January 2026


Riviera Travel Celebrates Rapid


Growth in Irish Market


RIVIERA Travel has reported a 115% year-on-year increase in passenger numbers in Ireland from 30 November 2024 to 30 November 2025. The results underline the company’s rapid growth in the region and Ireland’s increasing importance within Riviera Travels’ global expansion strategy.


Incentives such as Riviera Explorer and The Riviera Vault have driven engagement and loyalty with trade partners,


whilst


the company’s October media roadshow amplified brand visibility and strengthened relationships. The introduction of regional departures has made tours more accessible, catering to more holidays and departures out of Dublin. Alongside this expansion, Riviera Travel has recently launched long-haul tours in Ireland, offering more choice across Asia, Africa and beyond. The company has also introduced the world’s first solo exclusive river cruise ship and continues to increase capacity across its river cruise fleet with new vessels arriving in 2026, 2027 and 2028. Riviera Travel’s presence in Ireland has gone from strength to strength with the appointment of Carrie Day as Country Manager. Carrie is focused on regional strategy and deeper engagement with agents across the country.


Barrhead Travel VIPs Enjoy Bucket List Trip-of-a-Lifetime


BRILLIANT Travel, the Managed Service Travel Partner (MSTP) and homeworking division of Barrhead Travel, has hosted its annual VIP trip.


With a bucket-list journey through South


Africa, nine of Brilliant Travel’s top MSTP business owners joined Barrhead Travel senior management on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to South Africa in partnership with Titan Travel.


The trip was hosted by Brilliant Travel Director, Linda Pyle; Barrhead Travel’s Managing Director, Nicki Tempest-Mitchell; Brilliant Travel’s Business Development Manager, Daniel Steabler; and Titan Travel’s


Shane Riley, Director of Trade Distribution. Enjoying the very best of what South Africa has to offer, the group took in inspiring experiences such as the Aquila Private Game Reserve, the Franschhoek Wine Train, a visit to the Cape of Good Hope, and city activities in Cape Town including a Table Mountain Cable Car.


The trip concluded with a special dinner at Spyed Restaurant to sample authentic Cape Malay and African cuisine followed by an evening of traditional entertainment with djembe drumming and Mali puppetry. Speaking at the end of the trip, Linda Pyle,


said: “What an unforgettable experience we’ve


all had together. South Africa has been at the top of many of our members’ own personal bucket lists so being able to host our top-performing business owners in this destination has been unbelievable. “While we’ve all thoroughly enjoyed the journey on a personal level, it’s also been great from an educational perspective


www.nitravelnews.com


TRADE NEWS | 73


Tourism Ireland Shines Spotlight on Belfast in the Netherlands


TOURISM Ireland hosted a special Belfast-themed, B2B event in The Hague, bringing together 20 leading Dutch travel professionals with four tourism companies from Belfast and celebrating the city’s vibrant culture and rich maritime heritage.


The Dutch guests were invited to attend


a ‘Titanic & Fashion – The Last Dance’ exhibition, which is currently running in the Kunstmuseum (art museum) Den Haag and features some of the original costumes from the iconic 1997 film. This was followed by a networking session with the tourism companies from Belfast. Organised to highlight Belfast’s appeal as a city break destination and its special connection with Titanic,


the event


provided an opportunity for the Belfast tourism operators to promote their products and services to the


Dutch travel professionals and to share the stories, experiences and attractions that make the city a must-visit destination. Karen van der Horst, Tourism Ireland’s Manager for Northern Europe, said: “I’m delighted that our valued Dutch travel partners took the time to meet with Tourism Ireland and our partners from Belfast in The Hague this week, finding out more about the many great things to see and do in Belfast – including our fantastic food scene and rich heritage, as well as our world-class visitor attractions. With direct flights from Amsterdam to Belfast City Airport with KLM and Belfast International Airport with easyJet, it’s never been easier for Dutch holidaymakers to discover Belfast and Northern Ireland.”


to see the destination first-hand. I know we’ve all been genuinely blown away by the experiences that we’ve enjoyed and everyone has clients in mind for recommending the product to. I’m also grateful to have been able to spend some quality time with the group – all of whom have big plans for 2026 growth which is really exciting to hear.” Shane Riley, Director of Trade Distribution at Titan Travel, said: “At Titan Travel, we are immensely grateful for our partnership with Barrhead Travel and Brilliant Travel. The chance to share quality time with industry leaders was truly remarkable. Our business thrives on strong partnerships and meaningful connections. “This trip served not only as a fantastic reward for outstanding business achievements, but also offered an unexpected opportunity for in-depth discussions on how we can collaborate effectively and succeed together. There is no doubt in my mind that our partnership has been strengthened as a result of this trip.”


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