Irish Travel Industry Awards in association with MSC Cruises, winners announced

O’Hanrahan Travel and Cassidy Travel Crowned Travel Agents of the Year at the annual awards ceremony.


O’Hanrahan Travel and Cassidy Travel were crowned ITAA Travel Agencies of the Year 2019 at the annual Irish Travel Industry Awards in association with MSC Cruises on Thursday night. The prestigious awards gala took place in the elegant surrounds of the Mansion House, Dublin, and was attended by over 500 travel and tourism professionals from around the world.

 

O’Hanrahan Travel, who are based in Monaghan, won the title of ITAA Travel Agency of Year 2019 with under ten employees, whilst Cassidy Travel was crowned the ITAA Travel Agency of Year 2019 with over ten employees. Both of the winning agencies were praised for their stand-out customer service, their first-rate expertise and the wide range of travel options available to customers.

 

Other big winners on the night included Atlas Travel and Carlson Wagonlit who won Best ITAA Corporate Travel Agency, Tour America who won Best ITAA Member Bricks & Mortar Marketing Campaign and Best ITAA Member Digital Marketing Campaign, and J. Barter Travel who won Best ITAA General Marketing Campaign.

 

The award for Best ITAA Corporate Travel Professional went to Cara Barry in FROSCH CTM, and the award for Best ITAA Leisure Travel Professional went to Ann Mullins in The Travel Broker. Holiday World Show organisers Edmund Hourican and Maureen Ledwith were this year’s joint recipients of the ‘Special Contribution to the Irish Travel Industry Award’.

 

Speaking at the awards, John Spollen, President of the ITAA, said “The awards are an opportunity to celebrate the exceptional professionals working in our industry. I wish to extend my congratulations to all of the winners, especially O’Hanrahan Travel and Cassidy Travel who both won the overall titles. The last year has been very positive for the Irish travel trade and this is most definitely attributed to the talented and hardworking individuals in our industry who endeavour to offer quality travel products to Irish holidaymakers.”

 

The annual event is designed to showcase excellence within the industry and the difficult job of judging the Member Award Winners falls to an independent panel of judges, chaired by Bill Smith.  Supplier Award Winners were voted upon by Irish travel agents. This year’s awards welcomed the charming presenter and broadcaster, Miriam O’Callaghan, as returning Master of Ceremonies.

 

The Irish Travel Industry Awards are an initiative of the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA), in association with MSC Cruises, and is organised on behalf of the ITAA by Business Exhibitions Limited. Award categories are sponsored by Dublin Airport, Turkish Airlines, Hertz, Riviera Travel, Ireland West Airport, American Airlines, British Airways, Cork Airport, PortAventura World, Amadeus, The Travel Corporation, TUI, Emirates, Shannon Airport. The Irish Travel Industry Awards media partner is Independent News & Media.

Full List of Winners at the Irish Travel Industry Awards:

 

CONTRIBUTION TO THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY AWARD – SPONSORED BY CORK AIRPORT

 

Edmund Hourican and Maureen Ledwith – Business Exhibitions

 

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ITAA MEMBER PEOPLE AWARDS WINNERS – SPONSORED BY PORTAVENTURA

 

BEST ITAA LEISURE TRAVEL PROFESSIONAL

Ann Mullins – Travel Broker

 

BEST ITAA CORPORATE TRAVEL PROFESSIONAL

Cara Barry – FROSCH CTM

 

BEST ITAA MEMBER BRICKS & MORTAR MARKETING CAMPAIGN

Tour America

 

BEST ITAA MEMBER DIGITAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN

Tour America

 

BEST ITAA GENERAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN

  1. Barter Travel

 

 

ITAA MEMBER AGENCY AWARDS WINNERS – SPONSORED BY AMADEUS

 

BEST ITAA CORPORATE TRAVEL AGENCY

Atlas Travel & Carlson Wagonlit

 

ITAA TRAVEL AGENCY OF THE YEAR – UNDER 10 EMPLOYEES

O’Hanrahan Travel

 

ITAA TRAVEL AGENCY OF THE YEAR – OVER 10 EMPLOYEES

Cassidy Travel

 

 

**********************************

 

SUPPLIER AWARDS WINNERS

 

AIR TRAVEL CATEGORY – SPONSORED BY DUBLIN AIRPORT

 

BEST AIRLINE TO EUROPE

Aer Lingus

 

BEST BUSINESS CLASS AIRLINE TO EUROPE

Turkish Airlines

 

BEST AIRLINE TO NORTH AMERICA

Aer Lingus

 

BEST LONG HAUL AIRLINE

Emirates

 

 

