All Travel News

Europeans continue to prioritise travel despite economic pressures, geopolitical tensions and climate-related challenges. According to the European Travel Commission’s (ETC) latest Monitoring Sentiment for Intra-European Travel (Wave 25), 81% of Europeans intend to take a trip between June and November 2026, four percentage points higher than during the same period last year. Travel intentions have increased across nearly all age groups, reaching their highest level among tra

ITTN’s Katie Doyle had the privilege of attending Legend of the Seas’ inaugural sailing with 4,000 trade, press and business representatives from around the world last week. Departing from Malaga, Katie went on a 4-night cruise to Rome joining 120 Irish travel trade and their partners as they had the opportunity to experience firsthand the incredible entertainment and activities onboard the brand new ship! Legend of the Seas is officially the largest cruise ship in the world

At an expert workshop last week in Miami, hosted by MSC Foundation, scientists and practitioners agreed with the urgent need to strengthen responses to Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD), one of the most serious threats facing coral reefs across the Caribbean, including Florida and The Bahamas. In a keynote addressing experts in Miami, Dr. Rhianna Neely-Murphy, Director of The Bahamas Department of Environmental Planning and Protection, said: “SCTLD remains a serious ch

Belfast International Airport has announced the opening of a new, dedicated accessible parking area, significantly enhancing the travel experience for passengers who require additional assistance. The new facility features 236 purpose-designed, fully accessible Blue Badge bays replacing the standard parking spaces. The investment serves as a long-term solution for growing passenger demand and need to guarantee the availability of spaces for passengers who need additional assi

Explore the success stories of Travel Counsellors who are building thriving businesses and achieving their goals. From collaborative teamwork to family-focused entrepreneurship, and from major milestones to the benefits of flexible working, these stories highlight what’s possible. Rosemary Chawke from Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, started life as a Travel Counsellor 20 years ago, after her longstanding employer closed their travel business. Having control over her work-life balance

Cosmos Tours has launched two new itineraries to India and China, combining expertly perfected planned and balanced touring, flexibility, VIP sightseeing, and flights from Dublin Airport. Leading the new collection is the Best of India: Land of the Taj & Tigers – available from €2,360 per person which offers an unforgettable introduction to India’s colourful culture, extraordinary wildlife, and world-famous landmarks. Perfect for first-time visitors, the nine-day guided holid

The Irish-founded Dean Hotel Group has announced its second overseas property – and second in Germany – with The Dean Munich, which opens this month. Located in the vibrant Westend neighbourhood, the 281-room hotel marks the brand’s largest property to date. Earlier this year, the group opened its first property outside of Ireland, in the form of The Dean Berlin – Dean Hotel Group Opens First Hotel Outside of Ireland in Berlin | ittn.ie. The Dean Munich’s central location pla

IHG Hotels & Resorts has announced the signing of three franchise agreements for new-build Holiday Inn Express hotels in Spain, marking a significant strategic partnership with global alternative asset manager Tikehau Capital. The three properties – totalling 653 rooms across Madrid, Málaga, and Barcelona – are the first hotels signed to date as part of Selecto, a new select service hotel platform created by Tikehau Capital with operating partner Quest Capital, with additiona

Whitbread, the parent company of Premier Inn, has commenced construction of its first hotel in Outer Dublin at Sandyford Business Park. The 157-bedroom hotel on Arkle Road will feature the brand’s latest format bedrooms and ground floor spaces, including its popular ‘enhanced’ Premier Plus bedrooms. Galway-headquartered Monami Construction has been appointed to lead the build which is anticipated to take around 18-months to complete. Sandyford Business Park was selected by W

We’re delighted to let you know that on Tuesday, July 7th Sunway will be releasing an upgraded version of the Sunway Trade website for European holiday searches. As part of this update, we’ve introduced a new cached search system designed to make finding the perfect holiday faster and easier than ever before. The biggest enhancement is the introduction of cached pricing, allowing search results to be returned in approximately 3 seconds. What’s New? Faster Searches Search res

