June 2024
www.nitravelnews.com
CONTENTS | 3
plenty of summer 2024 family bargains still available
... continued from page 1 Similarly, Claire Mulligan of Clubworld
Page 20-21: NI Comedian Sean Hegarty Falls in love with Malta...
Page 24-25: First stop… Hollywood! Heidi McAlpin heads to the USA...
Page 26- 30 : Holiday Highlights of the UAE
Page 35- 50 : 16
Page Sustainability Special!
Travel has seen high demand for free child places: “The market has been extremely busy for late bookings. The main operators do still have free child places which is great news for families wanting a late getaway to escape the rain! “We have seen a huge interest in Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia, the Greek Islands are also proving popular.”
Cruising has been in big demand for Sharon Thompson from Thompson Travel: “Summer 2024 has been strong for us with plenty of early bookings. The big change in weather has also seen a surge of late bookers, looking to reconnect with the sunshine, going from NI. We have had a few great solo deals for summer on Celebrity cruises in the med. There is still a chance you can get some availability from June to August if you act fast!” According to reports 60% of us have already booked our summer holiday, meaning 40% of us are relying on a last minute bargain. Foreign currencies are currently weaker against sterling than a year ago meaning that while local prices are up year-on-year in many European destinations, once these prices are converted to sterling, you can expect to pay less over all. Long-haul destinations that are offering the best value for money this year include Vietnam, South Africa and Kenya. Combining lower local prices with falling currency values, Vietnam is a fantastic value
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JOE Walsh Tours has partnered with City of Derry Airport for a second year to offer religious tours to Lourdes for pilgrims across the Northwest this summer. The pilgrimages will follow a full religious programme facilitated in conjunction with the local Diocese, and the full services of Joe Walsh Tours guides and representatives are available throughout. The Airport welcomed the first group of pilgrims on Monday 27 th May from the Diocese of Raphoe in Donegal, together with Group Leaders, Fr. Stephen Gorman, Director, and Brenda Barrett, Secretary of the Diocese. As the first Lourdes passengers of the year, the Airport provided some complimentary
hospitality for everyone
travelling. David Walsh of Joe Walsh Tours
stated: “Lourdes has been a much-loved destination for Irish pilgrims for many years and we are delighted to partner with City of Derry Airport so pilgrims in the Northwest region can travel to the shrine from their local airport. We would wish all our pilgrims travelling to Lourdes from Derry this Summer a wonderful time at the sanctuary.” Steve Frazer, Managing Director at City of Derry Airport, commented:
“We are delighted to partner with Joe
Walsh Tours to offer this very special travel experience for the Northwest for a second year.
“The team at Joe Walsh Tours are absolute experts in what they do, and we have no doubt that everyone travelling to Lourdes from City of Derry Airport this summer will enjoy a truly unique and memorable trip.” Brenda Morgan MBE, Head of Business Development at City of Derry Airport, added: “We are proud to provide those travelling, particularly any elderly passengers, with the convenience of flying local, reduced travel time and cost, and an efficient journey through the Airport. With single level access and less than 15 mins from our carpark to our departuregate, our passengers can really enjoy a relaxing and stress-free start to their spiritual retreat.”
The Derry Diocese will travel on Monday 1 st July, returning on Friday 5 th July, and a classic pilgrimage, available for anyone who would like to travel to Lourdes, will be departing on Friday 5 th July and returning on Wednesday 10 th July. For more information on Joe Walsh Tours’ Pilgrimages to Lourdes from City of Derry Airport, visit
www.joewalshtours.ie.
VISIT Belfast has launched an ambitious new three-year strategy for tourism growth with plans to strengthen and elevate the appeal of the city’s vibrant neighbourhoods to drive new growth and fresh exploration. The Belfast City Region’s official destination
rises in Marmaris, Turkey and Sunny Beach, Bulgaria, however the positive exchange rate means theses are still fantastic value for British travellers. You can also get the latest local travel agent offers straight to your inbox every Friday at 2pm by signing up to Bookit by NI Travel News. For more information see pages 10-11.
long-haul option for travellers. Portugal is still a great value destination all round while Turkey and Bulgaria come in slightly more expensive than last year. There have also been in-resort prices
Visit Belfast Unveils Ambitious ‘New Horizons’ Plan
marketing and management organisation said it plans to further strengthen the city’s tourism economy by 20 percent over the next three years, delivering a cumulative economic boost of £424 million by 2027 from its combined sales, marketing and visitor servicing activity.
Lourdes Pilgrims Flock from City of Derry with Joe Walsh Tours
Jet2.com and
Jet2holidays named Which? Travel Brand of the Year for third consecutive year
JET2.com and Jet2holidays have been named Travel Brand of the Year at the prestigious Which? Awards for the third year running, after they were recognised for providing customers with industry- leading products and customer service on their well-deserved holidays.
The leisure airline and tour operator received the coveted title at a special awards ceremony which was hosted to recognise the brands that go above and beyond for their customers.
Jet2.com and Jet2holidays were once again recognised for their industry leadership when it comes to customer service and product quality in travel, meaning they have secured the title of Travel Brand of the Year for the fourth time in seven years. As the voice of UK consumers, the annual Which? Awards recognise and celebrate brands that champion consumers by consistently providing the best products and best services, with the judges this year paying particularly close attention to value for money, exemplary products and customer service.
Steve Heapy, CEO of
Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, said: “The Which? Awards are the ultimate recognition of customer-centric brands that provide the best products and customer service, so to be awarded Which? Travel Brand of the Year for three years running is a remarkable demonstration of our industry leadership when it comes to looking after our customers.” He added: “We are enormously proud of
this latest accolade, and we remain totally committed to the customer-first approach which has resulted in this success. Our team of amazing colleagues set the benchmark for exceptional customer service, and it is great to see that recognised by customers and the experts at Which? I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to our customers, for their loyalty, and to our colleagues too, for it is their hard work that enables us to enjoy such recognition.”
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