70 | CRUISE NEWS


Northern Ireland ‘In The Mix’ at Hays Travel Conference 2025


HAYS Travel has welcomed hundreds of delegates, including Northern Ireland Travel News’ Jonathan Adair, at Greece’s Aldemar Olympian Village,


for the


group’s annual overseas conference. Branches across the UK departed from Birmingham, Gatwick, Manchester, and Newcastle airports, where they have joined head office colleagues, headline sponsors and supplier partners onboard chartered easyJet flights to Kalamata. The theme of this year’s conference was


‘it’s all about the mix,’ focusing on how the Hays Travel group has developed over the past year, through products, skills, and digital tools which the business has incorporated over the past twelve months. In a statement, Dame Irene Hays highlighted, “Our ‘It’s all about the mix’ theme has emerged in response to how our group has developed, and the mix of product, skills, and digital tools we have brought into the business over the past twelve months. At the heart is our strategy to help our people reach their potential and achieve a balanced mix of short haul, long-haul, and cruise bookings for our customers.”


Over the course of the Hays Travel conference, delegates were treated to


a schedule of speakers, showcases, and networking events. At the conference, Hays Travel announced significant investment in a state-of-the-art selling system aimed to make the sales process more efficient and effective for the group’s travel consultants. Hays Travel


worked closely in


collaboration with technology solutions company,


Traveltek to overhaul its current iSell booking system. It was a successful night for Northern


Ireland at the annual conference’s gala night, with James Burke, Branch Manager of Hays Travel Downpatrick recognised as Branch Manager of the Year. On social media,


Hays Travel


Downpatrick highlighted the award win, stating “‘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.”


Hays Travel Foyleside were also celebrated, picking up the award for Top Store in Hays Travel for easyJet holidays.


NI Travel News Speak With Local Students on Corporate Event Planning


Princess Cruises Appoints New Sales Director UK and Europe


PRINCESS Cruises has announced the appointment of Yasmin Mckechnie as the new sales director for Princess Cruises UK & Europe. Mckechnie succeeds Hayley Moore


and


will report directly to Eithne Williamson, vice president Princess Cruises UK & Europe.


H10 Hotels Announce New Partnership with Emerging Travel Group


NI Travel News’ Managing Director, Jonathan Adair & Business Development Executive, Abbie Stothers were invited by FdSc Hospitality & Tourism Management Course Director at Belfast Metropolitan College, Carolyn


EMERGING Travel Group (ETG), a global travel company operating the RateHawk, Roundtrip,


and ZenHotels


Year One Foundation Degree Event Management Students,


McNeice to chat with on planning


corporate events, and the importance of student placement in the industry. Abbie Stothers chatted with the class on her experience on doing the course, placement and eventually finding her career in the Travel & Tourism industry with NI Travel News. Jonathan Adair shared on starting a business, the growth over the years and the importance of the planning stages throughout an event and how the customer & guests should be forefront of the planners minds.


The class then shared how they will be hosting a corporate event as part of their assignment and asked Jonathan & Abbie questions to help them with the planning process.


A massive thank you to Carolyn for the invite to NI Travel News.


brands, has announced a new direct partnership with H10 Hotels Group. Under


the agreement, H10 Hotels’


properties will be available directly for Emerging Travel Group’s B2C audience, securing distribution to over 20 million monthly guests worldwide.


The partnership covers the entire collection of more than 65 properties, across brands including H10 Hotels, The One By H10 Hotels, Ocean Signature Resorts, H10 Horizons Collection. The company operates in 25 destinations across Europe and in the Caribbean, with the majority of accommodations located in Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany, the UK, Mexico, Dominican Republic, and Jamaica. Previously available through third-party providers, H10 properties will now benefit from direct integration, securing advanced booking management,


payment, and


marketing tools that simplify operations and increase visibility.


www.nitravelnews.com


January 2026


Taking to social media, the Hays Travel Foyleside team commented, “we could not have done this without the support of each and everyone of our customers, so we would like to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone one of you. This award wouldn’t not have been possible without you.” To round-up the conference, Hays


Travel announced the location of their 2026 overseas conference. In partnership with TUI, the Hays Travel 2026 conference will be taking from 9-13 November 2026 in Turkey, in the Trendy Lara and Trendy Perge properties. Reflecting on the 2025 Hays Travel Conference, Chief Operating Officer, Jonathon Woodall-Johnston said “It takes a lot of planning to achieve an event of this scale, and I am grateful to all of our sponsors and partners for their valued support – headline sponsors this year are easyJet holidays, G Adventures, Holiday Extras, Mastercard, and Royal Caribbean.”


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80