It wouldn’t be a travel conference without glamour, sparkle and a sense of flair. A fantastic Gala Dinner saw jubilant winners and many generous prizes for attendees.
The Gala evening sponsors included Princess Cruises (Gala Dinner), The Inca Collection (pre-dinner drinks), Sunway (pre-dinner entertainment), TUI & Kelair Campotel (Gala Dinner wines) with Bookabed/TBO sponsoring the band, “Good Times” and Sunway sponsoring the DJ.
Angela Walsh, President of the ITAA
Angela Walsh, President of the ITAA, thanked Carol Anne, Colette and the team for organising an excellent conference. Angela spoke of “a shared passion for this incredible industry and a common goal of advancing the travel sector in Ireland”.
“The lovely thing about this community, is that it gives you the opportunity to make many new friends. Actually, someone mentioned earlier today to me that it’s easier to get out of jail than it is to get out of the travel industry”.
“As a business owner and like many of you, I have navigated the daily challenges of running a travel business. So I can’t stand here before you with the deep understanding of the world, we’ve travelled, the hurdles we’ve overcome and the many new challenges that will lie ahead. I believe our industry is that a pivotal moment.”
Our industry is that a pivotal moment
“We are all acutely aware of the pressures we face. The fierce competition from online platforms. The increasing push from some suppliers for direct bookings and to the ever-growing expectations of our clients. And on top of that, we are not immune to the threat of political instability and global tensions.”
“Yet, through it all there is one constant that I believe remains our strength and that is our people. Earlier both Jennifer [Callister, Royal Caribbean] and Aoife [Gregg, United] spoke about the focus that their companies are putting on customer service.”
“I believe that this should be a priority in every business. And we will succeed by providing customer service that is second to none. There is a saying – that a customer might not remember the prices they paid but they would always remember how they were made to feel.”
“This business is not just about transactions or technology. It’s about you. It’s about the difference that each and every one of you can make to your business, that you can make to your community and the difference that you can make to your clients. We are not just saying travel. We are creating memories. Memories that no algorithm can create.”
Angela spoke of the Irish industry as a whole, and rightly so, pulling together as a collective body keeps our industry stronger and better protected against threats to our business, our jobs, our livelihoods.
“We are all part of one team and every single person in this room has an essential role. Everybody counts.”
She ended with a favourite quote of hers, “If you want to go fast, go alone. And if you want to go far, go together. Together we are stronger and together, we can build an unstoppable community.”
Royal Caribbean & Celebrity Cruises Shining Star 2024 – Shane Coburn
Silversea Shining Star – Yvonne O’Donohoe
Worldchoice Cruise Agent of the Year 2024 (Big) – Atlantic Travel
Worldchoice Cruise Agent of the Year (Small) – Arrow Tours
Worldchoice Agent of the Year Bronze Award 2024 (Big) – Centre Travel
Worldchoice Agent of the Year Bronze Award 2024 (Small) – Killiney Travel
Worldchoice Agent of the Year Silver Award 2024 (Big) – Tullys
Worldchoice Agent of the Year Silver Award 2024 (Small) – Kilkelly Travel
Worldchoice Trade Partner of the Year 2024 – Sunway
Worldchoice Agent of the Year 2024 (Big) – Fahy Travel
Worldchoice Agent of the Year 2024 (Small) – Kanes Travel
Worldchoice Hero of the Travel Industry Award – Moya McCrossan & Pauline Grenham
Worldchoice Hall of Fame Award 2024 – Marie Grenham
Mega Prizes for Gala Dinner
There was a range of truly fantastic prizes on the night including holidays, flights to places across the globe and generous travel vouchers:
Kelair Campotel & Irish Ferries
Family Holiday to France with Irish Ferries and KelAir Campotel including return ferry crossing on the luxurious WB Yeats for car and cabin accommodation for family, and 6 or 8 Nights KelAir Campotel Accommodation in France
TUI
€1000 Holiday Voucher for 2025
Flights
Emirates – 2 Return Economy Class Tickets to Dubai
Etihad – 2 Return Economy Class Tickets to Abu Dhabi
Turkish Airlines – 2 Return Business Class Tickets to Istanbul
Virgin Atlantic – 2 Return Economy Class Tickets anywhere on the network from UK
Aer Lingus – 2 Return Economy Tickets to Seville, Malta or Marrakesh
Sunway
Trip for 2 to Lapland
Ama Waterways
European River Cruise for 2 People
Major Travel
€500 Travel Voucher
Social Media Competition with United Airlines
Tullys won the United Airlines sponsored Social Media Competition with a prize of 2 Economy Class Tickets from Dublin or Shannon to USA
Main Sponsors for the Worldchoice Conference 2024
Main sponsors for the event included: Expedia TAAP (grab and go breakfast) United Airlines – Keynote Speaker Niamh Moynihan, Bedsonline (tea & coffee breaks), MSC (lunch), Hertz (Conference Jeep) & Amadeus.
And Finally, Thank You
Angela Walsh is right, it’s hard to leave the travel industry. Genuinely. And it’s not the chance to travel (which is absolutely fantastic), it’s the people and that’s what I love about the conferences, catching up and crossing paths with everyone. It was a truly wonderful weekend and well done to Carol Anne and her team.
For more on the 2024 Worldchoice Conference, stay tuned to ITTN and check out:
