The spotlight has officially dimmed on another unforgettable edition of the ITTN Irish Travel Trade Awards (#ITTNAwards25). This year’s ceremony delivered an evening of standout achievements, well-earned celebrations and exceptional entertainment, bringing together the very best of the Irish travel industry under one glittering roof. Here’s your full roundup of the night’s biggest moments and remarkable winners.
The ITTN Irish Travel Trade Awards took place on Friday, 28th November, at the Clayton Hotel on Burlington Road. Attendees were treated to an unforgettable evening filled with dazzling entertainment, from a mentalist performance by Keith Barry to the Brass Monkeys. With Jennifer Zamparelli as MC, the evening brought together the industry’s leading figures to celebrate achievement, innovation, and excellence across all areas of the Irish travel trade.
Opening Speeches & Travelmarvel Moments of the Year Winner
ITTN’s Managing Director, Sharon Jordan, welcomed everyone and thanked the industry for its continued support. She acknowledged the hard work of all nominees and highlighted the strength of collaboration within the Irish travel trade community.
Following the announcement of Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Voyages as this year’s Headline Sponsors at the ITTN Irish Travel Trade Awards, Max von der Hagen of Virgin Atlantic and Matt Lebbern of Virgin Voyages gave two speeches where they spoke about the Irish trade’s role in supporting and driving their continued growth in the market.
We were then passed on to Jennifer Zaparelli, out MC for the night. Jennifer is a familiar face on Irish television and radio, and kept the energy high and the audience entertained from start to finish.
Next up was a brand-new addition to the ITTN Awards stage – Travelmarvel Moments of the Year, presented by Paul Melinis. This special award followed a competition launched by APT Travelmarvel and ITTN, encouraging agents across Ireland to “Grab Your Mug, Snap the Journey, Share the Moment”, and showcase their adventures with the iconic Travelmarvel travel mug.
Running throughout summer, autumn, and winter 2025, the campaign attracted hundreds of entries, with travel agents submitting personal, picturesque and often humorous snapshots from destinations near and far. Monthly winners were selected by a judging panel from ITTN and Travelmarvel and were each awarded a ticket to the ITTN Awards, hosted by Team Travelmarvel.
On the night, Louise Cronin was crowned Travelmarvel Moment of the Year, taking home the grand prize, an 8-day river cruise for two on the brand-new Travelmarvel Rigel, launching in 2026.
Thank you to everyone who entered and shared their #TravelmarvelMoments! Your creativity brought the campaign to life and highlighted the spirit of travel through the eyes of the trade.
To Our Sponsors
The ITTN Irish Travel Trade Awards 2025 would not be possible without the continued support of our sponsors, partners and presenters – thank you for helping us deliver another unforgettable evening.
We begin with our Headline Sponsors, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Voyages, who returned for another year and once again went above and beyond, hosting a stylish winter wonderland themed pre-awards drinks reception and supporting the event from start to finish.
A special thank you to our Lead Sponsors, whose backing ensures we can properly recognise the breadth and depth of the travel trade across Ireland. These include:
Aer Lingus, Visit Salou, Stenaline, Spanish Tourism Office, Hertz Ireland and Irish Ferries.
Our Travel Agency Category remained a key highlight this year, with over 5,500 public votes cast for individual agents across the country. This section was proudly sponsored by:
Blue Insurance, Sunway Holidays, Crystal Ski, Princess Cruises, Grecotel Hotels & Resorts, Emirates, TTC Tour Brands, Norwegian Cruiseline, Azamara and Viva Cruises.
We are equally grateful to our activation, wine, and prize sponsors, whose contributions added sparkle to the evening. Sincere thanks to: Bradley International Airport, Spring Hotels Group, Travelmarvel, Las Vegas, Club Med, Jameson and Comans Beverages Ltd.
To Our Presenters
A warm thank you to this year’s presenters, who joined us on stage to honour the best in travel across 17 competitive categories:
- Destinations & Airport Category – presented by Celene Duffy and Matt Lebbern
- Airlines Category – presented by Natalia Bel Llop
- Tour Operators Category – presented by Marie McCarthy
- Transport, Accommodation & Insurance Category – presented by Ian Baillie
- Ferry, River & Expedition Cruising Category – presented by Paul Manning
- Ocean Cruising Category – presented by Jenny Rafter
- Sustainability & Culture Category – presented by Laura Pena
And for our Travel Agency Awards:
- Best Sun Agency – presented by Mary Denton
- Best Ski Agency – presented by Martin Penrose
- Best Long-Haul Agency – presented by Eithne Williamson
- Best Luxury Agency – presented by Molly Bacon
- Best Corporate Agency – presented by Sarah Jane Walshe
- Best Touring Agency – presented by Brian Hynes
- Best River Cruise Agency – Michelle Daniels
- Best Cruise Agency – presented by Aaron Fletcher
- Best Overall Agency – presented by Jeanette Taylor
- Travel Consultant of the Year – presented by Richard Stanbridge
Your support and presence helped make this year’s awards ceremony a true celebration of our industry, thank you!
Supplier Awards – Celebrating Excellence
Of course, the night celebrated the industry’s finest, starting with the supplier awards – huge congratulations to the following winners!
