licensed Travel Agents nationwide, whether ITAA members or not, have been invited to participate. Any Agent who has not received an invitation can email [email protected] for their invitation.

Owner managers are requested to consult with staff when deciding who to cast their vote in favour of. The following should be considered:

• Quality of Product
• Quality of Service
• Range of Product
• Price Competitiveness
• Customer Service and Ability To Resolve Problems

The entry process for ITAA Member Awards is also open from today. This is an application process with clearly defined marking criteria, followed by an interview for the short-listed candidates. This process will be overseen by an independent judging panel of industry experts. Entry forms have been issued to all ITAA member Owner Managers. The ITAA Member Awards highlight the contribution of ITAA Travel Agents to the Irish travel industry.

Angela Walsh, President of the ITAA, commented “We are looking forward to celebrating the wonderful people in our industry at this year’s awards. I would encourage all travel agents to participate in the Supplier Awards voting process and for all ITAA members to enter the Member Awards this year, to ensure all receive the recognition they richly deserve.”

She continued, “This year, for the Supplier Awards, it is One Agency One Vote and I urge all Owner Managers to consult with your staff to choose your agency’s choice supplier in each category. We are looking for suppliers who excel in the quality of service and product.”

Clare Dunne, CEO of the ITAA, said, “Your vote is important to ensure that results are a true reflection of the very best in the Irish Travel Industry – please have your say and VOTE today.”

Closing date for receipt of all entries is Friday, 22nd December 2023.

Tickets for the 2024 Irish Travel Industry Awards are now on sale, please go to www.irishtravelindustryawards.com to download a booking form.

The awards are an initiative of the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) and are organised on their behalf by Business Exhibitions Limited.

To find out more: www.irishtravelindustryawards.com

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‘Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central U.P.’ gets national recognition

ISHPEMING, Mich. (WJMN) – Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Upper Peninsula has been recognized at the national level.

Their team was recently at the Big Brothers Big Sisters National Conference in Dallas, Texas where they received the ‘2023 Small Agency of the Year’ award and ‘2023 Growth’ award.

Local 3 spoke with the agency who says they have made many expansions this year within their program.

“It’s Amazing,” said Carli Frailing, Vice President of Programs, BBBS of the Central U.P. “It’s still pretty shocking and surprising that we won it. Just being a small little rural town in Marquette in the U.P., it feels really nice to be recognized at that level. We worked very hard last year with the expansion and going into new places and growing our team and all that. It feels really good to be recognized at the national level.”

The organization says they are always looking to continue serving the community. One way you can help out is by volunteering to be a big brother or big sister.

“We always want to serve more youth, and with that we need more volunteers across every county that we serve,” said Frailing. “Marquette, Alger, Delta, Dickinson and Schoolcraft. We really want to try to make more matches and serve more youth. We want to grow into more schools in the fall. Our ultimate goal is to serve more kids and with that we need more ‘bigs’.”

To learn more, click here .

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJMN - UPMatters.com.

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MSC Cruises announced as headline sponsors for the Irish Travel Industry Awards 2023

The Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) is delighted to announce MSC Cruises as the headline sponsor for the 2023 Irish Travel Industry Awards. The Irish Travel Industry Awards celebrate the leading suppliers and agents in the Irish travel industry.

The Irish travel trade are eagerly awaiting the 2023 Irish Travel Industry Awards which has not been held since 2020. Celebrating excellence among travel professionals and providers in Ireland, the distinguished awards offer suppliers and ITAA members the opportunity to boost their profile and reputation. The Gala Banquet will be held in the Round Room at The Mansion House on Thursday January 26th 2023.  Travel journalist Eoghan Corry will MC the event.

The Supplier Awards feature a number of categories spanning all areas of the travel industry including air travel, tour operators, cruise lines, agency, tour operators, industry service providers, trade relations and destinations. The ITAA Member Awards highlight the excellent contribution that ITAA Travel Agents and their staff make to travel distribution in Ireland. Award categories are listed below.

Pat Dawson, CEO of the ITAA, commented, “We are really looking forward to the awards. We haven’t had the opportunity to honour the hard work done by ITAA members and suppliers to keep the industry afloat during the pandemic. It is important that our appreciation is shown and nominees are valued. We have missed the awards; they are a highlight in the industry’s calendar for travel agents and suppliers alike.”

“We have always admired MSC and we are thrilled that they are the title sponsor again. We look forward to working with them on the big return of the awards. As MC, we are thrilled that Eoghan Corry has agreed to act in this role. No one knows the travel industry better.” He continued.

Antonio Paradiso, Managing Director of MSC Cruises UK & Ireland, “We are delighted to be sponsoring these prestigious awards that honour excellence in our industry. We thoroughly enjoyed partnering with the ITAA for the 2019 Irish Travel Industry Awards and we are excited to unveil our plans for 2023.”

The awards are an initiative of the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) and is organised on their behalf by Business Exhibitions Limited.

To find out more: http://irishtravelindustryawards.com/vote/

Voting opens: Monday 12 th December, 2022.

