ITTN’s Katie Doyle attended The Travel Department’s beautiful lunch hosted at Monty’s of Kathmandu on Eustace Street on Thursday, celebrating the year that’s passed and the year to come with a selection of journalists.
There are so many exciting developments for not only the Irish Travel Trade but also for their growing team and new offers for customers that it’s hard not to be excited for the team!
The biggest and most exciting news, especially for our readers, is that the Travel Department have now begun to sell their packages and tours through the Irish trade, so travel agents can now earn commissions for bookings made on travel department tours. TD has also gone international, setting up strategic partnerships in Canada, the US and Australia allowing customers from around the world to book their global tours.
James Coughlan, Travel Department CEO, tells us this exciting news and that their guided Italian tours to Sorrento and Tuscany continue to grow exponentially. Long haul tours to China, Vietnam and South Africa are also seeing strong success alongside short-haul tours to spots like Montenegro and Malta.
Claire Doherty, Product and Operations Director, paints a picture of the magical spots in Europe that travellers can enjoy on their escorted tours. From Mont Saint-Michel in France, to the castles of the Loire Valley, to the Venetian-French styled architecture of Corfu with a day trip to Albania built into that itinerary. She tells us more about the popular ‘Highlights of Brittany’ tour, that covers St. Paul’s Cathedral and Nantes town to the new ‘Treasures of Northern Greece’, for those looking for something different in the country- offering Thessaloniki and the magical rock formations of Meteora. There is also the Little Trains of the Dolomites tour, travelling up 1360 metres in just 3 minutes in a funicular with amazing views of the dolomites, finished with a winery visit.
Claire also tells us that there are exciting new solo travel opportunities travelling to Sicily and taking in the Godfather tour, wine tasting in Mount Etna and meeting new friends in the most beautiful of locations. With exciting new options for solo travellers to go to Namibia, Bangkok and Cambodia- to explore fantastic destinations and make new friends!
Leah Parmeshwar, Product Executive and Long Haul Enthusiast, tells us about the magical experiences available for customers to almost every corner of the globe. From the train journeys of Sri Lanka to Peru, the high speed trains of South Korea, Japan and China, Travel Department builds itineraries to suit their customers’ every need. Leah tells us about the river experiences sailing along the Mekong river in Cambodia and Vietnam to the unique and beautiful experience of floating through Southern India on a house boat. In China, you can experience the highlights of the country on a journey down the Yangtze river with no visas for Irish citizens meaning an easier travel experience. In Australia, travellers can set sail on the Great Barrier Reef. Their hottest long-haul destination this year seems to be looking like Egypt and Peru, with UNESCO heritage sites in those countries and others drawing more customers than ever before. Whether it’s India’s Taj Mahal or Cambodia’s Angkor Wat, Hanoi’s Ha Long Bay- TD offers bucket-bucket-list destinations across Asia and beyond.
TD also blends a range of local expeirences in their tours alongside hitting tourist hot spots- whether that’s drinking egg coffee in Vietnam, star-gazing near Uluru, Korean BBQ experiences in Seoul, free roaming animal experiences in Namibia- there is something for everyone!
Stephen of TD Active, Travel Department’s active holidays filled with amazing activities, from walking to photography, and exciting small groups to solo travel, tells us more about what’s on offer for active customers in 2025 and beyond. From the Amalfi Coast to Mount Vesuvius, walks are designed in Italy so that you’ll be able to walk off the extra food after Cinque de Terra’s pesto-making class, to discovering ancient trails with historical links.
Turkey is a growing destination for active holiday seekers, with a new sense of adventure where east-meets-west. From exploring the Princes’ Islands, 9 islands southeast of Istanbul in the Sea of Marmara, to flying north-east to Cappadocia, staying in cave hotels with two days of hiking the Red Valley- this country offers a range of possibilities.
Other growing destinations include Central Asia and Uzbekistan, with tailor-made tours that are created “for people who want to lace up their shoes and engage with destinations on a deeper level”.
Travel Department tours are guided by fantastic local guides on the ground and packages include flights, accommodations and transfers. It’s absolutely worth checking out their tours and offerings at https://www.traveldepartment.com/
The fantastic lunch that was enjoyed by all throughout the afternoon featured the best of Monty’s of Kathmandu dishes. From Tareko Sabji (deep fried mixed-vegetables) Masu ko Bari (barbequed minced lamb) and Khukura ko chuso masu (chicken wings) to their incredibly tasty Momos (traditional Nepalese dumplings). Main courses were sharing style with Masu Ra Cauli (traditional lamb curry with cauliflower), Chicken Tika Masala, Vegetable Masala, Mis mas Tarkari (mixed vegetables) and gorgeous Dhal.
A big thank you to Roisin O’Hea PR for organising the event with the Marketing team including Ciara Mac Giollariogh, all the above speakers and attendees and of course Shiva from Monty’s for an incredible lunch!
