MSC Cruises is offering flights from Dublin to the Canary Islands for guests looking to join MSC Opera’s 7-night itineraries with six ports of call between 3 November 2024 and 23 March 2025. The ship will depart from Santa Cruz de Tenerife in Tenerife for Las Palmas in Gran Canaria, Puerto del Rosario in Fuerteventura, Funchal in Madeira, Santa Cruz de la Palma in La Palma and Arrecife in Lanzarote before returning to Tenerife. The itinerary also offers flexible embarkation options, including Santa Cruz de Tenerife on Sundays, Las Palmas on Mondays, Madeira for Funchal on Thurs ..read more

APT Travelmarvel River and Small Ship Cruises hosted members of the trade and media last night in The Devlin Hotel, Ranelagh, Dublin. The event was hosted by Paul Melinis, Managing Director UK & Ireland; Brad Bennetts, Head of Sales & Business Development and Elaine O’Brien, Business Development Manager, Ireland. The evening began with a delicious ‘on brand’ cocktail from Social Tag Me Now and some canapés, also giving guests the chance to get their face printed on cocktails. Brad Bennetts and Paul Melinis welcomed everyone and thanked the trade for their support since launching in Ir ..read more

More than 50% of hotels across France are already booked out ahead of this year’s Olympic Games in Paris, according to research by travel technology firm Amadeus. What’s more, the daily rates for rooms that are still available are rising by the day, Amadeus said. This year’s Summer Olympics run from July 26 to August 11 and the hotel demand is already higher than in previous years. Amadeus said: “If you’re planning to visit Paris this summer, make sure to book in advance, as occupancy rates are already more than half full for the weeks surrounding the Olympic games.  Additionally, when l ..read more

Ireland’s largest hotel operator, the Dalata Hotel Group – which owns the Clayton and Maldron chains – has seen a slower start to the year for its Irish operations. The group – which also operates in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands – told shareholders at its AGM in Dublin that the first four months of 2024 have seen good performance from its UK hotels, but “lower levels of trade in Ireland”. That said, trade improved – particularly in Dublin – during March, compared to January and February. Dalata chair, John Hennessy pointed to the increased VAT rate for the hospitality sector and the ti ..read more

Royal Caribbean has reduced its carbon intensity by 6.8% – more than half of its double-digit reduction target – and said it remains firmly on course to become net zero by 2050.  In launching its annual sustainability report – punningly titled ‘Seastainability Report’ – Royal Caribbean said it remains “laser-focused” on improving its energy efficiency, treating the water it uses and diverting waste from landfill. The cruise giant said it is moving closer to its Destination Net Zero ambition, its target to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.   Royal Caribbean International’s Mari ..read more

The Dalata Hotel Group – which owns the Clayton and Maldron hotel chains – has reported a slower start to the year, but said it remains “optimistic” for its financial and operational performance for 2024, as a whole. The group – which operates across Ireland, the UK, Germany and the Netherlands – said the first four months of this year saw strong growth in the UK market, but a slowdown in business in Ireland. Addressing shareholders at the group’s AGM in Dublin, today, Dalata chair John Hennessy, said: “2024 has commenced with good performance for our UK portfolio which is expected to achieve ..read more

According to Irish digital marketing agency VROOM Digital, online searches for camping holidays are up 250% in 2024. For decades, French summer campsite holidays have been a beloved tradition for families seeking adventure, relaxation, and unforgettable memories. Eurocamp has been facilitating French summer camp holidays since 1973 – the company celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. Eurocamp’s story began in Brittany with its first parc, a time when cross-channel ferries were the only traveling option. While sailing still holds its charm, air travel is a faster option for time-constrained ..read more

Blue Diamond Resorts – the Caribbean-focused resort chain – has taken its entire property portfolio into the metaverse; allowing travel agents to boost their property knowledge online via 3D immersive experiences. Blue Diamond Resorts is the first to fully map its entire portfolio and from May 2024, agents will be able to access virtual tours across the Royalton Resorts and Planet Hollywood brands. Highlighting a commitment to supporting agent learning via innovation, this cutting-edge functionality opens a virtual door to first-hand experiences of individual properties, including exclusive p ..read more

Ryanair has been forced to cancel more than 300 flights, across its European network, due to the latest drama over air traffic controller (ATC) strike action in France. French ATC workers had planned to go on a 24-hour strike today, but it didn’t go ahead due to the SNCTA trade union agreeing a new pay and working conditions deal. However, the cancellation of the strike action came too late to accommodate a reversal of widespread flight cancellations across France that had to be called early to avoid mass chaos. As a result, 55% of Thursday flights through Paris Charles de Gaulle – France’s m ..read more

Etihad Airways is to begin flying its double-decker A380 plane to Paris, from Abu Dhabi, in November. The new Abu Dhabi-Paris route for the iconic mega-jet will begin on November 1. It follows on from the success of routes to London and New York. Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways, said: “As a city celebrated for its style and ambiance, Paris is the perfect destination for our iconic A380 aircraft. This enhancement reflects our commitment to delivering award-winning comfort and service across all cabin classes. “The introduction of the A380 on the Abu Dhabi – Pari ..read more