TPG and Irish Ferries hosted a trip to Wales last Saturday, 13th of July, aboard the MV Ulysses cruise ferry, of which ITTN were a sponsor.
Allie Sheehan and Emer Roche were in attendance to present on behalf of ITTN and enjoy the fun.
The guests arrived bright and early to settle aboard the ferry for a 3-hour, 15-minute crossing. A hearty breakfast was enjoyed by the group, hosted by Irish Ferries, followed by TPG presentations in the onboard cinema room.
First to present was Allie from ITTN. She spoke about the ITTN website, newsletter (TNT), and ITTN’s social channels, emphasising that this is where everyone in the industry can keep up with the latest travel trade news, event coverage, competition, and FAM trip announcements.
She further informed the group of other exciting elements such as the ITTN coffee break videos and event calendar.
She finished by encouraging anyone with comments or feedback, or who may want to take part in ITTN talks, to email Carrie Day at [email protected].
Next up was Liz Wright from Bookabed. Liz discussed TBO.com, explaining that the single-source platform has empowered the growth of travel partners worldwide. The platform gives access to more than one million properties directly across hotels, apartments, and vacation homes, as well as direct supply to upscale, luxury hotels. She encouraged registration at www.tboholidays.com.
Alan Sparling from ASM Ireland discussed OBEO Travel, based in Reykjavik. This small, personal team creates quality itineraries and local knowledge for travellers to Iceland, they offer a range of unique travel experiences, including volcanic tours and adventure packages.
He also discussed Caribtours, which has been in business for 45 years and are experts in creating itineraries for The Caribbean, Europe, and the Indian Ocean. Moving on to Wideroe, he described the airline as “the gateway to the fjords” with three weekly flights from DUB-BGO (Bergen). He then provided an overview of Japan’s largest airline, ANA (all Nippon Airways), and Africa’s largest, Ethiopian.
Paul Manning stepped in for Brendan Barry to give updates from Discover Travel. He presented a list of destinations from Thailand to South America for which Discover Travel tailors holidays. This includes privately guided tours perfect for honeymooners and small group tours to Asia. He also gave an overview of Wendy Wu Tours, who are now bookable through Discover Travel.
Martin Penrose presented on behalf of Crystal Ski. His main message was that there is nothing to fear about ski holidays and first-time skiers should feel confident booking with Crystal, as they provide excellent packages for novice skiers and snowboarders in several locations such as France, Andorra, and Austria. He mentioned that two-for-one ski passes are currently on offer with Crystal Ski, along with other offers.
Alan gave an update on Blue Insurance in place of Jeanette Taylor. Among other news, he mentioned a 5% reduction in premiums since June 2024 and no additional policy changes for Lapland. A key message Jeanette wanted to impart is how vital it is to take out travel insurance when booking a holiday, listing many travel disruptions in summer 2024 from floods in Italy to French air traffic controller strikes as reasons to be prudent about insurance.
Erica Oglesby from MSC Cruises gave a presentation highlighting MSC’s impressive fleet of 23 ships and the summer 2024 itinerary including Dublin to Rome, Dublin to Palma, Dublin to Barcelona, and Dublin to Venice. She also spoke about the winter itinerary, including Dublin to Dubai for winter sun. New with MSC Cruises are Canary Islands and Madeira, which include exciting island-hopping itineraries.
Hertz‘s Paul Manning gave updates explaining how the new portal makes it easier to book the most suitable car at the best rates for clients. Discussing why Hertz is the best option for car rental, he mentioned the advantage of it being a primary supplier (not a broker), its comprehensive fleet, and travel agent-exclusive rates.
Olwen McKinney brought news from Amadeus, introducing new account manager Holly Chevers. She then updated on Amadeus NDC, where all content is in one place – public, private, net, low-cost carriers, and NDC on one display.
She named an impressive number of airlines currently available for sale with NDC, and that coming soon are Emirates and Cathay Pacific, among others. They also have access to a large number of light ticketing carriers and live access to 30 bookable, 100 searchable cruise lines.
She reminded agents that they earn points and get rewards for every booking made with Amadeus!
Alan wrapped up the last presentation, speaking on Noel McAuliffe‘s behalf, discussing the wide range of destinations Travel Focus tailor for- from South Africa, the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean.
Following the presentations, the group relaxed and enjoyed some duty-free shopping and a guided tour of the ferry, including a lucky glimpse by some of a group of dolphins!
The ferry arrived on time at 11:25 am, and the group continued on in Manning’s coach to the charming Anglesey Arms pub in Caernarfon for lunch.
After lunch, the group was taken to a railway station with the utterly unpronounceable name of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. This didn’t stop many attempts from the gang to say it!
The return crossing from Holyhead to Dublin was aboard the Dublin Swift Fast Ferry, where further generosity from Irish Ferries, led by Marie and David, meant drinks and more refreshments with the thoughtful addition of the rugby on screen for the gang to enjoy on the sail home.
