Only 23 of the Irish Times’ Top 1000 companies are in the ‘Tourism’ sector and just six of those are travel agencies or tour operators – Abbey Travel, Club Travel, Crystal Holidays, Joe Walsh Tours, Sunway, and Travel Counsellors.
The majority of the 23 companies are hotel groups, the largest being Amaris Hospitality with a turnover in 2015 of €453 million. The travel agency with the largest turnover is listed as Club Travel at €117 million and €4 million profit (accounts filed 31st October 2015), and with 155 employees.
Abbey Travel, which Club Travel’s Managing Director Liam Lonergan acquired in June 2015 through his Next Century Travel Investments company, is second (and a new entrant into the listings) with a turnover of €46 million (accounts at 31st December 2016) and 100 employees.
The listing for Crystal Holidays includes €39 million turnover, €1 million profit (30th September 2015), and 69 employees, and that for Sunway (another new entrant) €38 million (31st October 2015) and 59 employees.
The final two are Joe Walsh Tours with €31 million (31st December 2015) and 39 employees, and new entrant Travel Counsellors at €19 million (31st October 2015).
