The 14th annual Irish Travel Industry Awards and Gala Banquet were held in the iconic Round Room at The Mansion House on Thursday, January 22nd 2026. The event highlights and recognises Travel Agents and Suppliers who set the standard for excellence, creativity, and customer care. Over 400 travel professionals attended, and the MC for the evening was travel expert & journalist, Eoghan Corry.
Hosted by the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) in partnership with Travel Centres and Worldchoice, the awards recognise the very best in international travel services for leisure and business travellers departing from Ireland.
The ITAA Member Awards celebrate professionals who go above and beyond — turning industry knowledge into unforgettable journeys and lasting value for Irish travellers. All entries are assessed in complete confidence by an independent panel of judges, ensuring every winner truly represents the best of the best in Irish travel.
Pre-Drinks in Café-en-Seine
The evening began with pre-drinks, sponsored by JetBlue, in Café en Seine from 6 pm, with Maja Gedosev (General Manager for Europe, JetBlue) and Francis McCabe (Sales Support Coordinator, JetBlue) hosting ahead of guests crossing Dawson Street to the Mansion House.
The Awards Ceremony
Clare Dunne opened the event, welcoming guests before handing proceedings to the excellent MC for the evening, travel expert and journalist, Eoghan Corry. He paused to reflect on those we lost in the industry over the last year and raised a glass in their memory. He highlighted how far the tourism industry has recovered in recent years and attributed the success to the people and the businesses represented in the room.
Antonio Paradiso (representing headline sponsor, MSC Cruises, along with Explora Journeys) explained how they were “absolutely thrilled to support his fantastic event for the fifth consecutive year”. He shared that bookings from the Irish market have increased for the fourth consecutive year, and the achievement was a testament to the audience’s support. Looking forward, MSC Cruises has just announced a partnership with Aer Lingus, giving their customers even more direct flights from Dublin to Rome, Venice and Barcelona, increasing the fly-cruise programme from Ireland and reinforcing the company’s commitment to delivering exceptional travel experiences. MSC Cruises is the third largest cruise line in the world and is set to expand this year with the launch of its 24th ship, MSC World Asia, which will sail out of Barcelona on 4th December. The expansion plans continue beyond this with a new Frontier Class, which will see six more ships join the MSC Cruises fleet.
Tom Randles, President of the ITAA
Tom Randles, President of the ITAA, acknowledged the efforts of the ITAA team, led by CEO Clare Dunne, along with Jean Maxwell and Patricia Grealish. Their contribution and efforts to promote the interests of the Irish travel industry.
He 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.”
Irish Travel Industry Awards 2026 – ITAA Member Finalists & Winners
Contribution to the Travel Industry Award (Sponsored by Irish Ferries)
Geoff Collins awarded Bernie and Dominic the “Contribution to the Travel Industry” award. He shared, “Tonight, we’re here to recognise truly exceptional contribution to the Irish travel industry. And we talk about contribution, we don’t just mean years served. There are many contributions. We mean those early mornings, late nights, calm heads in the moments of crisis and a career not chasing headlines but quietly doing the right thing, again and again.
Bernie Burke & Dominic Burke – Travel Centres* Winner
Robbie Smart “On the Road Hero” Award (Sponsored by Bedsonline)
Paul Manning – Hertz* Winner
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* Winner
ITAA Travel Agency of the Year (Under 10 Employees)
- Atlantic Travel
- Magic Vacations
- Navan Travel* Winner
- The Travel Suite
ITAA Travel Management Company (TMC) of the Year
Frosch Ireland* Winner
ITAA Corporate Travel Agency of the Year
Hannon Travel* Winner
ITAA Member Awards: Innovation Category (Sponsored by Emirates)
Best Offline Marketing Initiative
- Best4Travel
- Cassidy Travel* Winner
- Click & Go Holidays
Best Online Marketing Initiative
- Best4Travel* Winner
- Click & Go Holidays
- Tour America
Responsible Travel Award
Frosch Ireland* Winner
Irish Travel Industry Awards 2026 Supplier Finalists & Winners
Excellence in Air Travel (Sponsored by Wendy Wu Tours)
Airline of the Year – Ireland to Europe
- Aer Lingus* Winner
- KLM
- Ryanair
- TAP Air Portugal
- Turkish Airlines
Airline of the Year – Ireland to North America
- Aer Lingus* Winner
- Air Canada
- Delta Airlines
- JetBlue
- United Airlines
Airline of the Year – Best Long-Haul Airline
- Emirates* Winner
- Etihad
- Qatar Airlines
- Turkish Airlines
Airline of The Year – Best Business Class
- Emirates* Winner
- Etihad
- Qatar Airways
- Singapore Airlines
- Turkish Airlines
Tour Operator Awards (Sponsored by Hertz)
European Tour Operator of the Year
- Abbey Travel
- Sunway* Winner
