March 2026


www.nitravelnews.com


TRADE NEWS | 55


DTH Travel Announce New Tour Destinations for 2026


AC Group Expands UK Domestic Touring Market with Partnership with Great Little Breaks


AC Group have announced their new partnership


with Great Little enhanced packages, Breaks


which will offer the UK domestic market, trade partners and agents access to new itineraries,


and


extended seasonal travel opportunities. It will combine AC Group’s expertise in developed itineraries,


transfers and


experiences with the trusted short break and event-led packages from Great Little Breaks. Rob Russell, CEO of AC Group, said: “This partnership represents an exciting step for AC Group, giving us access to a new domestic market and providing our hotel and service partners with opportunities to reach a broader client base. By working with Great Little Breaks, we can deliver memorable


Specialist Holidays Group Launches New Agents’ Hub to Simplify Trade Selling


holidays across the UK, Ireland and France for the UK traveller, helping our partners extend the travel season and connect with new audiences.”


The partnership provides fresh product options for agents and trade partners. Diana Evans, Managing Director of Great Little Breaks,


said: “We’re delighted to


announce our partnership with AC Group, which represents a significant step forward in the evolution of Great Little Breaks. By combining our expertise in short breaks with AC Group’ fully serviced itineraries, transfers, and extensive portfolio of experiences, we can now offer customers a more curated and seamless holiday experience.”


ASIA’S DMC, DTH Travel, has launched more than 25 new tours across 13 destinations for 2026, providing travel agents with an expanded portfolio of itineraries designed to help them sell Asia beyond the classic routes. With travel trends like ‘Trust over


Choice’, ‘Roads over Runways’, and ‘Hidden Gems’ shaping consumer behaviour this year, DTH Travel, a specialist in organised tours, stands out and delivers exactly what agents customers are looking for. The new tours are united with a clear philosophy:


less ‘box ticking’, smaller


carbon footprint and more meaningful immersion. They take travellers away from the tourist hotspots to lesser known regions and have built in more overland


Tourism NI Puts Spotlight on Innovation at Belfast


Business Clinic


THE roadshow took place at Stormont Hotel and was attended by tourism providers keen to refresh their visitor


experience and


strengthen sustainability and resilience.


Businesses also had the opportunity to take part in the ‘From Moments That Matter to Visitor Value’ workshop


designed for


businesses who want to enhance their visitor experience but unsure where to start. The workshop offered attendees the chance to gain insight into practical ways they can improve the visitor journey and delivery behind-the-scenes. A Business Clinic took place where tourism providers could take part in one- to-one appointments with Tourism NI teams offering expert advice and guidance for their future plans. Teams came from various departments including Marketing, Experience Development,


Regions,


SPECIALIST Holidays Group has launched a new dedicated Agents’ Hub designed to make working with its brands faster and easier for the trade. The new platform brings together key information,


including current offers,


incentives, training tools and marketing assets, all in one place. The move is part of SHG’s ongoing investment in supporting travel agents across the industry. The hub was developed in partnership with TMS, with a clear focus on the trade


experience and making SHG brands as straightforward as possible to sell. Becky Williams, TMS (Travel Marketing Systems), said, “We’re delighted to work with the trade team at the Specialist Holidays Group on their new Agent Hub. Our approach makes it quick and easy for agents to share professional, ready-to-use, agent-branded SHG promotions in just a few clicks – turning “I haven’t got time” into “It’s done.”


Accommodation: Quality & Standards and Events.


Carolyn Boyd, Industry Development


Manager at Tourism NI, said: “We are delighted for the opportunity to support innovation


in tourism. Our industry is continually proving to be the most creative and inspirational sector. The high level of engagement at our clinic gave Tourism NI the opportunity to meet with industry at the very start of 2026 and help them seize all the opportunities open to them.”


THE cruise lines have announced their new partnership with travel technology company ‘TravelTek’ to allow agents to have a broader access to availability. The partnership will see Scenic and Emerald ocean and river cruise itineraries live on TravelTek’s API.


Travel agents will be able to book online and see real-time availability, pricing and latest offers and promotions. Jonathan Davies, head of sales at Scenic Group, said, “By making our full ocean and river cruise programmes available via the TravelTek API, we’re giving agents the tools they need to sell with confidence and efficiency. Real-time availability and live pricing mean faster quotes, fewer barriers and a smoother booking journey for both agents and their clients. This integration empowers agents to focus on what they do best – delivering expert advice and exceptional service – while knowing they have instant access to our latest itineraries and offers.” Agencies need to contact their relevant sales manager to request a booking API connection.


travel, whether by road, river or rail, that becomes part of the adventure. Stephan Roemer,


Managing Director


of DTH Travel said, “Our core strength lies in product development. We open up new regions and create fresh approaches within well-known destinations – always with the objective that our partners can turn these into commercially viable, easy- to-implement programmes. Our goal is to consistently deliver new products that allow guests to experience Asia authentically and from ever-evolving perspectives.” New tours will include Thailand – ‘The Soul of Kanchanaburi’, Malaysia (Sabah) – Community Journeys in Kiulu & Taburan, China – The exclusive Journey to Inner Mongolia.


Scenic and Emerald Cruises Link with TravelTek to Widen Agent Booking Access


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