In our latest instalment of ITTN Talks, we caught up with Mary Denton, CEO of Sunway!
In this ongoing series, ITTN speaks to members of the travel trade and gives them a platform to talk about industry trends, to celebrate successes and discuss challenges their business has faced, offering unrivalled insights into the goings on of Irish travel agents.
How has 2024 been for your business so far?
I was really pleased with how the year started off, Q1 was excellent but Q2 didn’t quite meet our expectations. We’re confident the year overall will be good.
What has been your biggest surprise this year?
I’ll mention a couple of things. The passenger cap at Dublin airport despite the building of a second runway to help grow passenger numbers. Ridiculously high airfares on some of the short-haul routes & the IALPA strike by Aer Lingus pilots in the height of the summer.
What has been the biggest challenge to your business this year?
We seem to love challenges in this business, but I’d say the biggest challenge is staffing. Trying to get more experienced staff back into the trade is probably the most common challenge across the board.
Do you have any predictions or are you seeing patterns or emerging trends or destinations for 2024?
Customers are definitely looking for more ‘Instagramable’ and off the beaten track destinations. In 2023 we saw customers taking 3 & 4 trips abroad, for 2024 that’s reduced to 2 holidays. Customers are looking for top level service, which is what they deserve and what Sunway aims to deliver.
Are you seeing longer lead times or last-minute requests?
In the traditional sense, a last-minute booking was booking your holiday the week of departure, now a last-minute booking would be considered booking four weeks before departure. In terms of long-haul and cruise, we are seeing much longer lead in times for those holidays, customers are already booking for 2025 or as soon as airlines announce their schedules.
On a more personal note, what motivates your travel? New cultures/ sun worship/ exotic cuisine/ places of historical importance/ pure relaxation?
I’m happy with small doses of everything above. There’s nothing better than your typical flop and drop holiday in the sun, we all need that kind of holiday, but I also love going on a couple of city-break trips throughout the year too. I’m always up for challenge and I recently just completed one of the Caminos, which was tougher than I thought it would be, but I loved it!
What is your dream holiday, and why?
I don’t have a dream holiday. Once I’m away with family and good friends, with some sunshine and a nice glass of wine, I’m happy! In this industry, we get to visit some amazing places so we’re really lucky.
