One of the reasons many attendees consider the USTOA Annual Conference & Marketplace the best travel conference of the year is because the tour operator members send their top people to the conference. It creates opportunities for unparalleled access to the heaviest movers and shakers of the tour industry. Because the tour segment connects and aggregates the products of all the other segments of the travel industry, the USTOA conference is a central connecting point for the entire global travel industry.

Taking advantage of the surge in demand, American Airlines is dramatically increasing its service to Dublin, Ireland with new flights from Charlotte, Chicago, and Dallas through October 29. Read the rest of this entry »

Adventures by Disney this week announced new 2023 itineraries, including programs to Sicily and the British Isles. Their Private Adventures program, for groups of up to 12 guests, will return as well and will be available to book on May 13th. Read the rest of this entry »

Tourism Ireland indicates top international tour operators have been discovering Hillsborough Castle and Gardens and some of the destination’s other top visitor attractions, as part of a fact-finding trip to Northern Ireland. The tour operators were invited here by Tourism Ireland, in conjunction with Tourism NI – to participate in the annual Meet the Buyer workshop in ICC Belfast.

Indeed, travel to Ireland has increased dramatically. The number of international passengers arriving in Ireland increased by more than 1,300 percent this year in comparison with February last year. Before the workshop, the tour operators took part in an ‘Iconic NI’ themed tour. The tour operators enjoyed a guided tour of Hillsborough Castle and Gardens and visited Hinch Distillery, Titanic Belfast, and SS Nomadic. They also traveled along the Causeway Coastal Route to visit Glenarm Castle, the Giant’s Causeway, and Glenshane Country Farm.

Niall Gibbons, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, said: “Tourism Ireland was delighted to bring 140 top international tourism buyers to Northern Ireland for Meet the Buyer 2022. As we restart overseas tourism to Northern Ireland, this event is a really important opportunity for our local tourism partners. The participation of these buyers from around the world is a strong indication that interest in visiting Northern Ireland remains high and that it can, and is, competing with the best destinations in the world.
 
“Tourism Ireland has an extensive program of promotions underway for 2022. We are taking every opportunity to leverage the many good news stories about Northern Ireland tourism this year – including the opening of the new Game of Thrones Studio Tour, the recent designation of Belfast as a UNESCO City of Music, the 10^th anniversary of Titanic Belfast and the fact that The Open will return to Royal Portrush in 2025. We are also highlighting Northern Ireland’s screen tourism success, including the final series of ‘Derry Girls’ and the new ‘Belfast’ film directed by Sir Kenneth Branagh. Our message is that Northern Ireland is open for business again and we cannot wait to welcome back visitors from around the world.”

On Monday 8th November, the champagne corks were popping as we celebrated the lifting of the onerous transatlantic flight restrictions. What a long and difficult nineteen months it’s been, but at last the airlines are beginning to increase their London-bound lift. You can now start making some serious UK/Ireland plans for a couple of clients, four-six friends travelling together and, in due course, small groups of ten-twelve or more.

For the next few months, many customers will continue to be cautious about criss-crossing the pond. I believe that you and other enterprising travel advisors will play an influential, confidence-building role by reminding and inspiring them with ideas for UK-bound tours in May and with others in the months of June and July.

This week, the spotlight sharpens on some of the irresistible festivals and events you can use to start a conversation about travelling to Britain next August and September. Read the rest of this entry »