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AWARDS LAUNCH 2018
June 2018 Travel News
HE 2018 Northern Ireland Travel and Tourism Awards has two new major sponsors, it was revealed today at the official launch of the 27th Awards organised by Northern Ireland Travel News in Association with Blue Insurance. The Awards launch, held in Belfast's Titanic Hotel, was attended by decision makers and top executives from travel companies all over the UK and Ireland, an indication of how prestigious and popular the Awards has become over the past three decades. The two new Category sponsors are Silversea, the luxury cruise brand currently with a strong niche market in the Province, and the Hard Rock Hotel, Tenerife, increasingly popular with holidaymakers from the UK and Ireland, and boasting what it says is a host of amenities "that would make a rock star jealous." Silversea's Amanda Middler, Regional Sales Manager for Scotland & Ireland, said: "We are incredibly proud to be a major sponsor of this year's Northern Ireland Travel and Tourism Awards. "Not only do we have a longstanding relationship with the destination itself, but it's also a huge and valued source market for us.
"This is why it's so important for us to be a part of these Awards and their celebration of the continued growth and support of travel and tourism in Northern Ireland."
Meanwhile, Joanne Peters of the Hard Rock Hotel, Tenerife, commented: "Since its opening in December 2016, Hard Rock Hotel Tenerife in collaboration with Palladium Hotel Group, has bought a whole new holiday proposition to Tenerife with monthly 'Children of the 80’s' concerts, an Ibiza-style beach club, a panoramic roof top bar and state-of-the-art accommodation.
"We are proud to work closely with the Irish travel agents and now have a dedicated presence in the UK to help drive sales.
"We are very excited to be sponsoring the 2018 Northern Ireland Travel and Tourism Awards and hope that raising our profile with the agents in Northern Ireland, will enable us to grow the market even further," added Joanne, who is Palladium Hotel Group's Business Development Manager in the UK. Jonathan Adair of Northern Ireland Travel News, organisers of the Awards, warmly welcomed the two new companies coming on board with valuable sponsorship for the event, recognised as one of the top travel Awards ceremonies in the UK and Ireland. "We have been travel partners with Amanda and Silversea for many years now and she is a regular visitor to Northern Ireland as well as a regular at the Travel Awards each October. Amanda has been on the stage several times collecting an award on behalf of Silversea and I am delighted that this year she going to be on stage as one of our valued Category sponsors. "Amanda and Silversea are of course very well known to the Travel Trade here, because of their strong sales support to Northern Ireland cruise agents over the years and in organising functions here and meeting up with the Trade here on a regular basis." He added: "This will be Joanne from Tenerife's
TWO NEW SPONSORS FOR THE 2018 T
Silversea and Hard Rock Hotel, Tenerife named as this year’s new gala sponsors
Hard Rock Hotel's first time to experience the atmosphere and buzz of the Awards, and of course the first time as a sponsor. We are delighted that the Hard Rock Hotel, Tenerife, will be one of our Category sponsors for the first time, and also that she will be showcasing the Hard Rock Hotel at The Big Travel Trade Event in June.
"We are confident that sponsorship of the Awards will be the start of a successful partnership between our two companies going forward and will play a valuable role in making the Trade here even more aware of what the Hard Rock Hotel has to offer, and enhance relationships between the Northern Ireland Trade and Joanne and her team."
Meanwhile, for this year's Awards ceremony on Friday, October 19 - once again in the Slieve Donard Resort and Spa - there will be a number of changes in the total of 31 Awards up for competition, with the introduction of a new accolade to mirror changing trends in the industry.
For the first time there will be an award for the Best Escorted Tours Operator, a change which directly relates to the growing number of travellers who want to gain maximum benefit, enjoyment and even extra knowledge from their holiday.
The airline categories are also changing, with the removal of awards tied to particular departure airports, as this in some cases had reduced competition to a small number of carriers. The change also recognises the fact that a considerable number of travellers from Northern Ireland use airports other than the two major ones in the Belfast area. Now the three airline awards will be simply: Best UK Airline, Best Airline to Europe and Best Airline Worldwide.
Another change in the Awards is that the NI Travel Marketing Award has ben amended to become the 'NI Travel Innovation Award' which better identifies local travel companies and personalities who have been progressive in introducing new services and solutions to meet the needs of the 2018 traveller. There is now also an award for the Best Destination - previously it was for the Best Tourist Board.
