April/May 2025
www.nitravelnews.com WITH LEE BARKER
all the time, even within the last 10 years. That’s what makes Ikos so special. “W e ’ re expanding our resorts within Europe. So at the moment, we have seven properties and we are opening a new property next year in Crete,
will be Ikos Kissamos.
which We
will then open Ikos Pinomar in Marbella in 2027 and then finally, we’ve got Ikos Cortesia in Portugal that will open in 2028 so at the moment, we’re planning on expansion. We’re planning on offering new properties
in new
destinations, and always developing the product that we’ve got. “We
noticed we have many
families coming to our properties and for them, the double room doesn’t suit. We know that you need family rooms or you need a suite, so within our properties, we’re always adding in more bigger rooms and bigger suites for our guests. In Andalusia, last year, we introduced another 15 new suites. They’re one two and three bedroom suites with private pool. We have also added two penthouses, and we also added two four bedroom villas with beautiful, big swimming pools and a barbecue area outside. They really bring into play outdoor living for for our guests, but with a secluded, exclusive villa to yourself with having access to the a la carte restaurants in Andalusia, all the tennis courts, the facilities, The spa, the kids club. So it’s quite unique to be able to have a villa with all that offering to the guests and be all inclusive as well.
“This year we will be highlighting the 10th anniversary and we’ll certainly be having a bit of a celebration on the 27th. The Ikos Andalucia will be open on that day and we’re inviting some agents and some press along to celebrate the 10th year with us there, but there’s
be little things that we’re doing in the resorts for our guests,” he said. “It’s really important for us to bring agents along on the journey with us,”
continued. “They’ve been so supportive
over the last 10
years so we want to give a little bit back and support them as much as we can. “In Belfast,
we’re doing
brunches, and we’re inviting our agents along to our branches so they can enjoy the celebrations with us and have some nice food. We’re also running an incentive now for agents, if they book a deluxe collection booking over the next 10 weeks, they’ll get entered into a draw to win a stay at the opening of Ikos Kissamos which will open next year. They’ll be able to bring their partner along with them too to experience the resort. We’re giving 10 of those away over the next 10 weeks, so one a week. It’s a good opportunity to
sell when we’ve got availability and get some bookings in this year. But the added side of it is, you’ll go into a draw to win that. “And then the final thing, the biggest thing really for us, is that we’ve introduced Brendan Mallon, who joined the team three weeks ago. “Brendan will be coming around, supporting the agents, seeing what we can do. By bringing Brendan in, it’s about saying, ‘look, we’re here, we want to support you more, and we recognise we need somebody in market that’s close to you that can come and do events, do trainings, support you with your marketing, help you grow your business for Sani and Ikos’, and so it’s lovely to have him on board. We’ve been quite a small team up until now, three of us covering the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and having Brenda join the team allows us that real sort of tailored support to the agents in Northern Ireland. So although he’ll look after the Republic of Ireland and Scotland as well, he’s in Northern Ireland, so he’s going to be on hand for everybody as much as possible. “We just want to thank the agents for their support so far, we really do appreciate it. We’re here if they need anything at all, we’re more than willing to support in any way we can.” As part of the anniversary celebrations Ikos are holding 10 brunches across the UK over the next 10 months, with one in Belfast in December. The Resort group will be giving away 10 stays at their newest resort Ikos Kissamos (one a week for 10 weeks starting on 27th March), plus have some new features for Ikos Resorts for the 2025 season such as Supper Club, a new restaurant at Ikos Dassia and Hippocrates Garden at Ikos Aria.
Lee
Emirates Expands Retrofitted Boeing 777 Services to Dublin
EMIRATES will debut its retrofitted Boeing 777 aircraft on the Dublin route on June 25, featuring its latest Business Class and Premium Economy cabins.
Emirates operates a double daily service between Dublin and Dubai utilising its Boeing 777 and, from this summer flights EK161 and EK 162 will feature a four-class configuration, headlined by Emirates’ signature Premium Economy and thoughtfully designed Business Class cabins.
Finnair Celebrates a Decade of Dublin
Jet2holidays to Help
Independent Travel Agents Open a Retail Shop in Latest Campaign!
JET2HOLIDAYS has announced details of a brand-new campaign called ‘Scale Up Your Street’, which will see the company help up to ten agency partners open a new retail shop, with support including a financial contribution as well as access to expert advice.
today, means the UK’s largest tour operator
taking its
The new campaign, which goes live is
partnership
approach to working with independent travel agents to the next level. This includes supporting up to ten travel agent partners with a substantial financial contribution, representing a potential six-figure sum in total, to get a new retail shop up and running. To be in with a chance of elevating their business, agents just need to submit a written pitch outlining their vision for opening a retail shop including their target market, branding ideas, and business plan. The entry form can be found here and the deadline for submitting pitches is 30th April 2025.
FINNAIR is celebrating ten years of direct flights between Dublin and Helsinki, having operated its service between the two cities since 2015. On 30 March 2015, the Nordic airline’s
flight departed Helsinki, arriving in Dublin a little over three hours later, operated by the 100 seater Embraer 190 Aircraft. Today, this has been updated due to demand, with the route now also being operated by Finnair’s Airbus A320 family aircraft, capable of carrying up to 209 customers. The route was initially operated six times
per week and was only intended to be a seasonal summer destination, but has since been extended to operate up to 10 flights per week, throughout the year, in line with passenger demand. Today, the Dublin to Helsinki route is an integral part of Finnair’s European network, with passenger numbers having increased extensively in the past two years alone. To mark the anniversary, NI Travel News
joined in celebrations as Finnair hosted an exclusive event alongside the Finnish Ambassador to Ireland, where guests also had the opportunity to celebrate Finland’s recognition as the ‘World’s Happiest Country’, for the eighth consecutive year.
Jet2holidays is welcoming pitches from agents looking to expand their existing retail business, agents looking to open their first retail shop, and homeworkers who might be looking to transition. A panel of judges from Jet2holidays will review all submissions and select a shortlist of finalists based on creativity, feasibility, and potential for success. Shortlisted candidates will then be invited to pitch their ideas in person to a panel of industry experts including Alan Cross (Director of Travel Agent Relationships at Jet2holidays), Lloyd Cross (GM Trade Sales at Jet2holidays), Nicola Park (Owner & Director of Seaside Travel) and Don Bircham (Franchise Owner of Hays Travel Mold). Each panellist will have their own pot of cash provided by Jet2holidays and travel agents must persuade them how much to contribute towards their new business venture. As well as a financial contribution, winners of ‘Scale Up Your Street’ will also receive tailored training and support to help them open their shop and drive footfall including marketing support, branding materials and setup assistance. Winners will also be given ongoing access to insights, as well as mentorship from industry experts, to provide them with the tools and knowledge to make their new shop a success.
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