Two Cork agents won on the night, East Cork Travel won Best specialist tour operator and Lee Travel Won best Travel Agent of the Year, it was the 1st time this prize was awarded. Declan and his teams are very honored to be rewarded with the title. Lee travel have offices in Princes Street, Cork, Midleton, Youghal (t/a Macdonald Travel), Ballincollig and its newest addition Paul Street shopping centre. Lee Travel has a total of 26 employees around the county!
“Last night almost 500 guests attended the Irish Travel Industry Awards ceremony at the Round Room in Dublin’s Mansion House.
Craig Doyle, Master of Ceremonies for the evening revealed the winners of the inaugural awards to both travel agents and travel industry suppliers at this inaugural Awards Ceremony.
Welcoming guests, Irish Travel Agents Association President said the Awards marked the resilience and optimism of an industry that had seen coped with extraordinary shocks during 2010
The winner of the 1st Irish Travel Agent of the Year Award was Lee Travel in Cork. The judges explained they had based their decision on the all round excellence of this long established firm and also its determination to expand during a period of adversity – opening 3 new offices in 2010.
Speaking at the Awards, Declan O’Connell, Managing Director of Lee Travel declared himself very honoured and paid tribute to the dedication of his staff. He also invited guests to have a thought for those who had had to leave the industry in recent times.
Winners of other Travel Agent Awards were Young Travel Professional of the Year: Breda Riordan (Ace Travel) Most Innovative Agency: FCm Travel Solutions Best Corporate Travel Agency: Carlson Wagonlit Travel
Winners of Supplier awards on the night included Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Aer Lingus and Amadeus – each of whom one two separate awards.
Charitable dimension. The Society of St Vincent de Paul was named as the beneficiary of a raffle on the evening and almost €7,000 was raised from guests on the night, The raffle with excellent prizes was rounded off appropriately when Jim Sharkey – an ITAA past President -won 2 long haul BA World Traveller Plus tickets. Separately, the organisers presented the ITAA Benevolent Fund with a cheque for €5,000 out of the proceeds of the table sales for the evening.”