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On arrival in Porto, the group boarded the MS Estrela at the marina area of the city, which is close to the beach and approximately 5 minutes by taxi to downtown Porto (€6 in an UBER). I personally love this location as it gives you the option of both a beach and a river holiday. After some welcome drinks onboard with Michelle Ryan, Country Manager APT Travelmarvel and a quick tour of the ship it was time to attend a pre dinner drink and a VIP dinner at The Lince Santa Cla

ITTN’s Julia Labedz concludes the Istanbul Art and Gastronomy press trip with GoTürkiye , rounding off the experience with a day that perfectly captured the city’s rhythm — part tradition, part surprise, and entirely one-of-a-kind. Attending were Siún Lennon (Business Post Ireland), Samantha Huff (Huff Media), Jessica Phillips (The Independent), and Gerry Duffy (The Scottish Sun), alongside Gökçe Erbatu from GoTürkiye and their guide Alim Kocabıyık . Day 3 - Heritage with a

B2B tour operator Vista - part of the Hays Travel Group - has launched a new dedicated Touring team, expanding its offer in the fast-growing escorted, independent, and small group touring market. The move comes as Vista celebrates a record-breaking year following its rebrand in 2023, with cruise sales now accounting for over a third of business - a significant leap driven by a specialist team and strong industry partnerships. The new Touring team will also support Hays Tra

Dubai Economy and Tourism and Emirates have partnered up to bring back their all-Irish Dubai fam trip for the second year running! You can read all about last years' FAM trip here . This September (8-13 th ) 8 lucky Irish agents will be heading out to Dubai for an unforgettable fam trip. The trip is designed to showcase the incredible experiences Dubai has to offer for different age groups and interests, as well as incredible hotels, hospitality and the Emirates, fly better

ITTN’s Julia Labedz is currently on a press trip to Istanbul with GoTürkiye, aimed at highlighting Istanbul’s gastronomy and art. Joining the trip are Siún Lennon (Business Post Ireland), Samantha Huff (Huff Media), Jessica Phillips (The Independent), and Gerry Duffy (The Scottish Sun). They are accompanied by Gökçe Erbatu from GoTürkiye and their guide Alim Kocabıyık . Day 1 - Arrival ITTN’s Julia Labedz and Síun Lennon (Business Post) travelled to Istanbul on Sunday the 2

It may have been Easter but, that didn't stop our good friends in APT Travelmarvel christening not one, but two , river ships in Europe this past week. Kicking off the first of the big events was the Porto-based Travelmarvel ship MS Estrela . Christened under a rare sighting of the sun by industry stalwart Lucy Huxley, Editor in Chief, Travel Weekly. ITTN and a 13 strong group from the Irish trade along with our UK counterparts were thrilled to be in attendance and congr

Discover New England’s representative in Ireland, Tony Lane, hosted Irish trade and media at the Discover New England Summit 2025. This region’s annual international tourism conference aims to connect local tourism representatives from right across the six states of New England with international buyers and media. Newport Newport dates back to 1639 and was a key port city in the North American British Colonies during the 1700s. By the mid-1800s, the port-driven commerce had w

The Aer Lingus FAM trip to Marrakech took place from Saturday 5th to Tuesday 8th of April, for an amazing trip to the Moroccan city. Katie Doyle from ITTN joined Dylan Quinn Williams from Cassidy Travel, David O'Hagan from the Holiday Shop, Catherine Cinnamond from Sunway, Katrina McMullan from Travel Counsellors, Peter Cullen from Click&Go Holidays, Vanessa Holohan from Club Travel and Owen Kane from Travel Department . The trip was led by Jenny Rafter, Head of Global Sale

ITTN's Shane Cullen is at Discover New England’s 27th Annual Tourism Summit & International Marketplace. The summit runs 7th-13th April. He attended the Pre-Summit Fam Welcome Reception and stayed at Pennyweight Hotel in Boston's West End. Pre-Summit Fam Welcome Reception The Pre-Summit Fam Welcome Reception was held on Sunday in the China Pearl restaurant in Chinatown . The hosts were Meet Boston & Discover New England. Craft cocktails were on hand and I opted for A “Forbidd

Suzanne Rowe , Head of Sales Ireland, is off to Miami today for the launch of MSC World America, along with a host of trade professionals! Joining her on this exciting trip are competition winners, Ainie Grainger , Cassidy Travel and Diane Evans , Sunway Holidays, as well as Click & Go’s Paul Hackett and Cassidy Travel’s Sharon Harney . MSC World America ushers in a new world of cruising, going far beyond the typical vacation experience with new venues, new entertainment an

