Top performing Travel Counsellors marked the success of the past year with a luxury Scenic river cruise from Budapest to Vienna, as part of their Gold Weekend in October. Above are Susan Hegarty, Carlow; Rosemary Chawke, Clonmel; Mary Foyle, Cork; Bernie Whelan, Head Office; Sarah McCarthy, Cork; and Lorraine Lawless, Dunshaughlin.
One hundred Travel Counsellors from Ireland, the UK, South Africa and Australia, along with some of their travel partners Royal Caribbean International, P&O and Cunard, Celebrity Cruises, DoSomethingDifferent, and British Airways, participated in the weekend expertly organised by Scenic from 20th – 23rd October. Gold status is awarded to those who earn in excess of €59,000, of which there are 10 in Travel Counsellors Ireland. Five Gold Irish TCs attended this trip, while the other five enjoyed a trip to Hong Kong in April.
During the three-night all-inclusive trip, Travel Counsellors experienced a river cruise sailing from Budapest to Vienna with a sail away cocktail party and entertainment from a Hungarian folk show. On shore, the group relaxed at the Szechenyi Thermal Bath, explored the labyrinths of the Hospital in the Rock, and enjoyed a piano recital at the Institute for the Blind. The weekend came to an end in Vienna with a tour of Palais Liechtenstein and a private Viennese evening concert featuring the music of Strauss and Mozart.
Angela Sloan, Sales Manager at Scenic and Emerald Waterways, said: “The Gold Weekend with Travel Counsellors was a huge success – we were delighted to host the event and showcase our products to this elite group. It was great to see the ship buzzing and everyone enjoying themselves. We hope that this will be the start of an exciting partnership with Travel Counsellors and we have already seen some fantastic bookings on their return.”
Lorraine Lawless, the first Travel Counsellor to join in Ireland 11 years ago, said: “Scenic were truly fantastic – the staff could not do enough for us, the standard of the ship was extremely high end, the food was outstanding, and the excursions really gave us a flavour of what Budapest and Vienna have to offer. Having experienced it all first-hand, I am now able to take that invaluable knowledge home and provide my customers with expert advice, creating more authentic, bespoke itineraries that they would struggle to find anywhere else. In fact, I have already got several customers interested in booking after what I have told them about this amazing river cruise.”
