Finalists Announced for Irish Travel Industry Awards in association with MSC Cruises

The shortlist for the Irish Travel Industry Awards in association with MSC Cruises has been released today. The winners will be announced and presented with their awards at a ceremony in the historic Round Room of the Mansion House, Dublin on Thursday 22nd January.  Over 400 travel professionals will attend and the MC for the night will be Eoghan Corry, journalist and expert on all things travel.

The Irish Travel Industry Awards, now in their fourteenth-year, are the premier awards for suppliers and agents in the travel industry in Ireland. The awards are an initiative of the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA), in association with MSC Cruises, and supported by Travel Centres and Worldchoice.

 

The annual event is designed to showcase excellence within the industry and the difficult job of judging the Member Award Winners falls to an independent panel of judges comprised of Maria Gildea, Noeleen Lynch, Richard Cullen and Tom Shanahan. Richard Bowden acted was scrutineer to the Irish Travel Industry Supplier Awards voting process.

 

Tom Randles, President of the ITAA, said of the Irish Travel Industry Awards, “The Irish Travel Industry Awards celebrate excellence among travel professionals and providers in Ireland, while offering suppliers and ITAA members the opportunity to enhance their profile and reputation within the industry. I would like to congratulate each of our very deserving finalists. Being shortlisted for an award is, in itself, a significant achievement, and I wish them every success on awards night.”

 

He added, “We are delighted to welcome MSC Cruises as this year’s title sponsor and value their continued support of the Irish Travel Industry Awards, which promises to be the biggest and best Travel Industry Awards night yet.”

 

The event is organised on behalf of the ITAA by Business Exhibition and sponsored by MSC Cruises, Abercrombie & Kent | Cox & Kings, Bedsonline, Blue Insurance, Emirates, Hertz, Iberostar, Irish Ferries, jetBlue, Princess Cruises, Shannon Airport, Spanish Tourist Office, Stena Line, Trust Payments, Wendy Wu Tours, and Mediahuis.

 

For more information on the awards event please see www.irishtravelindustryawards.com

Irish Travel Industry Awards 2026 ITAA Member Finalists are:

 

TRAVEL AGENCY CATEGORY

 

ITAA MEMBER AWARDS: TRAVEL AGENCY CATEGORY – SPONSORED BY SHANNON AIRPORT

 

ITAA TRAVEL AGENCY OF THE YEAR (OVER 10 EMPLOYEES)

Best4Travel

Cassidy Travel

Click & Go Holidays

 

ITAA TRAVEL AGENCY OF THE YEAR – UNDER 10 EMPLOYEES – SPONSORED BY SHANNON AIRPORT

Atlantic Travel

Magic Vacations

Navan Travel

The Travel Suite

 

ITAA TRAVEL MANAGEMENT COMPANY (TMC) OF THE YEAR

Result will be announced at the Irish Travel Industry Awards

 

ITAA CORPORATE TRAVEL AGENCY OF THE YEAR

Result will be announced at the Irish Travel Industry Awards

 

 

ITAA MEMBER AWARDS: INNOVATION CATEGORY – SPONSORED BY EMIRATES

 

Best Offline Marketing Initiative

Best4Travel

Cassidy Travel

Click & Go Holidays

 

Best Online Marketing Initiative

Best4Travel

Click & Go Holidays

Tour America

 

Responsible Travel Award

Result will be announced at the Irish Travel Industry Awards

 

 

Irish Travel Industry Awards 2026 Supplier Finalists are:

 

EXCELLENCE IN AIR TRAVEL SPONSORED BY: WENDY WU TOURS

AIRLINE OF THE YEAR – IRELAND TO EUROPE

• Aer Lingus
• KLM
• Ryanair
• TAP Air Portugal
• Turkish Airlines

Airline of the Year – Ireland to North America

• Aer Lingus
• Air Canada
• Delta Airlines
• JetBlue
• United Airlines

Airline of the Year – Best Long-Haul Airline

• Emirates
• Etihad
• Qatar Airlines
• Turkish Airlines

Airline of The Year – Best Business Class

• Emirates
• Etihad
• Qatar Airways
• Singapore Airlines
• Turkish Airlines

 

 

TOUR OPERATOR AWARDS SPONSORED BY: HERTZ

 