SUPPLIER AWARDS

Excellence in Air Travel Category – Sponsored by Dublin Airport

Airline of the Year – Ireland to Europe

Airline of the Year – Ireland Direct to North America

Airline of the Year – Best Long-Haul Airline originating from Ireland

Airline of the Year – Best Business Class

Excellence in Cruise Category – Sponsored by German National Tourist Office

Mainstream Cruise Line of the Year

Premium Cruise Line of the Year

Ultra-Luxury Cruise Line of the Year

River Cruise Line of the Year

Tour Operator Award Category – Sponsored by Hertz

European Tour Operator of the Year

Long-haul Tour Operator of the Year

Ski Tour Operator of the Year

Best Irish Owned Operator of the Year

Industry Service Provider Category

Technology Provider of the Year

Car Hire Provider of the Year

Travel Insurance Provider of the Year

Tourist Board of the Year

Accommodation Provider of the Year

Destinations Category

Best Winter Destination

Best Summer Destination

Best Worldwide City Destination

Best Worldwide Theme Park

Excellence in Trade Relations

Cruise Trade Team of the Year

Airline Trade Team of the Year

Travel Trade Team of the Year

 ITAA MEMBER AWARDS CATEGORY – Sponsored by Shannon Airport

Travel Agency of the Year (less than10 employees)

Travel Agency of the Year (more than10 employees)

Corporate Travel Agency of the Year

ITAA PEOPLE AWARDS CATEGORY

A Rising Star Award

A Shining Star award

Behind the scenes Champion – accounts/marketing/admin

SPECIAL AWARDS

Contribution to Travel Industry Award/Lifetime Achievement Award – Sponsored by Cork Airport

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ITAA Awards 2023 Rewarding Winners Across the Board

The annual Irish Travel Agents Association hosted the 2023 ITAA Awards in Dublin’s city centre. The travel trade descended on the Mansion House.

Robblie Smart was awarded the “On the Road Hero” award posthumously. Going forward, this award will have his name. At last count almost €18k was raised for the Robbie Smart Fund illustrating the tight-knit nature of our industry. In an event that brings the Irish travel trade together, it shows how willing we are to support and celebrate one another. Robbie, along with those from across the industry who we lost since COVID began were remembered in a touching tribute.

With emotions running high in the audience, Eoghan Corry, MC for the evening, guided the guests through the extensive award categories.

Destinations Category (sponsored by MIG)

Best Summer Destination – Spain

Best Winter Destination – Lanzarote

Best Worldwide City Destination – New York

Best Ski Destination – Andorra

Best Worldwide Theme Park – Universal Orlando Resort

Excellence in Trade Relations Category (sponsored by the Spanish Tourist Board)

Cruise Trade Team of the Year was awarded to Princess Cruises with a delighted Rebecca Kelly collecting the award.

Travel Trade Team of the Year went to Classic Resorts.

Airline Trade Team of the Year went to Aer Lingus

Industry Service Provider Category (sponsored by Princess Cruises)

Ferry Company of the Year – Irish Ferries

Accommodation Provider of the Year – Bookabed

Tourist Board of the Year – Spanish Tourist Office

Travel Insurance Provider of the Year – Blue Insurance

Car Hire Company of the Year – Hertz

Technology Provider of the Year – Amadeus

Excellence in Cruise Category (sponsored by Visit Germany)

River Cruise Line of the Year – Uniworld Cruises

Ultra Luxury Cruise Line of the Year – Silversea

Premium Cruise Line of the Year – Celebrity Cruises

Main Stream Cruise Line of the Year – Royal Caribbean

Tour Operator Award Category (sponsored by Hertz)

Long Haul Tour Operator – Classic Resorts

Best Irish Owned Tour Operator – Classic Resorts

Ski Tour Operator of the Year – Crystal Ski

Best European Tour Operator of the Year – TUI Ireland

Excellence in Air Travel (sponsored by Dublin Airport)

Airline of the Year: Best Business Class – Emirates

Airline of the Year: Best long-haul airlines originating from Ireland – Emirates

Airline of the Year: Ireland to North America – Aer Lingus

Airline of the Year: Ireland to Europe – Aer Lingus

ITAA Member Travel Agency Award (sponsored by Shannon Airport)

ITAA Travel Agency of the Year (under 10 employees) – Travel Escape

ITAA Travel Agency of the Year (over 10 employees) – Cassidy Travel

ITAA Corporate Travel Agency of the Year – Club Travel

ITAA Member People Awards (sponsored by Emirates)

Behind The Scenes Champion: Galina Urban from Cassidy Travel

Shining Star Awards: Michelle McManus from Best4Travel

Rising Star Award: Josie Carrigy from Arrow Tours

Contribution to the Travel Industry Award (sponsored by Cork Airport)

Contribution to the Travel Industry Award went to a visibly moved Valerie Metcalfe (Formerly FCM Ireland)

A huge congratulations to all the winners from everyone at ITTN!

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