Paul Hackett, chief executive of Click&Go, has been elected president of the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA).
His position is due to be confirmed at the ITAA’s virtual annual general meeting on Thursday.
Hackett has served as a board member of the ITAA since 2017 and has more than thirty years of experience working in the travel sector. His company, Click&Go, has been an ITAA member for more than seven years.
The ITAA said Hackett has been “instrumental” to its public affairs work and involved in lobbying for the travel industry alongside chief executive Pat Dawson, presenting on behalf of the ITAA to Ireland’s three Joint Oireachtas Committee meetings over the last 15 months.
Dawson said: “I would like to wish Paul the very best of luck as he begins his new term as ITAA president. His passion for the industry is evident in the hard work he has put in as a board member, particularly throughout the Covid-19 crisis.”
Dawson also thanked outgoing president Michael Doorley, adding: “Michael has served three previous terms as ITAA president: from 1982 to 1983, when the ITAA negotiated with the Department of Transport to introduce legislation to give consumer protection which is still the cornerstone of travel agents licensing; again from 2002 to 2003; and most recently from 2020 to 2021.
“Present at the very first meeting of the ITAA, Michael‘s passion for the organisation and our work is clear.”
This year’s ITAA presidential election had a 95% voter turnout.