A novel introduction at this year's Awards ceremony will be new awards for the Best Dressed `Male and Female' guests at the gala sponsored by Blue Insurance. Attendees will be asked to upload their nominations to social media on the night in order to be judged for the accolade using the hashtags #dontrenewunlessitsblue #nita2018
For the 27th year the Awards will be held at the Slieve Donard Resort and Spa, Newcastle, and as in previous years, the Awards ceremony is expected to be a sell-out long before the actual date of the event. In the anticipation of another 'full house' anyone who has still not booked is urged to contact Northern Ireland Travel News and make their reservations as soon as possible.
The major changes in the format for the Travel Student of the Year award, an award sponsored and organised from its inception by Northern Ireland Travel News, and introduced two years ago, is being continued. The revamp of the selection process proved
to be an overwhelming success with the students and tutors hosted to lunch in a Belfast city centre hotel immediately after the assessments. This will happen again this year with the assessments taking place in early September.
Siobhan Bosket McGuigan of category sponsors Amadeus pictured with Dougie Muir, Stewart Travel, Karen Sheals Hoy and Astrid Johnston of American Holidays and Paula McAreavey of Awards organisers Northern Ireland Travel News
As last year, the result of the assessments and the winner of the Travel Student of the Year will be announced on the day of the interviews, but the actual presentation of the trophy will be made on stage at the Awards on Friday, October 19 - as always. "The new format has been an outstanding success with tutors, assessors and students," said Brian Ogle of Awards' organisers Northern Ireland Travel News. "We have had great support over the years by leaders of the industry in giving of their time with the assessments and it was great to hear them being so complimentary not only about the day, but also with the very high standard of the shortlisted finalists, especially in 2017. Last year the standard of the students reached its highest ever level, and I think this could at least in part be attributed to the new format." Of course, it has been another outstanding year for local tourism and there will again be keen competition in the various categories. Members of the public, and indeed the Trade too, have the chance to vote for categories like the Best Tourist Information Centre and the Best Northern Ireland Visitor Attraction. As in previous years there will be' prize incentives on offer to encourage members of the public and readers and subscribers of Northern Ireland Travel News to vote in the various public voting categories... and this year there will the chance of winning one of no fewer than five attractive local hotel packages offered by hotels and accommodation providers. These include the venue for the Awards, the Slieve Donard, the Titanic Hotel, the AC Marriott, Galgorm Manor and Lusty Beg in Fermanagh. Draws will be made from the votes cast to decide the respective winners of the various prizes. There's expected to be keen competition once again for the much sought-after individual award for the Northern Ireland Travel Consultant of the Year. As in recent years the Award is voted for by the Travelling Public and Principals in the industry and when the eventual votes are counted, the finalists - travel consultants with the most votes - will then be assessed by a panel of judges drawn from the industry in the
ABOVE: Jonathan Adair and Brian Ogle of Northern Ireland Travel News are pictured with six of the gala category sponsors, Ciaran Mulligan of Blue Insurance, Amanda Middler, Silversea, Brenda Morgan, British Airways, Ian Baillie, Stena Line, Siobhan Bosket McGuigan of Amadeus and Peter McMinn of Travel Solutions LEFT: Ian Baillie of category sponsors Stena Line is pictured with Jonathan Adair of Northern Ireland Travel News, Claire Mulligan of Clubworld Travel and John McKibbin of Getabed
weeks leading up this year's Awards ceremony, to decide the overall winner.
Added Brian Ogle: "This particular award has been a great success since it was introduced four years ago. There is still a high percentage of the travelling public in Northern Ireland who book their holidays, short breaks or just point to point travel with their local travel consultant, in an agency, or indeed with a home worker. This award recognises the service they provide, a service which often leads to repeat business maybe several times a year, making a vital contribution to the success of their employers' companies. "Of course the last award to be presented on the night is probably the most eagerly awaited of all, the award for the Travel Agent of the Year. Last year we had a first time winner in Downe Travel from Downpatrick... who will it be this time round? You can find out on October 19". * The seven category sponsors for the 2018 Awards
are Stena Line, Travel Solutions, Hard Rock Cafe - Tenerife, British Airways, Silversea, Blue Insurance and Amadeus. The Northern Ireland Travel and Tourism Awards are organised by Northern Ireland Travel News, in association with Blue Insurance.
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