November/December 2023 Continued from page1...
Page 29-31: Glenn Lindsay arrives east and takes us on a Japanese adventure
Page 31-50: 20 PAGE PULL OUT SPECIAL FOR THE 31ST NI
TRAVEL AND TOURISM AWARDS NIGHT
Page 66: Heidi McAlpin sets sail on a two week mediterranean cruise onboard MSC’s Virtuosa
Page 71:
Room2 Review Erin English Checks Out Belfast’s Newest Hometel
easyJet also launched a route from Belfast International to Southampton, increasing capacity to the UK’s cruise capital. From Belfast City Airport, easyJet marked the arrival of their 500,000th passenger and launched two new routes to London Luton and Manchester . Sights set firmly on 2024, easyjet announced three new routes from Belfast-based airports for the new year. From Belfast City, a route to Alicante is set to take off on May 2nd 2024. Alongside two new 2024 summer routes from Belfast International to Larnaca, Enfidha, Tunisia.
Cyprus and For leading Northern Irish tour operator,
Travel Solutions, 2024 is set to be a jam- packed year as six new chartered routes are set to be launched from Belfast City Airport and City of Derry Airport. Peter McMinn, Managing Director of Travel Solutions reported that “2023 was a record breaking year for Travel Solutions, with increased sales across all product ranges. As Northern Ireland’s leading tour operator, we continue to offer local holidaymakers more choice, with new destinations on sale for next summer from all three Northern Ireland airports and from Dublin”. Reflecting on 2023, Sharon Thompson,
owner of Thompson Travel highlighted that “2023 has been a good year for us. Travel has recovered and the desire to discover new things is evident in the fantastic trips our clients have booked. Airlines and airports still have a lot to do to keep flights on schedule and airports need the staff in place to add to a better experience.” Once again, this reiterates the growing desire for travel post-pandemic, and the appetite for travel and new experiences amongst the Northern Irish public. Travel is on the up in 2024, as 64% of the public indicated that they plan to take a trip overseas in the new year. Spain still
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NI Travel News and Ground Espresso Bars are celebrating the first anniversary of their partnership! One year ago NI Travel news started appearing in Ground Espresso stores across the Province, and what a beautiful partnership has blossomed since then. Customers at the province’s biggest local coffee shop chain Ground Espresso Bars have been enjoying planning their next holiday over coffee and cake with a free copy of travel publication Northern Ireland Travel News (NITN) for the past year. For 33 years, since the monthly newspaper launched in 1990,
NITN has been a veritable ‘travel bible’ for readers, informing them of the latest news in the local travel industry and keeping them up to date with all the latest travel-related products and holiday destinations, both abroad and closer to home. In partnership with Ground Espresso Bars, customers at the
coffee shop chain’s 30 outlets across Northern Ireland can pick up a free copy to read with their favourite brew. Each edition of NI Travel News is full of the latest travel and tourism news, destination spotlights, insider reviews, industry insights and hot competitions (with every winner a local winner).
www.nitravelnews.com
remains at the top spot for the most popular destination for the UK holidaymaker, with a percentage of 33% of all holidaymakers surveyed booking a trip to Spain in 2023. Followed closely by France, Italy, USA, Greece, and Turkey. Sunshine destinations take the top spot for 2023, but a change in travel trends is emerging with added focus on shorter duration holidays and an increased focus on finding the perfect
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accommodation. Paul Gallagher, Managing Director of
Downe Travel, placed a spotlight on the importance of keeping up to date with the changing travel trends. “We always try to evolve with the times by monitoring travel trends and have noticed a huge demand for shorter duration holidays and higher standard hotels. Our social media has played a pivotal role in our success and we have gained a lot of new customers outside our local area. All the team at Downe Travel are absolutely thrilled to be Northern Ireland Travel Agent of the Year 2023 and I could not be prouder of my team. We are very grateful to our customers for their continued loyalty and support over the years and we are very excited for a busy 2024.”
A rising number of holidaymakers are
NI Travel News and Ground Espresso Bars Partnership Turns ONE!
valuing the importance of splashing out on their holiday bookings, and why not? The aspirational element of travel has never been more prevalent, with people seeking to experience the best of a destination with a sense of comfort and ease. Dougie Muir, General Manager of Stewart Travel Belfast has detailed how “there’s a real trend for splashing out and treating yourself, with 4 and 5 star hotels selling well, and all inclusive packages a firm favourite. The other trend we are seeing is people looking for a more authentic and tailor-made approach to their holiday, exploring off-the-beaten-track, and experiencing local culture, food and wildlife, from Bear Lodges in Canada to safaris under the stars in South Africa and culinary treats in South East Asia.” Northern Irish Travel Agents are welcoming 2024 with optimism, Sandra Corkin, Managing Director of Oasis Travel, highlights how 2023 was a year packed with new endeavours for Oasis Travel. Sandra reported, “2023 was a year of new endeavours for Oasis Travel. Launch of the Oasis Travel academy, new experts joining the team, planning a new office opening in Q1 of 2024 and a strong sales performance are just a selection of the highlights, as we enter our 40th year in business. We are looking to the new year with optimism and seek to continue to support the industry’s revival through our ventures.” The popularity of booking through a travel agency or travel professional has increased steadily over the course of 2023. Travel trend statistics suggest a significant increase in bookings through local travel professionals is due to the value of money and convenience which benefits holiday- seekers.
Damian Murphy, Managing Director of
Terra Travel, stated, “ “Like most travel agents here at Terra Travel we had a busy 2023- in fact one of the best years we have
ever had. There is no doubt that not being able to travel during the pandemic has led to a big increase in demand as just about everyone who normally travels was ready to set off again.” Providing hindsight into what 2024
may have in store for the Travel Industry, Murphy reported that, “the landscape for Northern Ireland outbound travel is changing rapidly and 2024 looks like being a very competitive year for tour operators with a big increase in seats from Belfast. Will this lead to a price war? Probably not, although I think it will stop prices rising any further- it is good news for the holiday maker and hopefully tour operators will have to fight even harder for our business. All in all the signs are good for 2024” To summarise, 2023 moved the travel industry past the point of post-covid recovery into a period of massive growth and elevation. As 2024 approaches, both holidaymakers and the members of the travel trade are filled with optimism and excitement for what the next year will bring. All that’s left to do is get packing, after all, the holidays are coming.
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