Christmas comes early for Shannon Airport as it surpasses 2 million passenger milestone
Christmas has come early for Shannon Airport this year as it surpasses 2 million passengers for the first time since 2009. This milestone underscores the airport’s ongoing growth and its pivotal role as an international gateway along the Wild Atlantic Way.
Jamaica Targets Growing Sector Of Homeworking Travel Agents
The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) has announced a series of innovative initiatives for 2025 aimed at supporting and empowering the growing sector of homeworking travel agents. Recognising that 60% of UK-based retail travel agents are now home-based, the JTB has become the first National Tourist Office (NTO) to establish a dedicated Business Development Officer (BDO) role for this sector.
It’s “Only Las Vegas” with VIP Trade members on the all-new Aer Lingus Direct service
This was the event Travelbiz was most looking forward to in the entertainment capital of the world—and unfortunately missed! However, we can still share highlights with you, including photos from Tryphavana Cross (Senior Director of Sales, Marketing & PR, Visit Las Vegas) and Jenny Rafter (Head of Global Leisure Sales, Aer Lingus) as they host a select gathering of VIP trade and media partners.
Travel Partners Group 2025 Agent Appreciation Dates For Your Travelbiz Diary
The dates for the TPG 2025 Agent Appreciation Dates for your Travelbiz Diary are: Waterford Thursday 24 April. Cork Thursday 19 June. Day trip to Wales Sunday 6 July. Galway Thursday 4 September. Dundalk Thursday 11 September.
New direct flight to the Pearl of the Atlantic – Madeira announced for Shannon Airport for summer 2025
Holiday goers from Shannon Airport can now fly direct to the “Pearl of the Atlantic” after a new service to Madeira has just been added to its schedule. The twice weekly service with Ryanair will commence on 30th March to 22nd of October 2025 and take off from the Wild Atlantic Way’s gateway hub every Wednesday and Sunday.
Celebrity Cruises new Wave incentive and Celebrity Moments campaign
Celebrity Cruises is setting travel partners up for success this Wave season, as it launches a collection of incentives and resources to not only support agents better in selling to their clients, but also give them the chance to earn additional rewards. Celebrating ten years since Celebrity Rewards first launched, the premium cruise line is recognising its partners in the 2024/5 Wave booking period with a total prize pot of €200,000 up for grabs.
What I like the most about Belfast is the warmth and friendliness of the locals. From the coffee vendor at St. George’s Market, who cheerfully shared his chocolate stash because it "will be nice with your coffee", to the man strolling with his family at Belfast Castle, who stopped us with a friendly "Are ye from Dublin?"- an ice breaker that sparked a lively chat about our city’s quirks - every encounter felt welcoming.
United Airlines’ U.K. Fantasy Flight Supports Children from Honeypot to meet Santa at the ‘North Pole’
Children and young people supported by The Honeypot Children’s Charity in London enjoyed a special onboard experience this weekend at Heathrow Airport and met Santa at the ‘North Pole’, courtesy of United Airlines. The children, many of whom had never been on a plane before, were brought together by the charity through the services it operates across the UK. This year’s United UK Fantasy Flight is one of 13 departures around the globe.
Aer Lingus unveils brand new routes from Cork to Bilbao and Bordeaux for summer 2025
Aer Lingus today announces the launch of two new summer 2025 routes from Cork Airport, bringing more travel options to customers seeking vibrant European destinations. Starting in late spring, Aer Lingus will operate direct flights to the culturally rich cities of Bilbao and Bordeaux three times a week, with fares from €59.99.
Dublin Airport ready to welcome 1.4 million passengers this Christmas
The 1.4 million passengers set to travel through Dublin Airport this Christmas will be welcomed by the airport's biggest ever festive entertainment programme with dozens of local choirs and musical acts lined up to perform in the terminals.
Jamaica – The fully refurbished Riu Negril reopens its doors with a range of new services
RIU Hotels & Resorts recently finished the refurbishment of the Riu Negril, the All Inclusive resort that was built in 2004 on the beachfront resort that was built in 2004 on the beachfront the resort All Inclusive that was built in 2004 on the beachfront at Bloody Bay in Negril, Jamaica. This attractive 5-star hotel, which offers both relaxation and fun, now has 600 fully refurbished rooms and new services such as the “American Country” themed restaurant and RIU Party events.
