Irish Travel Industry Awards in association with MSC Cruises, winners announced
O’Hanrahan Travel and Cassidy Travel Crowned Travel Agents of the Year at the annual awards ceremony.
O’Hanrahan Travel and Cassidy Travel were crowned ITAA Travel Agencies of the Year 2019 at the annual Irish Travel Industry Awards in association with MSC Cruises on Thursday night. The prestigious awards gala took place in the elegant surrounds of the Mansion House, Dublin, and was attended by over 500 travel and tourism professionals from around the world.
O’Hanrahan Travel, who are based in Monaghan, won the title of ITAA Travel Agency of Year 2019 with under ten employees, whilst Cassidy Travel was crowned the ITAA Travel Agency of Year 2019 with over ten employees. Both of the winning agencies were praised for their stand-out customer service, their first-rate expertise and the wide range of travel options available to customers.
Other big winners on the night included Atlas Travel and Carlson Wagonlit who won Best ITAA Corporate Travel Agency, Tour America who won Best ITAA Member Bricks & Mortar Marketing Campaign and Best ITAA Member Digital Marketing Campaign, and J. Barter Travel who won Best ITAA General Marketing Campaign.
The award for Best ITAA Corporate Travel Professional went to Cara Barry in FROSCH CTM, and the award for Best ITAA Leisure Travel Professional went to Ann Mullins in The Travel Broker. Holiday World Show organisers Edmund Hourican and Maureen Ledwith were this year’s joint recipients of the ‘Special Contribution to the Irish Travel Industry Award’.
Speaking at the awards, John Spollen, President of the ITAA, said “The awards are an opportunity to celebrate the exceptional professionals working in our industry. I wish to extend my congratulations to all of the winners, especially O’Hanrahan Travel and Cassidy Travel who both won the overall titles. The last year has been very positive for the Irish travel trade and this is most definitely attributed to the talented and hardworking individuals in our industry who endeavour to offer quality travel products to Irish holidaymakers.”
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, chaired by Bill Smith. Supplier Award Winners were voted upon by Irish travel agents. This year’s awards welcomed the charming presenter and broadcaster, Miriam O’Callaghan, as returning Master of Ceremonies.
The Irish Travel Industry Awards are an initiative of the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA), in association with MSC Cruises, and is organised on behalf of the ITAA by Business Exhibitions Limited. Award categories are sponsored by Dublin Airport, Turkish Airlines, Hertz, Riviera Travel, Ireland West Airport, American Airlines, British Airways, Cork Airport, PortAventura World, Amadeus, The Travel Corporation, TUI, Emirates, Shannon Airport. The Irish Travel Industry Awards media partner is Independent News & Media.
Full List of Winners at the Irish Travel Industry Awards:
CONTRIBUTION TO THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY AWARD – SPONSORED BY CORK AIRPORT
Edmund Hourican and Maureen Ledwith – Business Exhibitions
**********************************
ITAA MEMBER PEOPLE AWARDS WINNERS – SPONSORED BY PORTAVENTURA
BEST ITAA LEISURE TRAVEL PROFESSIONAL
Ann Mullins – Travel Broker
BEST ITAA CORPORATE TRAVEL PROFESSIONAL
Cara Barry – FROSCH CTM
BEST ITAA MEMBER BRICKS & MORTAR MARKETING CAMPAIGN
Tour America
BEST ITAA MEMBER DIGITAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN
Tour America
BEST ITAA GENERAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN
- Barter Travel
ITAA MEMBER AGENCY AWARDS WINNERS – SPONSORED BY AMADEUS
BEST ITAA CORPORATE TRAVEL AGENCY
Atlas Travel & Carlson Wagonlit
ITAA TRAVEL AGENCY OF THE YEAR – UNDER 10 EMPLOYEES
O’Hanrahan Travel
ITAA TRAVEL AGENCY OF THE YEAR – OVER 10 EMPLOYEES
