MSC Cruises, Emirates and Wide Eyed Tours Honoured at Travel Counsellors Ireland Conference

Leading travel suppliers MSC Cruises, Emirates and Wide Eyed Tours were among the partners recognised at the Travel Counsellors Ireland 2026 Conference, held at Fota Island Resort.

The awards, voted for by Travel Counsellors themselves, recognise supplier partners who demonstrate outstanding engagement, collaboration and support.

MSC Cruises received the Making Waves Award; Emirates was named Airline Partner of the Year, and Wide Eyed Tours, specialists in personalised travel across South-East Asia, received

Cathy Burke, Managing Director of Travel Counsellors Ireland, said: “Congratulations to MSC Cruises, Emirates and Wide Eyed Tours on these well-deserved awards. Our supplier partners play a vital role in the success of the Travel Counsellors community, and the strength of these relationships allows our Travel Counsellors to deliver exceptional experiences for their clients. We value the collaboration, support and innovation our partners bring, and it’s fantastic to recognise those who consistently go above and beyond in working with our network.”

The awards were presented as part of the Travel Counsellors Ireland annual conference, which brought together Travel Counsellors from across Ireland alongside more than 55 supplier partners from across the travel industry, including airlines, destinations, hotel groups, touring specialists and travel brands.

During the event, Travel Counsellors also celebrated the achievements of their own business owners, with Sarah McCarthy, an independent Travel Counsellor based in Glanmire, Cork, named Top Performing Travel Counsellor – Overall. Sarah also received the Top Performing Travel Counsellor – Leisure award and the Customers for Life award, recognising the highest level of repeat business within the network over the past year.

Sarah was also honoured for 20 years with Travel Counsellors, celebrating two decades of building a successful independent travel business while delivering highly personalised service to her clients. Three other Travel Counsellors were also recognised for reaching the same milestone: Tipperary’s Rosemary Chawke and Catherine Maguire; and Donna Olohan from Wicklow.

Established in 2005, Travel Counsellors Ireland celebrated 20 years in Ireland last year and has grown into a network of more than 80 independent travel business owners nationwide. Operating from its headquarters in Mahon, Cork, the company is known for bespoke leisure itineraries, trusted corporate travel management and world-class personal service. It is part of a global community of almost 2,500 Travel Counsellors across six countries.

The conference programme included panel discussions and expert sessions focused on business growth, digital marketing, and customer relationship management, providing Travel Counsellors with practical insights to help grow their travel businesses while strengthening relationships with supplier partners.

Those interested in learning more about becoming a Travel Counsellor can read more at https://people.travelcounsellors.com/ie/become-a-travel-counsellor