European Tour Operator of the Year

• Abbey Travel
• Sunway
• Topflight
• Travel Department
• TUI

Ski Tour Operator of the Year

• Club Med
• Crystal Ski
• Topflight
• Travel Solutions

Irish Owned Tour Operator of the Year

• Discover Travel
• Sunway
• Topflight
• Travel Department
• Travel Focus

Long Haul Tour Operator of the Year

• Bookabed / TBO
• Classic Resorts
• Discover Travel
• Sunway
• Travel Focus

 

 

EXCELLENCE IN CRUISE & FERRY SPONSORED BY: ABERCROMBIE & KENT / COX & KING

 

Main Stream Ocean Cruise Line of the Year

• Marella Cruises
• MSC Cruises
• Norwegian Cruise Line
• Royal Caribbean International

Premium Ocean Cruise Line of the Year

• Celebrity Cruises
• MSC Yacht Club
• Norwegian Cruise Line
• Ponant Cruises
• Princess Cruises

Ultra Luxury Ocean Cruise Line of the Year

• Crystal Cruises
• Explora Journeys
• Regent Seven Seas
• Seabourn Cruises
• Silversea Cruises

Main Stream River Cruise Line of the Year

• Avalon River Cruises
• Riviera Cruises
• Trafalgar
• Travelmarvel
• Viking River Cruises

Ultra Luxury River Cruise Line of the Year

• AMA Waterways
• Avalon River Cruises
• Riverside Cruises
• APT
• Uniworld Boutique River Cruises

Expedition / Adventure Cruise Line of the Year

• Celebrity Cruises
• G Adventures
• Hurtigruten
• Ponant Cruises
• Silversea Cruises

Ferry Company of the Year

• Brittany Ferries
• Irish Ferries
• Stena Line

 

 

INDUSTRY SERVICE PROVIDER SPONSORED BY: STENA LINE

 

Technology Provider of the Year

• Amadeus
• Dolphin Dynamics
• Fareteam / WTC
• Travelport / Galileo
• TBO

Payment Solutions Provider of the Year

• AIB Merchant Services
• Elavon
• Ecomm
• Revolut
• Trust Payments

Car Hire Provider of the Year

• Alamo Car Hire
• Enterprise
• Europcar
• Flexible Autos
• Hertz

Travel Insurance Provider of the Year

• Accident & General
• Blue Insurance

Tourist Board of the Year

• Brand USA
• Las Vegas LVCVA
• New York Tourist Board
• Visit Portugal
• Spanish Tourism Office

Accommodation Provider of the Year

• Arrow Tours / Bedbank.ie
• Bedsonline / Hotelbeds
• Bookabed / TBO
• Expedia
• Stuba

 

 

EXCELLENCE IN TRADE RELATIONS

 

Airline Trade Team of the Year Sponsored By: Spanish Tourism Office

• Aer Lingus
• Air Canada
• Emirates
• TAP Air Portugal
• United Airlines

Travel Trade Team of the Year

• Accident & General
• ASM
• Blue Insurance
• Bookabed / TBO
• Travel Centres

Cruise Trade Team of the Year

• Celebrity Cruises
• MSC Cruises
• Princess Cruises
• Riviera Cruises
• Royal Caribbean International
• Silversea Cruises

Trade Booking Platform of the Year

• Airwaves / Cruising Power
• Bedsonline / Hotelbeds
• Bookabed / TBO
• Expedia
• Fareteam / WTC

Sustainable Travel Company of the Year

• Bookabed / TBO
• Emirates
• G Adventures
• Iberostar
• Intrepid Travel

 

 

DESTINATIONS CATEGORY Sponsored By: Princess Cruises

 

Best Worldwide City Destination

• Barcelona
• Capetown
• Dubai
• Las Vegas
• Nashville
• New York

Best Summer Destination

• Algarve
• Costa Del Sol
• Greece
• Lanzarote
• Spain

Best Winter Ski Destination

• Andorra
• Austria
• Bulgaria
• France
• Italy

Best Winter Sun Destination

• Dubai
• Gran Canaria
• Lanzarote
• South Africa
• Tenerife

Best Worldwide Theme Park

• Disneyland California
• Disneyland Paris
• PortAventura World
• Universal Parks & Resorts Florida
• Walt Disney World Resort

 

 

ROBBIE SMART ON THE ROAD HERO AWARD

SPONSORED BY BEDSONLINE

• Winner will be announced on the night

CONTRIBIUTION TO THE TRAVEL INDUSTY AWARD

SPONSORED BY IRISH FERRIES

• Winner will be announced on the night

 

For more information on the Irish Travel Industry Awards check out www.irishtravelindustryawards.com