ORGANISERS of the Province's most prestigious and popular awards ceremony are gearing up for the biggest and best-ever Awards gala.

Because they believe that for the first time they have been able to solve a perennial problem... a shortage of seats!.

Each year since the Northern Ireland Travel and Tourism Awards were launched 14 years ago, there have never been enough tickets to go round.

Indeed, some years there has been a lengthy waiting list of hopefuls queuing for a last minute place at the Slieve Donard spectacular, organised by Northern Ireland Travel News.

And hardly a year has passed without someone or other being disappointed at being turned away.

Now, however, the extension of the function room at the Slieve Donard - a

development which will free up another 150 or so seats - will make the 2005 Awards the biggest since the event's inception in 1991.

So this year the Awards, on Friday, October 14, sponsored by Worldspan - the market leaders in global distribution systems and worldwide airline services for the travel industry - will be the biggest and most glamorous yet.

Said Brian Ogle, Director of Northern Ireland Travel News, the Awards organisers: We can't say that everyone who applies for a ticket will get one, what we can say is that the chances of being disappointed are far less than on any previous year since the Awards were launched.

'The word seems to be out that there will be extra places this year as we have already been taking inquiries from 'new' companies as well as others who want to book two tables instead of one.

"We will be putting an extra 150 seats on sale, but the same rules will apply as in past years - so get your application in early! We expect a higher level of bookings and will be monitoring ticket distribution very carefully to ensure that all sections of the travel and tourism industry will be represented.

"We have long believed that the event would be bigger if we had the capacity, now we are looking forward to moving the event on to a different level."

The organisers have also introduced another new category - for the Best Low Fares Airline - to be voted for by travel agents.

"Although low fares or budget airlines are not necessarily the most popular with the Travel Trade - especially when they first made their appearance - we have to recognise the fact that they now provide the majority of scheduled seats in and out of Northern Ireland.

"Also, in contrast to a few years ago when budget airlines were first coming on to the market, travel agents accept that they are here to stay and have no problem booking seats for their customers.

"Consequently, we feel that it is time that the 'Best Low Fares Airline' serving the Province's travellers was recognised."

Brian Staunton, Country Manager, Worldspan, sponsors of the Awards, said he was delighted to be sponsors of the event for the sixth year in a row.

"We recognise the importance of these Awards and are delighted to be sponsoring them once again.

"We are getting absolutely tremendous support from the Northern Ireland Travel Trade and this is our way of repaying members of the Trade for their support.

"The event just gets better and better each year, and we are all looking forward to another memorable evening"

As well as the new Low Fares Airline category, Northern Ireland Travel News has increased its support for the Travel Student of the Year.

All finalists for the Award, run in conjunction with Belfast College of Further and Higher Education, will be getting an invitation to the 2005 Travel and Tourism Awards.

And for the first time, the winner will not be revealed until on stage on the night of the Slieve Donard spectacular.

"This will heighten interest and anticipation among the students, and give the travel agents, ferry and airline executives and tour operators of tomorrow the chance to mix with the people who have already made their names in the industry, and give them added recognition of their achievements.

"It will make the Student of the Year award an even more prestigious one, and it will be a night never to be forgotten, not just for the winner, but for all the short listed finalists."

In the local tourism section, the substantial increase in visitors to the Province in the past year is expected to bring increased competition in categories such as for the Best Visitor Attraction and Best Tourist Information Centre.

The award for the Best NI Marketing Initiative is always keenly contested while the accolade for the NI Special Achievement goes to an organisation or individual who is judged to have made the biggest contribution to the industry over the tourism year.

In the travel categories, the most prestigious award will again be for the Travel Agent of the Year. The presentation to the winner of the Tyrone Crystal globe is usually the highlight of the evening, and is the very last award to be handed over.

Last year the winner was Oasis Travel, for a record fourth time, while previous winners have included McNeill Rigby, Millikens, Dunlop Travel and Greers - from all parts of the Province.

Added Brian Ogle: "The fact that Northern Ireland Travel News is now available in hundreds of newsagents all over the Province means that the paper has an increasing number of new readers - and in fact potential new voters for the Awards.

"We will, as is usual practice, be offering incentives to encourage readers, whether members of the travelling public or travel agents, to vote in the respective categories"

Tickets for the Awards will go on sale on Friday, July 8 at 10.00am with rooms at the Slieve Donard Hotel being released at the same time.

Once again the Awards will be hosted by a lady who has stamped her own unmistakable professional imprint on the occasion - TV and radio personality Angela Rippon.

There will as usual be guest personalities, a top after-dinner speaker and a quality live band for dancing into the wee small hours.

A total of 24 awards will be handed over in four categories with the methods of determining winners varying from readers votes to anonymous assessments and judging panels.

In the local tourism section winners are decided by on-the-spot inspections and the deliberations of a judging panel, while in some categories, it is the votes cast by members of the public that count. In the main travel categories, the decision-makers are the principals and staff of the Province's retail travel agencies, the people who deal on a daily basis with the airlines, ferry companies, tour operators, etc

The names of the latest addition to the Travel and Tourism Industry's Roll of Honour will also be revealed. Last year it was the name of Joe Laffin which was added to the auspicious and ever-lengthening list.

The full list of awards in the other three categories are:

Category I

NORTHERN IRELAND TRAVEL AGENT OF THE YEAR

Category II Travel Industry

(to be selected by Travel Agents and Agency staff)

BEST PACKAGE TOUR OPERATOR

BEST LONG HAUL OPERATOR

BEST SPECIALIST OPERATOR

BEST TRAVEL INDUSTRY INTERNET BOOKING SYSTEM

BEST UK DOMESTIC AIRLINE

BEST WORLDWIDE AIRLINE

BEST CHARTER AIRLINE

BEST LOW FARES AIRLINE

BEST FERRY/SHIPPING COMPANY

BEST SALES SUPPORT TEAM TO N.I. TRAVEL TRADE

TRAVEL TRADE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE YEAR

BEST CAR HIRE COMPANY

BEST CRUISE LINE

BEST COACH TOUR OPERATOR

BEST SKI OPERATOR

BEST DESTINATION MARKETING

Category III Local Tourism

(to be selected by a panel of expert judges)

BEST TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE

N.I. SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

N.I. MARKETING INITIATIVE

BEST N.I. VISITOR ATTRACTION (voted for by Travel News readers)

Category IV

(to be selected by a panel of expert judges)

N.I. TRAVEL & TOURISM PERSONALITY 2005

N.I. MULTIPLE RETAIL GROUP

NVQ3 TRAVEL STUDENT OF THE YEAR

NB

Ticket applications will be accepted only after 10.00am on Friday, July 8. Details of how to apply will be given in the July issue of NI Travel News. Hotel applications for rooms in the Slieve Donard will also only be accepted after 10am on this date.

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