ITTN’s Louise Ducrocq flew to London on Saturday, the 5th of April, to attend Mamma Mia! The Party at London’s iconic O2 with Keith Prowse . She was delighted to experience this with Rosie O’Toole , Aileen Eglington , and Caroline Quigley from Keith Prowse and AE Consulting, Keeley Ryan from Star Chic, Michelle Jackson aka The Novel Traveller, Rebecca Lee from The Sunday World, Andrea Mary Smith , and Philip Nolan from The Irish Daily Mail . There is so much to say abo

Jo-Ann Raleigh (ASM Ireland & GSA for Avalon Waterways) hosted agents to Amsterdam on Sunday to gain a first-hand experience of the 5-star Avalon Waterways product. Avalon Waterways operates a fleet of 17 river cruise ships in Europe, featuring Panorama Suites with open-air balconies and panoramic windows. Agents visited the Avalon View and were highly impressed with the elegant styling of the ship as well as the spacious Panorama Suites, which make up 80% of all onboar

Playa Hotels & Resorts is "supercharging" agents’ earning power with another round of bonus offers during the month of April. Agents across the UK and Ireland can now earn double Playa Points on every single Wyndham Alltra booking they make and log via Playa Rewards . And that is not all, six FAM trip places are still up for grabs, offering agents the chance to experience multiple Playa brands first hand in either the Dominican Republic or Mexico . Helping agents to conv

ITTN’s Shane Cullen is onboard the unveiling of Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Aqua , the newest addition to the cruise line’s fleet along with many trade and media from across the UK and Ireland. Norwegian Aqua is the first ship in the new Prima Plus Class, a design that promises to push the boundaries of what a cruise ship can offer. It is c.320 meters long and will host 3,571 guests at double occupancy. While definitely a large ship, it is comfortably so and easy to n

Last week, Do Something Different, Aer Lingus and Universal Orlando Resort hosted 30 Travel Counsellors from around the world at Universal Orlando Resort Florida. Each of the Travel Counsellors was a winner of the Travel Counsellors Global Booking Challenge which took place in January of this year. The 30-strong group flew direct from Manchester to Orlando with Aer Lingus. Onboard, the group were able to enjoy the new Aer Lingus features. Graham Hennessy (Country Manager Irel

Norse Atlantic Airways has announced a FAM trip incentive for operators and agents, partnering with Hablo on a trip to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Below are the details from Norse: NORSE ATLANTIC AIRWAYS FAM trip INCENTIVE opportunity partnering with HABLO and FORT LAUDERDALE NORSE NET FARES are now available both seat only and Tour Operator, if your agent does not have them major CONSOL agents do Do you want to join Team Norse Atlantic Airways and Team Hablo on their sp

ITTN’s Louise Ducrocq had the incredible opportunity to sail the Danube from Budapest to Vienna on Riviera's MS William Wordsworth ship, alongside a lively crew of Irish travel trade members - Annette Hynes from Fahy Travel, Michelle Phelan from Barter's Travelnet, Caroline O'Toole from JWT TRAVEL, Carol Anne O'Neill from Worldchoice and Niall McDonnell from Killiney Travel. We started off strong sailing off from what I believe to be one of Europe's most beautiful c

ITTN has teamed up with our good friends Emerald Cruises , to offer one lucky agent an incredible opportunity to experience 5* luxury river cruising first-hand. The two-night FAM trip aboard Emerald Luna , will sail from Budapest to Vienna from 10-12 March 2025 and the lucky winner will join select agents from across Europe & Ireland. Plus, ITTN will be onboard to report on all the action, ensuring this FAM is one to remember! Entering the competition is easy... Simply w

Brand USA U.K. & Ireland is delighted to announce the itineraries for the 2025 MegaFam. Agents who participate in the incentive will be in with a chance of winning a place on one of these itineraries before heading for an exciting finale in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania! The trip will depart on Sunday 11th May and arrive back into the U.K. and Ireland on Tuesday 20th May, 2025. Mid-Atlantic Memories: Mountains and Monuments Starting in the capital, Washington, D.C., agents will

A select group of travel agents recently embarked on an unforgettable familiarization trip to New York City, courtesy of New York City Tourism and Conventions, Aer Lingus, and Royal Caribbean. The journey began with an Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Newark, followed by a stay at The Tillary Hotel in Downtown Brooklyn for one night. The group then moved to the Millennium Hotel Downtown for the next two nights, providing them with a diverse accommodation experience. During th