TORONTO — RIT Vacations is on the road – a familiar situation for a company thatʻs built its legacy and reputation on 25 years of top-notch touring.

Sargeant behind the bar pulling a pint of Guinness

The Ireland and UK specialist is in Ontario this week with a team of 12 Irish partners visiting travel advisors in London, Hamilton and Oshawa. More industry events in other provinces will be coming in 2026, plus webinars (with prizes) all hosted by RIT to celebrate its 25th anniversary.

Ahead of this weekʻs festivities, Travelweek connected with RITʻs Director of Sales, Jonathan Sargeant, and Sales Manager, John Fallon. They first talked about why travel advisors, the quarter-century milestone and the secret to the companyʻs success – and now they share how their own personal connections to Ireland enhance their work with RIT, whatʻs on the way for 2026, and more …

Travelweek: You are both proudly Irish. How has your love for Ireland and your ties and connections to the country positively impacted RIT?

John: “The one element I associate with the job is pride. I am very fortunate to be in a position to talk about where I came from and extend that genuine love for home to travel advisors across Canada. Having spent most of my life in Ireland, and most of my family holidays touring around the island, it is nice to have that knowledge to help advisors choose the best areas and products for their clients.”

Jonathan: “I think it brings authenticity. We’re not trying to sell travel advisors or consumers on Ireland or RIT. We just talk about why we love it (and I suppose that’s the same thing!)”

Travelweek: What’s changed in RIT’s 25 years?

John: “The early days were very much focused on showcasing the island of Ireland by coach, and coach, only. While guided coach tours remain our main product and will continue to be going forward, we are seeing a lot more adventurous clients booking with RIT in more recent years. With a change in consumer behaviour comes a change in product offerings. A big change, especially post-pandemic, has been the increased interest in smaller group travel which has allowed us to include some more unique offerings on our tours. The smaller capacity (just 16 guests) appeals to clients who are maybe uncertain of guided land tours or simply prefer a more intimate experience.

“We’re also now including more food tours in Ireland – something which would not have been common in the early days of RIT. Our clients are also becoming increasingly conscious of the areas they are visiting – they want to meet the locals, stay longer in the towns / cities, they want to hear from the farmers and local enterprises.”

Travelweek: What 2026 details can you share?

Jonathan: “In 2026 we will have a total of 10 UK coach tours, seven of which are new. For us, Ireland sells itself and all our tours pretty much sell out. We are seeing huge growth and interest in the UK – particularly Scotland and more regional parts of England. We launched a new Devon & Cornwall tour in 2025, and it has sold very well, so we are adding many more departures in 2026. Of our seven new UK tours, I am most excited about the 12-day North Coast & Islands, which includes stays on the Isle of Skye and Isle of Lewis, as well as spending time up in the beautiful Orkney Islands.”

Yesnaby in the Orkney Islands

Travelweek: What are your own favourite experiences in any RIT destination?

Jonathan: “For me, connecting with the local people and just doing the ‘ordinary’ things – like having lunch in a traditional Irish pub, with an open fireplace and maybe a fiddle player in the corner. I suppose it’s not really ‘ordinary’ – but something about it feels very familiar. Whenever we are escorting group on fam trips, it’s often those things that you remember and that advisors remember – a pint in a small pub chatting with a local, a sunrise walk on the beach on the West Coast. I am always saying guests almost feel like they have ‘come home’ when in Ireland – even if they have never been there before. It’s a hard feeling to explain, but you understand it once you’ve been.”

John: “I’m a foodie and Ireland for a long time was not considered a food destination. One experience that was introduced a number of years back was a food tour with a local enterprise in the West of Ireland. The guide brings our clients to various establishments in County Clare – not far from the famed Cliffs of Moher – and they get samples, and stories, of the food industry in modern day Ireland, from local breweries, cheesemongers, smoked salmon and oyster farming. For me, it’s important that we get to hear from locals when we visit more rural areas of Ireland and the UK and the food tour in Clare is one of my favourite examples of this type of tangible experience.”

Galway International Oyster Festival is a foodie’s delight

Travelweek: What’s your message for Canadian travel advisors – and how can agents take part in RIT’s 25th anniversary celebrations?

John: “Firstly, thank you! Thank you for the continued support of a Canadian company with Celtic heritage. We will be travelling throughout Canada in 2026 showcasing our product offerings and celebrating 25 years of RIT Vacations with you. First up, is our Ontario roadshow from October 6 – 9 with visits to London, Hamilton and Oshawa.”

Jonathan: “We will be hosting many events across Canada, starting with our Ontario roadshow with 12 Irish partners in October. There will be more to come in early 2026 in other provinces. As well as that, we will be hosting a series of webinars in the spring with partners from the UK and Ireland, showcasing our 25th year of tours, and we will have plenty of prizes to celebrate!”

More information about RIT Vacations is at RITVacations.com.

Cobh in County Cork