Tourism Spotlights 20 Can’t-Miss Events In New York City In 2025
York City Tourism + Conventions, the official destination marketing organization and convention and visitors bureau for the five boroughs of New York City, is spotlighting can’t-miss events across the five boroughs next year for visitors and locals alike to enjoy. With major sports and culture happenings and a slate of new openings all set for the City’s 400th anniversary, travelers are invited to book their 2025 NYC trip now.
United expects the December holiday travel season to be another record-breaker
United expects the December holiday travel season to be another record-breaker – continuing the trend we’ve seen during every other holiday season in 2024. United is planning for more than 9.9 million people to fly with us between December 19 –January 6, up 12% compared to last year.
Etihad Airways awarded global design airline of the year 2024
Etihad Airways, the UAE’s national carrier, has been crowned ‘Design Airline of the Year 2024’ and ‘Design Airline of the Year Middle East’ for the second year in a row, in the annual DesignAir Awards. With a reputation for extraordinary hospitality, Etihad is renowned for its signature design, from the aircraft’s striking tail fin featuring the ‘facets of Abu Dhabi’ to the small details such as mood lighting in the cabin.
United Integrates Apple’s New Share Item Location Feature for AirTag
Customers can now securely share the location of an AirTag or Find My network accessory with United customer service agents through the United app for faster bag recovery and an even better overall travel experience. United continues to invest in new infrastructure, training and technology to improve bag handling, resulting in significant improvement in baggage recovery in recent years.
Explora Journeys, the luxury lifestyle brand of the MSC Group, today unveiled its summer 2026 journeys aboard EXPLORA I, EXPLORA II and the highly anticipated EXPLORA III. With the introduction of EXPLORA III to the fleet, Explora Journeys will embark on a fresh chapter of "An Ocean of New". This reflects the exploration of new destinations, new experiences and new itineraries across Northern Europe, Iceland, Greenland and the East Coast of the US and Canada, including New England.
Etihad Airways and Air Seychelles have entered into a codeshare agreement, allowing customers to travel seamlessly on a single booking between all of Etihad’s destinations and Mahe, Seychelles connecting via the impressive Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi.
Here is your incredible Celebrity Moments Campaign!
Earn £/€10 for every Celebrity Cruises booking plus the chance to earn £/€500. We wanted to do something special for our Celebrity Rewards 10-year anniversary. That’s why we’re giving you £/€10 for every booking you make between 10 December 2024 and 3 March 2025. Plus, if you’re one of our 100 top selling agents, you’ll earn an incredible £/€500. That really is something worth celebrating!
Padel LK: Ireland’s Newest Padel Tennis Facility Set to Open in Limerick!
Padel LK, the largest indoor Padel Tennis facility in Ireland, is set to open its doors in Ballysimon, Limerick in January 2025. The state-of-the-art venue will feature eight courts, a gym area with group classes, a retail space, and spectator areas, making it the ultimate destination for Padel enthusiasts.
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Announces New Immersive Experience – The Gantry at LC-39
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex has announced The Gantry at LC-39, an innovative, interactive experience that reimagines the historic Launch Complex 39 gantry, located amidst the most iconic launch pads in space exploration.
Team Emirates spread festive joy and appreciation with trade partners
The very popular and vastly experienced Ita Hendrick joined Travelbiz at the Team Emirates annual trade appreciation Christmas lunch, held at Amuri on Chatham Street in Dublin.
Marvellous Malta continues with Liza Hammond (Commercial Manager, Aer Lingus) taking the lead on the all new direct Aer Lingus direct flight to Malta, joined by Travelbiz reporter Marian Benton and a host of trade partners from Ireland, including Chloe Byrne, Pearse Keller, Sean Power, Rosemary Nugent, Marina Gomez Fernandez, Nikki Doyle, Sarah Jane Wynne, and Megan O’Neill.
Trade Partnership Agreements Now Available With The Travel Department
Travel department, the worldwide Escorted Tours specialist, have today announced that they are now able to commence partnerships with all agents within Ireland, meaning that their global programme of tours, featuring departures from Dublin, Cork, Shannon and Belfast, are all now available to book on their agent booking portal and through their call centre team based in Dublin.
Norwegian Launches New Summer Routes to Copenhagen, Riga, and Ålesund
For the 2025 summer season, Norwegian is launching 17 new routes, including three from the UK. In total, next year's summer program features an extensive network of 344 routes to 128 destinations.