Cassidy Travel
**********************************
SUPPLIER AWARDS WINNERS
AIR TRAVEL CATEGORY – SPONSORED BY DUBLIN AIRPORT
BEST AIRLINE TO EUROPE
Aer Lingus
BEST BUSINESS CLASS AIRLINE TO EUROPE
Turkish Airlines
BEST AIRLINE TO NORTH AMERICA
Aer Lingus
BEST LONG HAUL AIRLINE
Emirates
TOUR OPERATOR CATEGORY – SPONSORED BY HERTZ
BEST EUROPEAN SUN TOUR OPERATOR
Sunway
BEST ESCORTED TOUR OPERATOR
G Adventures
BEST SPECIALIST TOUR OPERATOR
Wendy Wu Tours
BEST LONG HAUL TOUR OPERATOR
Wendy Wu Tours
CRUISE & FERRY CATEGORY – SPONSORED BY TURKISH AIRLINES
BEST MAIN STREAM CRUISE COMPANY
MSC Cruises
BEST PREMIUM CRUISE COMPANY
Celebrity Cruises
BEST SPECIALIST CRUISE COMPANY (INCLUDING RIVER)
Uniworld River Cruises
BEST ULTRA LUXURY CRUISE COMPANY
Silversea Cruises
BEST FERRY COMPANY
Irish Ferries
AGENCY SERVICES PROVIDER CATEGORY – SPONSORED BY RIVIERA TRAVEL
BEST TECHNOLOGY PROVIDER
Amadeus
BEST CAR HIRE COMPANY
Hertz
BEST TRAVEL INSURANCE PROVIDER
Blue Insurance
BEST TOURIST BOARD
Spanish Tourist Board
BEST ACCOMMODATION ONLY PROVIDER
Bookabed
SUPPLIER STAFF / TRAAVEL MEDIA CATEGORY – SPONSORED BY IRELAND WEST AIRPORT
BEST SUPPLIER SUPPORT TEAM
Amadeus
BEST SUPPLIER REPRESENTATIVE
Rebecca Kelly – MSC Cruises
BEST SUPPLIER PROMOTING TRAVEL AGENTS (TO THE PUBLIC)
MSC Cruises
DESTINATIONS CATEGORY – SPONSORED BY BRITISH AIRWAYS
BEST WORLDWIDE CITY DESTINATION
Las Vegas
BEST EUROPEAN CITY DESTINATION
Barcelona
BEST SKI DESTINATION
Austria
DESTINATIONS CATEGORY – SPONSORED BY AMERICAN AIRLINES
BEST SUMMER DESTINATION
Portugal
BEST WINTER DESTINATION
Lanzarote
BEST WORLDWIDE THEME PARK
Universal Orlando Resort
30th January 2019 O’Hanrahan Travel and Cassidy Travel were crowned ITAA Travel Agencies of the Year 2019 at the annual Irish Travel Industry Awards in association with MSC Cruises on Thursday night. The prestigious awards gala took place in the elegant surrounds of the Mansion House, Dublin, and was attended by over 500 travel and tourism professionals from around the world.
O’Hanrahan Travel, who are based in Monaghan, won the title of ITAA Travel Agency of Year 2019 with under ten employees, whilst Cassidy Travel was crowned the ITAA Travel Agency of Year 2019 with over ten employees. Both of the winning agencies were praised for their stand-out customer service, their first-rate expertise and the wide range of travel options available to customers.
Other big winners on the night included Atlas Travel and Carlson Wagonlit who won Best ITAA Corporate Travel Agency, Tour America who won Best ITAA Member Bricks & Mortar Marketing Campaign and Best ITAA Member Digital Marketing Campaign, and J. Barter Travel who won Best ITAA General Marketing Campaign.
The award for Best ITAA Corporate Travel Professional went to Cara Barry in FROSCH CTM, and the award for Best ITAA Leisure Travel Professional went to Ann Mullins in The Travel Broker. Holiday World Show organisers Edmund Hourican and Maureen Ledwith were this year’s joint recipients of the ‘Special Contribution to the Irish Travel Industry Award’.
Speaking at the awards, John Spollen, President of the ITAA, said “The awards are an opportunity to celebrate the exceptional professionals working in our industry. I wish to extend my congratulations to all of the winners, especially O’Hanrahan Travel and Cassidy Travel who both won the overall titles. The last year has been very positive for the Irish travel trade and this is most definitely attributed to the talented and hardworking individuals in our industry who endeavour to offer quality travel products to Irish holidaymakers.”
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, chaired by Bill Smith. Supplier Award Winners were voted upon by Irish travel agents. This year’s awards welcomed the charming presenter and broadcaster, Miriam O’Callaghan, as returning Master of Ceremonies.
