- Entry for the 2027 Travel Agency Awards is open to all licensed travel agents in the Republic of Ireland, regardless of ITAA membership.
- Each agency will have one vote, determined by a majority decision of all its employees.
- The voting system has been changed to ensure every individual working in a licensed agency has a say.
- Royal Caribbean has been confirmed as the headline sponsor for the 2027 awards.
- The awards ceremony will take place on January 22nd 2027 at the Mansion House in Dublin.
Clare Dunne has updated sponsor son the revamped Irish Travel Industry Awards, scheduled to take place on January 22nd 2027 in the Round Room in the Mansion House Dublin. The Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) has previously confirmed Royal Caribbean as the headline sponsor for the 2027 event .
The awards have introduced two fundamental changes to their structure for the upcoming ceremony. The entry criteria for the Travel Agency Awards have been expanded to include all licensed travel agents in the Republic of Ireland, removing the previous requirement for ITAA membership . The voting system for the Supplier Awards has also been reformed to allow every individual working in a licensed travel agency to participate in determining their agency’s single vote, a decision reached by majority consensus among the staff .
The decision to open the awards to all licensed agents represents a move towards greater industry inclusivity, acknowledging the role of non-ITAA members in the Irish travel sector. The changes to the voting procedure address an unintended consequence of the previous one-agency, one-vote policy, which had disenfranchised counter staff. By allowing all employees to have a say in the final vote, the ITAA aims to balance democratic participation with safeguards against any single agency exerting undue influence. The awards ceremony, a key fixture in the Irish travel trade calendar, will continue to recognise excellence, innovation, and customer service across the industry, with the Contribution to the Travel Industry Award honouring an individual for their exceptional impact on the sector
Clare Dunne shared, “I just want to mention two important changes for next year’s awards. First, we have opened the awards to all licensed travel agents in Ireland. You no longer need to be an ITA member to enter – you simply need to hold a valid travel agent’s licence in the Republic. Second, we’re changing the voting system. A couple of years ago we introduced a one-agency, one-vote policy, which solved a number of problems. The unintended consequence, however, was that it rather disenfranchised the people working on the counters. So this year we’re opening the vote to everyone who works in a licensed travel agency, membership of the ITA is not required. Each agency will still have just one vote, but that vote will be decided by the majority of the people working in that agency. In other words, every individual will have a say, while we still protect against any one agency having undue influence.”
