82 TRAVEL TRADE NEWS
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ABTA To Be Involved in New Government Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group
THE Government has announced that ABTA will be among the organisations involved
in a new expert group
which will work to improve aviation accessibility, empower consumers and improve industry standards. The new Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group will be chaired by Paralympian Baroness Grey-Thompson. Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive of ABTA – The Travel Association said:
“We want everyone to be able to experience the joys of travel, but we know disabled passengers are sometimes let down getting the assistance and support that’s required.
“We’re pleased to see the Government looking at these issues, we have already been discussing these challenges with officials and look forward to contributing to the new group.
“Meet the Experts” Event Inspires Mid Ulster Tourism and Hospitality Businesses to Unlock their Growth Potential
OVER 30 tourism and hospitality businesses recently took part in an exclusive “Meet the Experts” event organised by Mid Ulster District Council. The event was a unique opportunity for local tourism businesses to directly engage with industry professionals and experts to gain invaluable insights into
WIN
the latest global tourism trends, challenges, opportunities and innovations to help grow their business,
drive success and attract visitors to the region.
Local tourism and hospitality businesses met face to face, shared information and gained invaluable insights from industry experts from organisations including
“ABTA has been working on accessibility for a number of years, offering free online
training, and providing pre-
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an overnight stay with dinner at the titanic hotel
notification guidance for members, which is currently under review. We’ve also long stressed the importance of effective information sharing between agents, operators and airlines and providing information to passengers about available support.”
November/December 2024
easyJet Holidays Strengthens Partnership with Greece’s Ministry of Tourism
EASYET holidays has made a formal commitment to invest in Greek tourism development over the next four years. The tour operator currently operates to 14 destinations including Kos, Corfu, Crete and Rhodes.
Tourism Northern Ireland, Tourism
Ireland, Innovate NI, Go Succeed and ProfileTree.
Areas of discussion included developments in tourism, sustainability, inclusivity,
digital transformation.
Through talks, panel discussions and ones to ones, attendees gained skills and insights including e-learning, attracting and retaining staff, global marketing opportunities, networking opportunities and applying successful innovation frameworks for growth.
Spanish Tour Operators Explore Northern Ireland
ELEVEN (11) representatives from top Spanish tour operator Special Tours have been exploring Northern Ireland, as guests of Tourism Ireland and Tourism Northern Ireland.
The group of travel professionals specialise in curating cultural travel experiences for their clients and are important partners for
Tourism Ireland in Madrid, as they bring valuable Spanish
tourists to the island of Ireland each year. Tourism Ireland aims to familiarise them with our superb tourism offering during their time here, given that this is a key time to influence the addition of new tourism products to their programmes for 2025 and beyond.
Crystal AnnoUNces Further Expansion of its Sales Presence in UK & EMEA with Two New ApPointments
CRYSTAL has announced further expansion of its UK & EMEA sales presence which will enable the company to provide further support for its trade partners and achieve strategic growth in the UK and across Europe.
Danny Giles, Regional Sales Manager North.
Danny joined Crystal on 6h November as part of the UK sales team. He brings a wealth of knowledge having spent 20 years in the travel industry, 14 of which have been in luxury and expedition cruising. Danny has an in-depth understanding of the cruise industry and will play a pivotal
role in driving trade sales performance and expanding the market presence
of Crystal within his region. His main focus will be revitalising and building strong connections with Crystal’s travel partners new and old across the Scotland, North of England and Ireland. Danny will report to Stephen Joyner, Crystal’s Senior Sales Manager UK & Ireland.
Stefan Nicodemus, Regional Sales
Manager Northern Europe. Stefan will be joining Crystal’s EMEA sales team on 1st November with responsibility.
THE SPAA Annual Awards recognise the best in the travel
industry.NI Travel News’ Jonathan Adair attended the prestigious awards alongside Jet2holidays. This year’s winners represent outstanding talent,
and innovation across Scotland’s travel sector.
service champions to industry leaders driving change,
From customer our
awardees reflect the passion and commitment that make Scotland’s travel community exceptional. Congratulations to the SPAA on a great night and congratulations to all the winners.
CLIA Host Networking Night for Belfast Agents
NI Travel News Attend SPAA Annual Awards
dedication,
The easyJet group is cooperating with the Hellenic Republic Ministry of Tourism and the Greek National Tourist Office in a four year partnership commencing this winter season. This cooperation will include online and offline marketing by easyJet holidays for Greece touristic destinations, and support from MOT on campaigns launched, and authorisation to use its promotional material. easyJet is the biggest carrier from the UK to Greece and operates just under 1.6m seats to Greece annually from all its markets with 136 routes to 14 Greek destinations.
The agreement was officially signed at World Travel Market (WTM) in EXCEL London, where Garry Wilson, easyJet holidays CEO, and Minister of Tourism Olga Kefalogianni engaged in productive discussions and formalised the agreement.
easyJet holidays and Hellenic Republic Ministry of Tourism will be holding periodic meetings during the long- term commitment to evaluate, discuss and review the ongoing partnership.
Garry Wilson, easyJet holidays CEO, said: “I’m delighted to sign our official commitment to cooperate with the Hellenic Republic Ministry of Tourism and Greek National Tourist Office until 2028. Greece is one of our most loved destinations, so we’re pleased to support its growth ambitions. I look forward to seeing a successful outcome to our partnership.”
Mrs Olga Kefalogianni, Greece Minister of Tourism, said: “The memorandum of understanding with easyJet and easyJet holidays underscores Greece’s commitment
to forging impactful
partnerships with organisations that share our ethos and forward-looking vision. This three-year strategic plan aims to deepen collaboration, enhance mutual growth, and drive sustainable development in tourism.”
NI Travel News was invited to attend the Hospitality Exchange Conference 2024 in the Crowne Plaza Hotel Belfast. The conference saw industry professionals from both the hospitality and tourism industry attend a range of events over the two days. The event welcomed Keynote speakers touching on a range of relevant topics including AI, effective leadership, future trends and sustainable growth amongst many more informative topics. Thanks
to NIHF and Janice for the
invitation and hosting NI Travel News at this year’s conference.
CRUISE Lines International Association (CLIA) recently invited around 30 agents to its Belfast Cruise Dinner. Taking place in Malmaison Hotel, agents were joined by representatives from AE Expeditions, AmaWaterways, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International and Virgin Voyages, to learn of industry updates regarding river, expedition and premium/ contemporary cruising. The small, intimate dinner allowed delegates to explore how their businesses can seize the cruise opportunity, through short product updates from attending suppliers, and open discussion on the latest trends. It provided agents with a relaxed environment to network with like-minded people. Thanks to Andy Harmer’s CLIA and his team for inviting NI Travel News to be its media partner for this event.
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