TOUR OPERATOR CATEGORY – SPONSORED BY HERTZ

 

BEST EUROPEAN SUN TOUR OPERATOR

Sunway

 

BEST ESCORTED TOUR OPERATOR

G Adventures

 

BEST SPECIALIST TOUR OPERATOR

Wendy Wu Tours

 

BEST LONG HAUL TOUR OPERATOR

Wendy Wu Tours

 

 

CRUISE & FERRY CATEGORY – SPONSORED BY TURKISH AIRLINES

 

BEST MAIN STREAM CRUISE COMPANY

MSC Cruises

 

BEST PREMIUM CRUISE COMPANY

Celebrity Cruises

 

BEST SPECIALIST CRUISE COMPANY (INCLUDING RIVER)

Uniworld River Cruises

 

BEST ULTRA LUXURY CRUISE COMPANY

Silversea Cruises

 

BEST FERRY COMPANY

Irish Ferries

 

 

AGENCY SERVICES PROVIDER CATEGORY – SPONSORED BY RIVIERA TRAVEL

 

BEST TECHNOLOGY PROVIDER

Amadeus

 

BEST CAR HIRE COMPANY

Hertz

 

BEST TRAVEL INSURANCE PROVIDER

Blue Insurance

 

BEST TOURIST BOARD

Spanish Tourist Board

 

BEST ACCOMMODATION ONLY PROVIDER

Bookabed

 

 

SUPPLIER STAFF / TRAAVEL MEDIA CATEGORY – SPONSORED BY IRELAND WEST AIRPORT

 

BEST SUPPLIER SUPPORT TEAM

Amadeus

 

BEST SUPPLIER REPRESENTATIVE

Rebecca Kelly – MSC Cruises

 

BEST SUPPLIER PROMOTING TRAVEL AGENTS (TO THE PUBLIC)

MSC Cruises

 

 

DESTINATIONS CATEGORY – SPONSORED BY BRITISH AIRWAYS

 

BEST WORLDWIDE CITY DESTINATION

Las Vegas

 

BEST EUROPEAN CITY DESTINATION

Barcelona

 

BEST SKI DESTINATION

Austria

 

 

DESTINATIONS CATEGORY – SPONSORED BY AMERICAN AIRLINES

 

BEST SUMMER DESTINATION

Portugal

 

BEST WINTER DESTINATION

Lanzarote

 

BEST WORLDWIDE THEME PARK

Universal Orlando Resort

 

30th January 2019  O’Hanrahan Travel and Cassidy Travel were crowned ITAA Travel Agencies of the Year 2019 at the annual Irish Travel Industry Awards in association with MSC Cruises on Thursday night. The prestigious awards gala took place in the elegant surrounds of the Mansion House, Dublin, and was attended by over 500 travel and tourism professionals from around the world.

 

O’Hanrahan Travel, who are based in Monaghan, won the title of ITAA Travel Agency of Year 2019 with under ten employees, whilst Cassidy Travel was crowned the ITAA Travel Agency of Year 2019 with over ten employees. Both of the winning agencies were praised for their stand-out customer service, their first-rate expertise and the wide range of travel options available to customers.

 

Other big winners on the night included Atlas Travel and Carlson Wagonlit who won Best ITAA Corporate Travel Agency, Tour America who won Best ITAA Member Bricks & Mortar Marketing Campaign and Best ITAA Member Digital Marketing Campaign, and J. Barter Travel who won Best ITAA General Marketing Campaign.

 

The award for Best ITAA Corporate Travel Professional went to Cara Barry in FROSCH CTM, and the award for Best ITAA Leisure Travel Professional went to Ann Mullins in The Travel Broker. Holiday World Show organisers Edmund Hourican and Maureen Ledwith were this year’s joint recipients of the ‘Special Contribution to the Irish Travel Industry Award’.

 

Speaking at the awards, John Spollen, President of the ITAA, said “The awards are an opportunity to celebrate the exceptional professionals working in our industry. I wish to extend my congratulations to all of the winners, especially O’Hanrahan Travel and Cassidy Travel who both won the overall titles. The last year has been very positive for the Irish travel trade and this is most definitely attributed to the talented and hardworking individuals in our industry who endeavour to offer quality travel products to Irish holidaymakers.”

 

The annual event is designed to showcase excellence within the industry and the difficult job of judging the Member Award Winners falls to an independent panel of judges, chaired by Bill Smith.  Supplier Award Winners were voted upon by Irish travel agents. This year’s awards welcomed the charming presenter and broadcaster, Miriam O’Callaghan, as returning Master of Ceremonies.