The Irish Travel Industry Awards are an initiative of the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA), in association with MSC Cruises, and is organised on behalf of the ITAA by Business Exhibitions Limited. Award categories are sponsored by Dublin Airport, Turkish Airlines, Hertz, Riviera Travel, Ireland West Airport, American Airlines, British Airways, Cork Airport, PortAventura World, Amadeus, The Travel Corporation, TUI, Emirates, Shannon Airport. The Irish Travel Industry Awards media partner is Independent News & Media.
Full List of Winners at the Irish Travel Industry Awards:
CONTRIBUTION TO THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY AWARD – SPONSORED BY CORK AIRPORT
Edmund Hourican and Maureen Ledwith – Business Exhibitions
**********************************
ITAA MEMBER PEOPLE AWARDS WINNERS – SPONSORED BY PORTAVENTURA
BEST ITAA LEISURE TRAVEL PROFESSIONAL
Ann Mullins – Travel Broker
BEST ITAA CORPORATE TRAVEL PROFESSIONAL
Cara Barry – FROSCH CTM
BEST ITAA MEMBER BRICKS & MORTAR MARKETING CAMPAIGN
Tour America
BEST ITAA MEMBER DIGITAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN
Tour America
BEST ITAA GENERAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN
- Barter Travel
ITAA MEMBER AGENCY AWARDS WINNERS – SPONSORED BY AMADEUS
BEST ITAA CORPORATE TRAVEL AGENCY
Atlas Travel & Carlson Wagonlit
ITAA TRAVEL AGENCY OF THE YEAR – UNDER 10 EMPLOYEES
O’Hanrahan Travel
ITAA TRAVEL AGENCY OF THE YEAR – OVER 10 EMPLOYEES
Cassidy Travel
**********************************
SUPPLIER AWARDS WINNERS
AIR TRAVEL CATEGORY – SPONSORED BY DUBLIN AIRPORT
BEST AIRLINE TO EUROPE
Aer Lingus
BEST BUSINESS CLASS AIRLINE TO EUROPE
Turkish Airlines
BEST AIRLINE TO NORTH AMERICA
Aer Lingus
BEST LONG HAUL AIRLINE
Emirates
TOUR OPERATOR CATEGORY – SPONSORED BY HERTZ
BEST EUROPEAN SUN TOUR OPERATOR
Sunway
BEST ESCORTED TOUR OPERATOR
G Adventures
BEST SPECIALIST TOUR OPERATOR
Wendy Wu Tours
BEST LONG HAUL TOUR OPERATOR
Wendy Wu Tours
CRUISE & FERRY CATEGORY – SPONSORED BY TURKISH AIRLINES
BEST MAIN STREAM CRUISE COMPANY
MSC Cruises
BEST PREMIUM CRUISE COMPANY
Celebrity Cruises
BEST SPECIALIST CRUISE COMPANY (INCLUDING RIVER)
Uniworld River Cruises
BEST ULTRA LUXURY CRUISE COMPANY
Silversea Cruises
BEST FERRY COMPANY
Irish Ferries
AGENCY SERVICES PROVIDER CATEGORY – SPONSORED BY RIVIERA TRAVEL
BEST TECHNOLOGY PROVIDER
Amadeus
BEST CAR HIRE COMPANY
Hertz
BEST TRAVEL INSURANCE PROVIDER
Blue Insurance
BEST TOURIST BOARD
Spanish Tourist Board
BEST ACCOMMODATION ONLY PROVIDER
Bookabed
SUPPLIER STAFF / TRAAVEL MEDIA CATEGORY – SPONSORED BY IRELAND WEST AIRPORT
BEST SUPPLIER SUPPORT TEAM
Amadeus
BEST SUPPLIER REPRESENTATIVE
Rebecca Kelly – MSC Cruises
BEST SUPPLIER PROMOTING TRAVEL AGENTS (TO THE PUBLIC)
MSC Cruises
DESTINATIONS CATEGORY – SPONSORED BY BRITISH AIRWAYS
BEST WORLDWIDE CITY DESTINATION
Las Vegas
BEST EUROPEAN CITY DESTINATION
Barcelona
BEST SKI DESTINATION
Austria
DESTINATIONS CATEGORY – SPONSORED BY AMERICAN AIRLINES
BEST SUMMER DESTINATION
Portugal
BEST WINTER DESTINATION
Lanzarote
BEST WORLDWIDE THEME PARK
Universal Orlando Resort
