- Shortlist of 132 travel suppliers in announced in 27 categories
- Eight more categories to be announced on the night
- Aer Lingus, Austria, Barcelona, Irish ferries, Amadeus, Spanish Tourist Board, Universal Orlando and Uniworld have never been beaten in their categories
Irish Travel Industry Awards in the Round Room, Mansion House, Dublin,
The highest voter turnout in the ten-year history of the Irish Travel Industry Awards has been recorded in recent weeks, resulting in 132 travel companies being shortlisted for awards in 27 categories. The shortlist includes serial winners of the award in several categories.
Winners in eight ITAA member categories will be announced on the night of the awards in the round room, Mansion House, January 23. This year’s host will be RTE journalist Bryan Dobson.
The supplier representative award has been discontinued and the supplier team award split into four new categories.
There is also a new value airline category, to include Ryanair and Vueling and a new Travel Agency International Corporate award. A rivercruise award has been introduced in place of the specialist cruise operator award.
The airline business class to Europe category has been discontinued, as have the Destination City Worldwide category, the shopfront marketing campaign, the corporate agent of the year award and a category for the supplier promoting the trade to the public.
Four award winners have won nine in a row, Aer Lingus in the best airline to Europe category, Irish Ferries for best cruise company. Amadeus as the best technology provider and Lanzarote for best winter destination.
The Spanish Tourist Board has won eight successive award for best tourist board since the category was introduced in 2012 Uniworld won the specialist cruise operator for seven years time since the category was introduced in 2013.
Barcelona has won or shared best European city destination for eight successive years. Austria won the best ski destination for each the seven years awarded and Universal Orlando the world theme park award for each of its seven years it has been awarded.
- Accommodation Only: Arrow Tours, Bookabed, Expedia, Innstant Travel, Stuba. Previous winners: 2011-2-3-4. Bookabed, 2015 Lowcost, 2016-7-8-9 Bookabed.
- Airline Long Haul: Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Turkish Airlines. Previous winners: 2011-2-3-4-5 Etihad, 2016-7-8-9 Emirates
- Airline to Europe Full Service: Air France, British Airways, Lufthansa, SAS, Turkish. Previous winners: 2011-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 Aer Lingus.
- Airline to Europe Value: Aer Lingus, Flybe, Lufthansa, Ryanair, Vueling. New category.
- Airline to North America: Aer Lingus, Air Canada, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, United Airlines. Previous winners: 2011-2 Aer Lingus 2012-3-4 United, 2015-6-7-8-9 Aer Lingus.
- Car Hire: Affordable Car Hire, Alamo Car Hire, Flexible Autos, Hertz, Your Car Hire. Previous winners: 2011-2-3 Holliday Autos, 2014-5-6-7-8-9 Hertz.
- Cruise: JMG, Marella, MSC, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean. Previous winners: 2011-2-3-4-5-6-7 Royal Caribbean. 2018-9 MSC.
- Cruise Premium: Azamara Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Cunard Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Princess Cruises. Previous winners: 2018-9 Celebrity.
- Cruise Rivercruise: AMA, CrosiEurope, Riviera, Uniworld, Viking. Previous winners: 2013-4-5-6-7-8-9 Uniworld.
- Cruise Ultra Luxury: Azamara, Crystal, Regent Seven Seas, Silversea, Seabourn. Previous winners: 2011-2 Celebrity, 2013-4 Silversea; 2015 Celebrity, 2016-7-8-9 Silversea.
- Destination City: Barcelona, Istanbul, Krakow, Lisbon, London. Previous winners: 2011 Barcelona/Paris, 2013-4-5-6-7-8-9 Barcelona (no award 2012).
- Destination Ski: Andorra, Austria, Bulgaria, France, Italy. Previous winners: 2011-2-4-5-6-7-9 Austria (no award 2013 & 2018).
- Destination Summer: Algarve, Greece, Italy, Orlando, Spain & Canary Islands. Previous winners: 2011-2 Algarve, 2013-4-5-6 Spain, 2017-8-9 Portugal.
- Destination Winter: Dubai, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Las Vegas, Tenerife. Previous winners: 2011-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 Lanzarote.
- Ferry Company: Brittany Ferries, Irish Ferries, P&O Ferries, Stena Line. Previous winners: 2011-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 Irish Ferries.
- Tech Provider: Amadeus, Dolphin Dynamics, Proactive Labs, Sabre, Travelport. Previous winners: 2011-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 Amadeus.
- Theme Park: Disneyland Paris, Disney Orland, PortAventura, SeaWorld Orlando, Universal Orlando. Previous winners: 2013-4-5-6-7-8-9 Universal Orlando.
- Tour Op Escorted: Discover Travel, G Adventures, Insight, Riviera, Wendy Wu. Previous winners: 2013-4-5-6-7 Insight Vacations, 2018 Wendy Wu.
- Tour Op Europe: Classic Collection, Concorde Travel, Croatia Tours, Sunway, TUI. Previous winners: 2011 Sunworld, 2012 Thomas Cook, 2013-4-5-6-7-8-9 Sunway.
- Tour Op Long Haul: Classic Resorts, Intrepid Travel, Sunway, Travel Focus, Wendy Wu. Previous winners: 2011 Sunway, 2012 Classic Resorts/Sunway, 2013 Classic Resorts, 2014-5 Sunway; 2016 Classic Resorts, 2017 Sunway, 2018 Classic Resorts. 2019 Wendy EWu.
- Tour Op Specialist: Caribtours, Classic Resorts, G Adventures, Sunway, Travel Focus. Previous winners: 2011-2 Discover Travel, 2013 Classic Resorts, 2014 Insight; 2015 Sunway, 2016 Insight, 2017 Sunway, 2018 G Adventures, 2019 Wendy Wu.
- Tourist Board: Las Vegas, New York, Portugal, South Africa, Spain. Previous winners: 2012-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 Spain.
- Trade Support Team Airline: Aer Lingus, British Airways, Emirates, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines. New category.
- Trade Support Team Cruise: MSC, Princess, Riviera, Royal Caribbean, Travel Corporation. New category.
- Trade Support Team Technology: Amadeus, Proactive Labs, Sabre, Travelport. New category.
- Trade Support Team Bedbank & Tour Ops: Arrow Tours, Bookabed, Globe Hotels, Sunway, Topflight. New category.
- Travel Insurance: Accident & General, AXA Insurance, Blue Insurance, Worldwide Insurance. Previous winners: 2011 Accident & General, 2012-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 Blue Insurance.
Category sponsors
- Agency service providers: Riviera Travel,
- Air travel: Dublin airport,
- Cruise and Ferry; German National Tourist Office,
- ITAA member agency & people: Princess
- ITAA member agencies: Aer Lingus
- Destinations: British Airways & American Airways,
- Tour Operator: Hertz,
- Trade support teams: Ireland West Airport Knock,
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