 

The Irish Travel Industry Awards are an initiative of the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA), in association with MSC Cruises, and is organised on behalf of the ITAA by Business Exhibitions Limited. Award categories are sponsored by Dublin Airport, Turkish Airlines, Hertz, Riviera Travel, Ireland West Airport, American Airlines, British Airways, Cork Airport, PortAventura World, Amadeus, The Travel Corporation, TUI, Emirates, Shannon Airport. The Irish Travel Industry Awards media partner is Independent News & Media.

 

 

Full List of Winners at the Irish Travel Industry Awards:

 

CONTRIBUTION TO THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY AWARD – SPONSORED BY CORK AIRPORT

 

Edmund Hourican and Maureen Ledwith – Business Exhibitions

 

**********************************

 

ITAA MEMBER PEOPLE AWARDS WINNERS – SPONSORED BY PORTAVENTURA

 

BEST ITAA LEISURE TRAVEL PROFESSIONAL

Ann Mullins – Travel Broker

 

BEST ITAA CORPORATE TRAVEL PROFESSIONAL

Cara Barry – FROSCH CTM

 

BEST ITAA MEMBER BRICKS & MORTAR MARKETING CAMPAIGN

Tour America

 

BEST ITAA MEMBER DIGITAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN

Tour America

 

BEST ITAA GENERAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN

  1. Barter Travel

 

 

ITAA MEMBER AGENCY AWARDS WINNERS – SPONSORED BY AMADEUS

 

BEST ITAA CORPORATE TRAVEL AGENCY

Atlas Travel & Carlson Wagonlit

 

ITAA TRAVEL AGENCY OF THE YEAR – UNDER 10 EMPLOYEES

O’Hanrahan Travel

 

ITAA TRAVEL AGENCY OF THE YEAR – OVER 10 EMPLOYEES

Cassidy Travel

 

 

**********************************

 

SUPPLIER AWARDS WINNERS

 

AIR TRAVEL CATEGORY – SPONSORED BY DUBLIN AIRPORT

 

BEST AIRLINE TO EUROPE

Aer Lingus

 

BEST BUSINESS CLASS AIRLINE TO EUROPE

Turkish Airlines

 

BEST AIRLINE TO NORTH AMERICA

Aer Lingus

 

BEST LONG HAUL AIRLINE

Emirates

 

 

TOUR OPERATOR CATEGORY – SPONSORED BY HERTZ

 

BEST EUROPEAN SUN TOUR OPERATOR

Sunway

 

BEST ESCORTED TOUR OPERATOR

G Adventures

 

BEST SPECIALIST TOUR OPERATOR

Wendy Wu Tours

 

BEST LONG HAUL TOUR OPERATOR

Wendy Wu Tours

 

 

CRUISE & FERRY CATEGORY – SPONSORED BY TURKISH AIRLINES

 

BEST MAIN STREAM CRUISE COMPANY

MSC Cruises

 

BEST PREMIUM CRUISE COMPANY

Celebrity Cruises

 

BEST SPECIALIST CRUISE COMPANY (INCLUDING RIVER)

Uniworld River Cruises

 

BEST ULTRA LUXURY CRUISE COMPANY

Silversea Cruises

 

BEST FERRY COMPANY

Irish Ferries

 

 

AGENCY SERVICES PROVIDER CATEGORY – SPONSORED BY RIVIERA TRAVEL

 

BEST TECHNOLOGY PROVIDER

Amadeus

 

BEST CAR HIRE COMPANY

Hertz

 

BEST TRAVEL INSURANCE PROVIDER

Blue Insurance

 

BEST TOURIST BOARD

Spanish Tourist Board

 

BEST ACCOMMODATION ONLY PROVIDER

Bookabed

 

 

SUPPLIER STAFF / TRAAVEL MEDIA CATEGORY – SPONSORED BY IRELAND WEST AIRPORT

 

BEST SUPPLIER SUPPORT TEAM

Amadeus

 

BEST SUPPLIER REPRESENTATIVE

Rebecca Kelly – MSC Cruises

 

BEST SUPPLIER PROMOTING TRAVEL AGENTS (TO THE PUBLIC)

MSC Cruises

 

 

DESTINATIONS CATEGORY – SPONSORED BY BRITISH AIRWAYS

 

BEST WORLDWIDE CITY DESTINATION

Las Vegas

 

BEST EUROPEAN CITY DESTINATION

Barcelona

 

BEST SKI DESTINATION

Austria

 

 

DESTINATIONS CATEGORY – SPONSORED BY AMERICAN AIRLINES

 

BEST SUMMER DESTINATION

Portugal

 

BEST WINTER DESTINATION

Lanzarote

 

BEST WORLDWIDE THEME PARK

Universal Orlando Resort