- Topflight
- Travel Department
- TUI
Ski Tour Operator of the Year
- Club Med
- Crystal Ski* Winner
- Topflight
- Travel Solutions
Irish Owned Tour Operator of the Year
- Discover Travel
- Sunway* Winner
- Topflight
- Travel Department
- Travel Focus
Long Haul Tour Operator of the Year
- Bookabed / TBO
- Classic Resorts
- Discover Travel
- Sunway
- Travel Focus* Winner
Excellence in Cruise & Ferry (Sponsored by Abercrombie & Kent / Cox & King)
Main Stream Ocean Cruise Line of the Year
- Marella Cruises
- MSC Cruises* Winner
- Norwegian Cruise Line
- Royal Caribbean International
Premium Ocean Cruise Line of the Year
- Celebrity Cruises* Winner
- 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* Winner
Main Stream River Cruise Line of the Year
- Avalon River Cruises
- Riviera Cruises* Winner
- 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* Winner
Expedition / Adventure Cruise Line of the Year
- Celebrity Cruises
- G Adventures
- Hurtigruten
- Ponant Cruises
- Silversea Cruises* Winner
Ferry Company of the Year
- Brittany Ferries
- Irish Ferries* Winner
- Stena Line
Industry Service Provider (Sponsored by Stena Line)
Technology Provider of the Year
- Amadeus* Winner
- Dolphin Dynamics
- Fareteam / WTC
- Travelport / Galileo
- TBO
Payment Solutions Provider of the Year
- AIB Merchant Services* Joint Winner
- Elavon
- Ecomm
- Revolut* Joint Winner
- Trust Payments
Car Hire Provider of the Year
- Alamo Car Hire
- Enterprise
- Europcar
- Flexible Autos
- Hertz* Winner
Travel Insurance Provider of the Year
- Accident & General
- Blue Insurance* Winner
Tourist Board of the Year
- Brand USA
- Las Vegas LVCVA
- New York Tourist Board
- Visit Portugal* Winner
- Spanish Tourism Office
Accommodation Provider of the Year
- Arrow Tours / Bedbank.ie
- Bedsonline / Hotelbeds
- Bookabed / TBO* Winner
- Expedia
- Stuba
Trade Booking Platform of the Year
- Airwaves / Cruising Power
- Bedsonline / Hotelbeds
- Bookabed / TBO* Winner
- Expedia
- Fareteam / WTC
Excellence in Trade Relations
Airline Trade Team of the Year Sponsored By: Spanish Tourism Office
- Aer Lingus
- Air Canada
- Emirates* Winner
- TAP Air Portugal
- United Airlines
Sustainable Travel Company of the Year
- Bookabed / TBO
- Emirates* Winner
- G Adventures
- Iberostar
- Intrepid Travel
Travel Trade Team of the Year
- Accident & General
- ASM* Winner
- Blue Insurance
- Bookabed / TBO
- Travel Centres
Cruise Trade Team of the Year
- Celebrity Cruises
- MSC Cruises* Winner
- Princess Cruises
- Riviera Cruises
- Royal Caribbean International
- Silversea Cruises
Destinations Category (Sponsored by Princess Cruises)
Best Worldwide City Destination
- Barcelona
- Capetown
- Dubai
- Las Vegas* Winner
- Nashville
- New York
Best Summer Destination
- Algarve* Winner
- Costa Del Sol
- Greece
- Lanzarote
- Spain
Best Winter Ski Destination
- Andorra
- Austria* Winner
- Bulgaria
- France
- Italy
Best Winter Sun Destination
- Dubai
- Gran Canaria
- Lanzarote* Winner
- South Africa
- Tenerife
Best Worldwide Theme Park
- Disneyland California
- Disneyland Paris
- PortAventura World
- Universal Parks & Resorts Florida* Winner
- Walt Disney World Resort
€15,000 Raised for Oscar’s Kids
A massive €15,000 will be donated to the wonderful and very deserving charity, Oscar’s Kids – a National Childhood Cancer Charity with over €13,800 raised by everyone at the awards with Ciaran Mulligan (Yes Insurance) rounding the total up to €15,000.
“Your donation today can help us make a lasting difference tomorrow. No child should have to face a cancer diagnosis, the enormity of treatment or the uncertainty of recovery. But every year, 300 families in Ireland alone will face that devastating news. Through Oscar’s Kids, our mission is to fund cutting edge global research into pediatric cancers as well as offering support to families and a sprinkling of magic and joy for the amazing kids who undertake this journey. No life should be defined by cancer, especially a child’s. Through Oscar’s Kids, we hope to help families live brightly, even on the darkest days. Just as Oscar did.”
To donate, click here.
ITAA Member Awards
The annual event is designed to showcase excellence within the industry and the difficult task of judging the winners falls to an independent panel of judges comprised of Maria Gildea, Noeleen Lynch, Richard Cullen and Tom Shanahan. Richard Bowden acted as scrutineer to the Irish Travel Industry Supplier Awards voting process. The application process itself had clearly defined marking criteria. Completed entries were assessed, and shortlisted candidates underwent an interview process, overseen by the independent judging panel.
Irish Travel Agents Association & Sponsors
The ITAA represents Ireland’s travel Industry, bringing together 100 travel agent members and 70 partners. ITAA members cover over 140 outlets across the Republic of Ireland. All travel agent members are licensed and bonded with the IAA (Irish Aviation Authority) to trade in the Republic of Ireland. 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, check out the ITAA’s Awards site here.
