July/August 2025


TOURISM Northern Ireland has officially announced the appointment of a new Chief Executive.


Laura McCorry MBE will take on the new role in September.


Mrs McCorry will take over from current CEO John McGrillen,


who


announced in February that he will step down from the role at the end of July following The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush. Mr McGrillen has held the post for 10 years.


Currently the Head of Hillsborough Castle, Mrs McCorry has held a variety of strategic leadership roles both locally and internationally.


These include


Public Engagement Directorat National Museums Northern Ireland and Director of Product Development at Tourism NI. She is also a member of the Tourism Partnership Board as well as a Board member of Tourism Ireland. Speaking about her new role, Laura


www.nitravelnews.com


said, “I am delighted to have been appointed as Tourism NI’s new Chief Executive.” “Tourism NI is a fantastic organisation with a passionate team and I’m excited to work together to grow the tourism economy in a way that benefits communities, businesses and visitors alike.”


Ellvena Graham, Chair of Tourism NI


said: “I am delighted to welcome Laura as our new Chief Executive.”


“Laura brings with her a wealth of experience in leadership in the tourism industry and her expertise will guide Tourism NI in our ambitious plans to support the delivery of the Minister’s Tourism Vision and Action Plan.” “I would like to thank our outgoing


CEO, John McGrillen for his exceptional leadership of the organisation over the past 10 years and wish him well in his next chapter.”


The Cruise Plus Portfolio Launches with Chance to Win up to £1,000


CRUISE Plus, sister brand to Gold


Medal, have launched a brand-new campaign – The Cruise Plus Portfolio. The latest campaign has been designed to demonstrate their breadth of product across ocean, luxury, river and expedition cruising to support agents. The Cruise Plus Portfolio also highlights


the value of cruising and the inclusions, experiences and packages available on board when booking with the brand’s cruise partners. Featuring several of Cruise Plus’ valuable cruise line partners including Royal Caribbean,


Holland America, Princess,


Ponant, Silversea, Oceania, American River Cruise and Aqua to name a few, The Cruise Plus Portfolio launched with a printed and digital 52-page book, landing with the brand’s top 300 agents this week. In addition to a new book, agents can expect 20 itinerary inclusions and regular inspiration across Cruise Plus’ social media pages and dedicated micro-site. Agents who book with Cruise Plus between 02 June 2025 and 31 July 2025 can enter their package bookings into a prize draw to win either £250, £500 or £1,000 in Farebank Rewards. All Cruise Plus package bookings can be entered, with the lucky winners being announced in August. Sarah


Lancashire, Marketing escapes Director


shared: “Each inclusion in The Cruise Plus Portfolio has been carefully crafted by our experts to bring agents and their customers truly magical


worldwide destinations.


in fascinating Whether your


customers are inspired by uninterrupted relaxation amidst exquisite surrounds, unfettered luxury at sea,


immersive exploration in remote destinations or


A non-departmental public body of the Department for the Economy, Tourism NI is responsible for the development of tourism in Northern Ireland,


supporting the tourism


industry, and for marketing the region as a tourist destination across the island of Ireland.


Jet2holidays Awards Nearly £80,000 to Travel Agencies in ‘Scale Up Your Street’ Initiative


JET2HOLIDAYS has celebrated the finalists of its “Scale Up Your Street” competition,


awarding a total


of nearly £80,000 to eight travel agencies to aid in the opening of new retail locations. The UK’s largest tour operator was impressed by the overwhelming


response, receiving


around 120 entries from independent travel agencies and homeworkers. After narrowing down the entries to


12 finalists, the first eight contenders presented their pitches to a judging panel at Jet2holidays’ Holiday House offices in Leeds. These pitches resulted in significant funding, with many agencies receiving the maximum award of £10,000. Notable finalists included Idle Travel, Perfect Getaways, and Go Ben LTD. The judging panel consisted of


leisurely moments meandering down awe- inspiring rivers, we have a holiday perfect for them.”


Cruise Plus have the ability to tailor-make any cruise and stay holiday. With access to 40 renowned cruise lines, over 100,000 hotels, 41 touring partners and the world’s leading airlines, any dream sailing can be made possible with the help of their expert team. Earlier this year, Luxury by Cruise Plus also introduced new complimentary return UK Blacklane chauffeur transfers on package bookings over £10,000 with their luxury ocean cruise line partners. Cruise Plus are reminding agents that their industry-leading Farebank Rewards scheme still allows them


Alan Cross, Director of Travel Agent Relationships; Lloyd Cross, GM Trade Sales at Jet2holidays; Nicola Park, Owner & Director of Seaside Travel; and Don Bircham, Franchise Owner of Hays Travel Mold. Each panelist had a £2,500 budget per pitch to allocate towards the agencies’ new ventures. Alan Cross expressed enthusiasm


about the initiative, stating, “The passion and commitment from agency partners demonstrate that the high street will thrive thanks to talented individuals creating innovative spaces for holiday bookings. We are proud of their achievements and excited to see their progress.”


IRISH Travel Agents Association former President, Cormac Meehan has confirmed he will retire at the end of August 2025. Both Meehan Travel Worldchoice and Sean Meehan Chartered Valuation Surveyors will close after 75 years of trading and service to the public in the northwest of Ireland after the retirement. Taking over the businesses back in January 1987 following the death of his father, Sean Meehan, Cormac has overseen the trade. His father started both businesses in 1950. Cormac paid tribute to his team, Kathleen McDaid, Fiona Feely and Caroline McNamara. As well as holding the office of the Presidency of the Irish Travel Agents Association, Cormac was President of the Irish Auctioneers and Valuers Institute. Commenting on his retirement, Cormac


said


“We have always enjoyed a very special relationship with our customers, our suppliers and, indeed, our statutory regulators such as the Irish Aviation Authority and the Property Services Regulatory Authority. “Travel bookings with existing customers will continue without interruption and future bookings will be referred to our travel agency colleagues, Mullaney Travel Worldchoice in Sligo and Atlantic Travel Worldchoice in Letterkenny,” said Cormac. Thanking his wife, Cormac also said, “She is a powerhouse of support and has enjoyed sharing this adventure with me. We are both looking forward to the next chapter of our lives.”


Tourism NI Announces Appointment of New Chief Executive


TRADE NEWS | 85


Etihad and Ethiopian Airlines Strengthen Connectivity with Codeshare Agreement


ETIHAD and Ethiopian Airlines activated their codeshare agreement, strengthening connectivity between Africa and Asia, Australia, and the Middle East. Ethiopian will


start services from Addis


Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD) to Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) on 15 July, and Etihad Airways introducing daily flights to Addis Ababa starting 8 October.


Former Irish Travel Agents Association President Retires


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