January 2026


Northern Ireland Recognises the International Day For The Elimination Of Violence Against Women


NI Travel News’ Emma and Jonathan were invited to a prestige event to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women in the Parliament Buildings, Stormont, headed by the speaker Mr Edwin Poots MLA. The long gallery showcased artwork made by women and children supported by Women’s Aid NI. The gallery reflects the journeys of survivors and highlights the ongoing reality of Domestic Abuse in NI. Sarah Mason, Chief Executive of


Women’s Aid NI, spoke on the 16 Days of Activism to end Gender- Based Violence, which takes place from


the 25th November, days of activism the


International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, to the 10th December, Human Rights Day. The 16


bring


people from all across the globe to raise awareness, challenge the attitudes


and systems that are


allowing violence against women. Women’s Aid Advocate Leah McCourt spoke out about her own personal domestic abuse and the help and support that Women’s Aid gave and continues to give to her and her family. The heart-felt story left the room in a standing ovation, admiring her strength. Thank you to Speaker Mr Edwin Poots MLA for the invitation.


www.nitravelnews.com


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Emirates Introduce New Asia Pass for Convenient Itinerary Creation


EMIRATES has unveiled a new way for travellers to explore Southeast Asia with the launch of the Emirates Asia Pass. The pass aims to simplify mul- ti-city travel across the region on one single booking.


ers can book and customise itineraries across Thailand,


With the Emirates Asia Pass, custom- Indonesia,


Vietnam,


Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore and Laos, all under one ticket.


The Emirates Asia Pass offers travellers the freedom to create bespoke journeys and even revisiting the same city more than once. Travellers can also select from one to ten flights within Southeast Asia. The pass is available to travellers booking an international Emirates flight arriving in Cambodia, Indonesia, Ma- laysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam or Laos, either directly through Emirates or via their preferred travel agent. The new travel solution eliminates the need for multiple tickets on different airlines and allows customers to manage all flights conveniently on a single platform. From now, Travellers can purchase the Emirates Asia Pass with their Emirates international ticket via emirates.com, Emirates Contact Centres, retail and tick- eting offices, or travel agencies.


Dublin Airport Celebrates Record-Breaking November with Millions Passing Through its Doors


NOVEMBER was another record- breaking month at both Cork and Dublin airports, with Ireland’s two busiest airports handling more than 2.8 million passengers collectively. 2nd November was the busiest day


of the month in both Dublin and Cork, boosted


by families and travellers


NI Holidaymakers Taken to Lapland for First Time with New easyJet Route


EASYJET has celebrated the launch of its first flights from Belfast International to Finland in time for Christmas. easyJet’s Christmas services from Belfast International to Rovaniemi – also known as Lapland – is the first and only direct connection to Finland from Northern Ireland.


Flights took off on 2 December, and operated twice weekly every Tuesday and Saturday throughout the festive season. Kevin Doyle, easyJet’s UK Country Manager, said: “We are delighted to celebrate the launch of our new service from Belfast International to Rovaniemi, arriving just in time for the festive season, meaning families and holidaymakers have the opportunity to explore Lapland and create memories that will last a lifetime. “As the largest airline in Northern Ireland, we continue to offer our


customers greater choice and exceptional value across our unrivalled short-haul network and, in our 30th year, we remain committed to making travel easy.” Dan Owens, CEO, Belfast International Airport said: “We are delighted to see this new direct service to Rovaniemi in Finland with easyJet begin service today. This route will be popular with families and winter enthusiasts right across Northern Ireland, offering access to the magical experience of Lapland across the winter season.”


easyJet serves three airports in Northern Ireland, Belfast International, Belfast City, and City of Derry Airport, offering over 55 routes to 45 destinations in 17 countries across Europe and North Africa, and has flown nearly 82 million customers since operations began.


returning from mid-term holidays and visits to family and friends abroad. Dublin Airport’s passenger numbers increased by 11% in November, to just over 2.6 million. A total of 10 days saw more than 100,000 passengers passing through, compared with one 100,000-day in November 2024. Kenny Jacobs, CEO of daa, said: “There is no let-up in the record demand for flights to and from our island as the year draws to a close. This bodes well for the new National Tourism Strategy published, which aims to grow inbound visitor numbers by +15% by 2031. Both Dublin and Cork airports have an important role to play in helping to realise this vision for Ireland. “The recognition of the need for capacity constraints at Dublin Airport to be addressed is particularly welcome. daa is also supportive of the new strategy’s enhanced focus on direct air connectivity to less connected tourism markets, particularly Asia and South America. We know there is huge pent-up demand for direct Dublin to India and Brazil services. Resolving the cap issue is key to unlocking these routes for Ireland, and we applaud the government for progressing legislation to resolve this. daa also welcomes the government’s new action plan published to accelerate critical infrastructure projects and remove barriers to progress.”


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