12 | UPDATES
Local Travel Agency Manager Celebrated at Company-Wide Conference
HAYS Travel Downpatrick Manager, James Burke, has been celebrated the annual Hays Travel Conference. The branch manager received the Branch Manager of the Year Award during the final gala night at the annual conference, taking place in Greece this year. The week long event brings over 600 senior branch staff together alongside corporate colleagues to highlight the year the company, along with discussing future plans
NI ‘Missing Out on
Millions’ Due to Windsor Framework Duty-Free Dismissal
NORTHERN Ireland’s economy could be missing out on over £5million a year in additional growth; this is said to be due to an anomaly created by the Windsor Framework which sees the millions of passengers travelling through NI’s three airports unable to avail of duty-free purchases. This is in sharp contrast to the rest of the UK and airports on the island of Ireland. This was the message delivered to Northern Ireland’s MPs in parliament recently in a briefing by Belfast International Airport, with independent research concluding the NI economy is losing over £5 million a year because of this issue.
The existing rules between the UK and EU means that NI passengers cannot access the same duty-free savings creating a clear inequality to all other passengers travelling through other airports on the island of Ireland or through Great Britain. Northern Ireland is formally part of the UK customs union for the purpose of trade agreements but simultaneously aligned with the EU in terms of its customs and excise legislation which treats the UK as a third party. This causes Northern Ireland to fall into a tax gap where it is prohibited from offering duty free and excise duty exemptions for GB or EU travel. This places Northern Ireland at a clear competitive disadvantage for attracting
routes, visitors, and investment. It is an issue that airlines are acutely aware of and has resulted in slower growth of NI’s tourism and aviation sector. Speaking with local MPs, Belfast International Airport’s Chief Executive, Dan Owens called for Northern Ireland’s representatives to act:
“Northern Ireland’s airports are competing for business with the distinct disadvantage by being in the only part of the UK and Ireland that does not currently have access to duty free sales. We raised this issue during Lord Murphy’s review and unfortunately it was not included in the final report despite cross party support and Executive support. “This is an issue that impacts all local airports, and one all three are united in seeking support for as it is costing the local economy, and local
businesses
millions of pounds a year. It is also treating the people of NI differently than citizens across the rest of the UK and island of Ireland. The Windsor Framework has resulted in delivering inequality, rather than opportunity for our local distilleries and producers as well as all local passengers. “Instead of realising ‘the best of both worlds,’
businesses and passengers have been excluded from benefitting from UK/EU duty free sales because Northern Ireland is simultaneously a member of the UK internal market and subject to EU VAT
and excise rules for goods.
“This is an issue that is not only adversely impacting consumers, but it is hampering NI’s tourism and economic growth across the region. This issue is raised with us continually by passengers feeling rightly aggrieved that they cannot make the same purchases as everyone else because of an oversight between the UK Government and the EU. We are not asking for special treatment, just fairness and equality.” Calling on Northern Ireland’s MPs to
act, Peter Newbould, CEO for Lagardère in the UK & Ireland said: “Both Lagardère and Belfast International Airport have invested millions in developing and delivering a world-class duty-free offering at NI’s main airport, and anyone who has travelled through in recent months will have noticed that we have placed local brands and products made in Northern Ireland front and centre of our offering, sitting alongside global brands – as equals.
Northern Ireland airports,
“These producers create and sustain jobs locally, contributing to NI’s economy and society and we both are proud to do all we can to support and promote them. We ask that the Government will show the same level of commitment to these companies and the people of Northern Ireland and correct this oversight with the EU.”
IBEROSTAR Hotels & Resorts has announced the opening of Iberostar Selection Riviera Cancun. The property joined Iberostar’s portfolio as of November 1, reinforcing the company’s strong commitment to the country, where it now operates 12 hotels. Iberostar Selection Riviera Cancun features 444 spacious suites, equipped with a jacuzzi.
all
Iberostar Opens A New Hotel in The Mexican Caribbean responsible
Phil Mc Aveety, CEO of Iberostar Hotels & Resorts, stated: “We are pleased to strengthen Iberostar’s presence in Mexico, a key destination in our international growth strategy.
This
new project reflects our commitment to excellence and to creating unique experiences for every guest. It also reaffirms our dedication to developing local talent, promoting a model of
tourism that generates long- lasting value for communities, des t inat ions and the industry.”
JET2 has marked a major milestone by announcing the launch of flights and holidays from London Gatwick. This is the first major leisure airline arrival into London Gatwick since 2020 and marks the largest new based airline at London Gatwick this century. This announcement
expands Jet2’s
footprint to 14 UK airport bases. The first flight from London Gatwick will
depart to Tenerife on 26th March 2026, timed for the Easter holidays. A fleet of six aircraft will fly customers
to a wide choice of destinations across Mainland Spain, the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, Greece, Turkey, Portugal, Malta, Italy, Croatia, Bulgaria and Cyprus. This includes five based brand-new Airbus A321neo aircraft, reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions per seat by over 20% and providing a 50% lower noise footprint when compared to other aircraft. Over 300 jobs are also to be created initially with Jet2 directly, across roles including flight deck, cabin crew, engineering and ground operations. Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2:
“This announcement represents an incredibly exciting moment for Jet2. For many years, our ambition has been to provide our differentiated, service led, end-to-end product offering from London Gatwick, and we see this as a once in a generation opportunity to accelerate our growth from the UK’s largest beach and city leisure destination airport.” “We know all too well how much demand there is amongst customers and independent travel agents for us to operate our award-winning flights and holidays from London Gatwick, so it is fantastic to be able to share that we are here and ready to meet their travelling needs.” “Time and time again, we have proven
that when we bring the Jet2 product to new customers, we delight them, and we subsequently expand our operations on the back of that popularity. We know that bringing the Jet2 formula to London Gatwick will be a game-changer for customers and we are looking forward to a hugely successful future from our newest UK airport base.”
www.nitravelnews.com
and revealing major news. Speaking on James’ achievement, Hays Travel Downpatrick took to facebook to celebrate his accolade saying, Out of over 600 incredible managers across the UK, James rose above them all, showcasing unmatched passion, leadership, and dedication to excellence. This award isn’t just a title – it’s a testament to his unwavering commitment, his team’s success, and his drive to go above and beyond every single day. James, you’ve set the gold standard for what true leadership looks like. Your Downpatrick team – and all of Hays Travel – couldn’t be prouder!’
January 2026
First Major Leisure Airline in 6 Years Arrives at London Gatwick
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