Destinations & Airport Category (sponsored by Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Voyages):
- Best Irish/NI Airport: Dublin Airport
- Best European Destination: Spain
- Best USA Destination: New York
- Best Worldwide Destination: Barbados
- Best Tourist Board: Visit Portugal
Airlines Category (Sponsored by Visit Salou):
- Best Airline – Europe: Aer Lingus
- Best Airline Long-Haul: Emirates
- Best Airline – North America: Aer Lingus
- Best Business Class Airline: Emirates
Tour Operators Category (Sponsored by Irish Ferries):
- Best Sun Tour Operator: Sunway
- Best Ski Operator: Crystal Ski
- Best Long-Haul Operator: Classic Resorts
- Best Touring & Adventure Operator: Sunway Escorted Tours
Transport, Accommodation & Insurance Category (Sponsored by Stena Line):
- Best Hotel Group: H10 Hotels
- Best Accommodation Provider: Bedsonline
- Best Car Rental Provider: Hertz Ireland
- Best Insurance Provider: Accident & General
Ferry, River & Expedition Cruising Category (Sponsored by Hertz Ireland):
- Best Expedition Cruise: Silversea Cruises
- Best Premium River Cruise: Riviera Travel
- Best Luxury River Cruise: Uniworld Boutique River Cruises
- Best Ferry Company: Irish Ferries
Ocean Cruising Category (Sponsored by Aer Lingus):
- Best Mainstream Ocean Cruise: Norwegian Cruise Line
- Best Family Ocean Cruise: Royal Caribbean
- Best Premium Ocean Cruise: Celebrity Cruises
- Best Luxury Ocean Cruise: Explora Journeys
Sustainability & Culture Category (Sponsored by Spanish Tourist Office):
- Leaders in Sustainability: MSC Cruises
- Best Trade Representation/PR: AE Consulting
- Supplier of the Year: Accident & General & Sunway
Best Agency Awards – Honouring the Best in Business
The ITTN Awards also proudly spotlighted the best travel agencies in the industry, with the following winners –
- Best Sun Agency: Best4Travel (sponsored by Sunway)
- Best Cruise Agency: Cassidy Travel (sponsored by Norwegian Cruise Line)
- Best Ski Agency: Icon Travel (sponsored by Crystal Ski)
- Best Long-Haul Agency: Travel Counsellors Ireland (sponsored by Princess Cruises)
- Best Luxury Agency: The Travel Suite (sponsored by Grecotel Hotels and Resorts)
- Best Corporate Agency: FROSCH Ireland (sponsored by Emirates)
- Best Touring Agency: Fahy Travel (sponsored by TTC Ireland)
- Best River Cruise Agency: Travel Escapes (sponsored by Viva Cruises)
- Best Overall Agency: Click&Go Holidays (sponsored by Blue Insurance)
- Travel Consultant of the Year: Chloe Broaders, Travel Escapes (sponsored by Azamara)
Congratulations go to all recipients of this year’s Supplier & Agency Awards. Your drive for excellence, your creativity, and your steadfast commitment to elevating the traveller experience continue to set a remarkable benchmark across the industry. Each award is a testament to the effort, expertise, and passion you bring to your work every single day.
As leaders across Ireland’s travel landscape, you continue to raise standards, inspire progress, and strengthen the community as a whole. Your contributions underpin the success of our sector, and we are proud to recognise and celebrate everything you do.
Additional Awards
Of course, we had some extra prizes to give out during the night, with categories such as Best Dressed & Best Social Post of the night, as well as some extra surprises for attendees.
Light-Up Awards
Upon arrival to the venue each guest was provided a light-up wristband, designed to complement the awards night and reflect what was happening through different colours and sequences. The first prize of the night was allocated through these light-up wristbands, with Diane Evans from Sunway lighting up first, with the award presented by Celene Duffy. Diane won return flights with Virgin Atlantic from London Heathrow to anywhere on the Virgin Atlantic network. Carrie Day from Riviera Travel had her wristband light up second, with the award presented by Kayleigh Hilton. The prize? An 8 night cruise with Virgin Voyages for up to two sailors on the Caribbean!
Congratulations to both winners and thank you for participating in our light-up activation!
Style and Elegance – Best Dressed
This year’s Best Dressed Award, worth €400, went to one dazzling guest, Ciara Tuyet Sheerin from Cassidy Travel, courtesy of Turkish Airlines. Everyone looked stunning, but there could only be one winner. Maybe next year?!
Social Media Spotlight – Best Social Post
After combing through countless fabulous posts, the award for Best Social Post (sponsored by Irish Ferries) went to KT Travel Dundalk! Congrats on snagging this title and a fantastic prize.
A Surprise Under the Seat!
A magical moment for one lucky attendee, Tracy McCluskey from Sunway had a surprise 5-day trip to Jordan courtesy of Nebo Tours hidden right under her seat! Happy cruising to Tracy.
Wrapping Up an Unforgettable Night
The ITTN Awards 2025 were truly a night to remember! Winner, nominee, or just an attendee, you helped make the night spectacular – ITTN would like to thank everyone in attendance for the fabulous atmosphere we created together, and we extend our deepest gratitude to our Sponsors for their generous contributions!
Want more? Relive the magic by taking a look through the #ITTNAwards25 tag, and mark your calendars for next year’s event. See you at #ITTNAwards26!
