The thorny issue of visas

One of the many inconveniences that intrepid travelers must occasionally contend with, is that of obtaining visas to enter certain countries. Some countries — like the USA for example — make the process quite straight forward if you’re lucky enough to be part of their visa waiver programme known as ESTA as all you need to do is complete an online form and pay the relevant visa charge. Canada followed suit last year and Turkey

Does familiarity breed contempt?*

It is a phrase that we’re all well acquainted with and although strictly speaking it is supposed to refer to a person rather than a thing, it has become common practice in recent times to denote the lack of respect that we attribute to persons, places or things when they become so familiar to us that they become boring. A perfect example of this behavioral phenomenon is global tourism. You and I often travel at

Is Barcelona the perfect short break city destination?

I have been to Barcelona on four or five occasions over the past few years but each one was a flying visit — either joining a cruise ship departing the Catalan capital or disembarking from one! I was therefore determined to finally set aside two whole days so that I could take time to experience just some of what this Spanish jewel has to offer, and the destination didn’t disappoint. The term ‘short break’ has

The best cruise ship in the world

It’s very easy to become blasé in our industry as we have the privilege of getting invited aboard loads of new ship builds so we always see them in their newest and shiniest state when they have the cruise equivalent of that ‘new car’ smell and everything is just perfect. I recently had the immense pleasure of spending a couple of nights aboard Symphony of the Seas in Barcelona when Royal Caribbean’s latest mega ship

Do you know what travel agents do?

It’s not a trick question. Do you know what travel agents do on a day-to-day basis? Do they specialize in all modes of travel or just some? Do they confine themselves to specific geographical areas or do they cover the whole world? Do they focus on group or individual travel? Are all travel agents the same? Do they all know the same stuff? OK, that’s more than one question but you get my drift. (more…)

You say tomato, I say tomayto!

Just like food, wine, music, art and practically everything else that you can think of, people have very individual tastes when it comes to travel. Some people dream of being able to take an adult ‘Gap Year’ when they can put everything into storage; rent out the house (or sell it) and head off on their adventure of a lifetime. I fall into that other category — little and often. (more…)

Is Singapore the perfect city?

I’m an outdoorsy kind of person who is big into his mountains, forests and wide-open spaces but every now and then, I like to up gear a notch or three and spend a few days in a big city. It’s not just because of the change of scenery, shopping, nightlife or even the infinite choices available in which to eat or be entertained. There is an energy that such places generate and I’ve yet to

It’s all about context!

A phenomenon that has always intrigued me is that of the various travel lists that are compiled each year by such august publications as Lonely Planet, Conde Nast, National Geographic etc. The lists usually fall into broad categories such as ‘The world’s best beaches’, or ‘Top countries to visit in 2018’, ‘The ten most romantic cities’ and so on. The bit that intrigues me is what, exactly, is it that elevates such recipients to become

The reasons why we buy things are changing.

There was a time — not so long ago — when the decision-making process was straight forward, depending of course, on what it was you were purchasing. In the case of hotels abroad, people usually made their buying decisions based on a combination of some or all the following: location, facilities, price, reputation, brand. In the case of facilities, high amongst the requirements would have been a swimming pool and/or a sea view and whilst

WHERE TO GO IN 2018? — PART 3

‘Familiarity breeds contempt’, so the saying goes, and it is always a disappointment to me when people denigrate Spain as a holiday destination as it is still, in my opinion, one of the most amazing countries in the world and indeed that is one of the many reasons why it is still the most popular destination with Irish people. Ironically, the expression ‘Familiarity breeds contempt’ was never about places but about people — children in

WHERE TO GO TO IN 2018? — PART 2

Things are beginning to heat up in the China space in 2018 — at least as far as Ireland is concerned. On June 2nd, Cathay Pacific will start their new direct, non-stop service from Dublin to Hong Kong with flights on Monday’s, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, leaving at 00.50hrs and arriving in Hong Kong at 06.45 hrs. This will be the first time that Ireland and China have ever been linked by a direct service

WHERE TO GO IN 2018?

‘Let’s Talk Travel’ has become one of the most popular features of the Holiday World travel exhibition that is held at the RDS each year. At last weekend’s event, yours truly was one of the panellists asked to contribute to a session entitled ‘Holiday Trends’. The other two panellists were Paul Hackett, founder and managing director of Click & Go and Catherine Grennell-Whyte, MD of ATTS — a GSA (general sales agent) for companies such

The art of getting a quote that is both competitive in price and relevant to your needs starts with gathering all the right information about what you want to do (or think you want to do!).