Oceania Cruises has announced its 2027 Specialty Cruises programme, bringing together destination‑rich itineraries and hosted experiences where cuisine, culture and personal connection take centre stage. The line’s 2027 Specialty Cruises offer guests unique opportunities to engage with renowned guest hosts and celebrated experts while exploring some of the world’s most evocative regions. From the sun-drenched Mediterranean and historic Baltic shores to captivating Japan, thes

Starhotels, Italy’s leading private hotel group by revenue, has announced a strategic partnership between I AM STAR, its loyalty programme, and Taj InnerCircle – NeuPass, the loyalty platform of Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), India’s largest hospitality company, operating a portfolio of more than 640 hotels across 4 continents and 15 countries. The partnership marks a further step in the international development strategy of I AM STAR and comes at a time of growing mo

Ireland has been ranked 7th strongest passport in the world, while the US has plummeted in strength, new research shows. The latest annual Global Passport Index (GPI) – compiled by leading residency and citizenship planning advisory firm, Global Citizen Solutions (GCS) – shows nine of the top 10 strongest passports in the world represent European countries. Singapore, at number 10, is the only non-European nation in the leading bunch. The GPI ranks passports across 199 countr

The return of the lower 9% VAT rate for the hospitality sector is a “meaningful step” and one which will provide much-needed breathing space for many Irish businesses, a global financial technology company has said. Speaking about the reinstallation of the rate, which officially happens today, John O’Beirne, CEO of Dublin-based global fintech, Squareup International, which provides popular point-of-sale solutions to retailers, said: “The VAT cut for hospitality coming into ef

SAS Scandinavian Airlines has announced its largest ever fleet expansion investment – with more than $10bn being spent on up to 40 new Airbus widebody long-haul aircraft. The carrier said the move underlines its long-term commitment to enhancing Scandinavia’s global connectivity and competitiveness. The investment comprises up to 40 Airbus widebody aircraft, combining new Airbus A330-900neo aircraft with additional Airbus A330-300 aircraft secured to support near-term growth

Welcome onboard Legend of the Seas, Royal Caribbean‘s newest ship and the third addition to its Icon Class ships in its Royal fleet. This 250,800-gross-ton-mega-ship features 18 decks and stretches 365 metres long, offering next-level attractions like the largest waterpark at sea, eight distinct neighbourhoods, and the highly anticipated Royal Railway Legend Station. On Monday morning, ITTN’s Katie Doyle joined Irish travel trade as they embarked on a 4-night adventure saili

Brittany Ferries is to sell its Cotentin ship – which runs the Rosslare-Cherbourg route – as part of a wide-reaching cost cutting programme. The Rosslare-Cherbourg route will continue as part of the overall Brittany Ferries programme, but will be operated with other ships. The company will also be selling its Barfleur ship and will close the Poole-Cherbourg and Portsmouth-Le Havre routes. Brittany Ferries may have one of the greenest fuelled fleets in Europe, but still faces

The Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC) has released a sneak peak at emerging details of its 2026 Annual Conference, coming up in October. Generally seen as the main event for the domestic and inbound tourism sector, ITIC announced, in February, that this year’s conference will be held at Convention Centre Dublin on October 1. In April, ITIC announced its initial line-up of speakers; including Tourism Ireland CEO, Alice Mansergh; UN Tourism Secretary General, Anita Me

On Saturday, the Aer Lingus fam trip that had coursed a path from Denver to Fort Collins, travelled to Estes Park in the Rocky Mountains for their final night of an epic trip to Colorado. Ivan Beacom from Aer Lingus led the group that also included Linda Ryan (Click and Go Holidays), Caoimhe Miley (American Holidays), Lorraine Kenny (Sunway), Leah Adams (Travel Solutions Belfast), Aileen Clancy (Cassidy’s) and Roger Barrett, from Travel Counsellors. Aer Lingus operates from D