TORONTO — Three vacations to Ireland in nine months?
It might seem “excessive”, as the frequent traveller on RIT Vacationsʻ testimonials page notes. But from the sounds of things, she had the time of her life with the tour operator.
RITʻs Sargeant at the Cliffs of Moher
As she put it: “We had the most fun and laughs on our tour so why not do it again?”
Thatʻs the kind of affection and loyalty the Ireland and UK specialist has inspired in many, many Canadian travellers over the past 25 years.
Officially RIT Vacationsʻ quarter-century mark is next year, but the company is eager to get the party started, and who can blame them? After Ian Duffy founded RIT in 2001, and launched its first touring programs in 2002, the company has enjoyed solid success with its laser focus on Ireland, and then Scotland, England and Wales. Itʻs time to celebrate.
This week RIT in conjunction with Tourism Ireland will host RIT’s 25th anniversary celebration in Toronto with a dozen Island of Ireland partners, including hoteliers, attractions and other experience providers.
Ahead of the festivities, Travelweek caught up with RITʻs Director of Sales, Jonathan Sargeant, and Sales Manager, John Fallon, for a Q&A.
Travelweek: Have travel advisors always been key to RIT’s success?
John: “100%. RIT would not be here today if it wasn’t for the continued support of Canadian travel advisors. We can do all the training, webinars and updates, but at the end of the day, it comes down to travel advisors and their recommendations to their clients. We are beyond honoured to be the leading tour operator to Ireland from Canada and that is down to the day-to-day support from advisors throughout Canada. Our aim is to always be honest with travel advisors: to set the expectations of what their clients will experience based on the specific tour.”
Belfast Titanic, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Travelweek: Can you share what the 25th anniversary milestone means to you?
John: “I think it is a huge achievement to mark 25 years of RIT Vacations next year. To see RIT continue to grow and succeed while also maintaining a niche product within the travel market is testament to the success of the product, and also to the continued support shown by the travel industry in return. We always say that ‘we don’t sell the world.’ We leave that up to the wonderful travel advisors across Canada. Instead we sell our world, which is Ireland & the UK.”
Jonathan: “It’s an amazing milestone to reach. I am proud to have been part of the more recent days of RIT, starting in 2018. While it’s not my company, the Duffys treat us like family, so there is definitely a sense of belonging here. I hope to be here for the next 25.”
Travelweek: What’s the secret to RIT’s success?
Jonathan: “I think the success comes down to the staff. Everyone loves Ireland and the UK, and the whole team is also so knowledgeable about the destinations. When you call our team, they are not promoting 20-30+ countries – they are just promoting four. As a result, our team has a deep knowledge of these destinations. Advisors often come to us with unrealistic itineraries that their clients want to do (The Cliffs of Moher and Isle of Skye in three days, for example!). Our staff are great at working with advisors and their clients to find itineraries that work, and to tailor them to their needs.
“As well as our team in Canada, our tour managers are really the backbone of the company. They are the reason we are still in business – their attention to detail, humour and their knowledge of the destination is what makes our coach tours.”
Edinburgh, Scotland
Travelweek: What were some of RIT’s original products in 2001? And what can you tell us about the company’s 2025 portfolio?
Jonathan: “Our Shamrock Royal tour has not changed much since the first departure all those years ago. Joe O’Connor, our amazing Tour Manager (now in his 24th season), escorted the Shamrock Royal that first year. Fast forward to 2025 and we have three departures a week of the 15-day Shamrock Royal in our most popular touring months. We are still using some of the same hotel partners – the Dromhall Hotel, for example, in Killarney, owned by the Randles family. We now have over 10 coach / sightseeing tours in Ireland, and 10 in the UK too.”
Killarney Muckross House
Travelweek: What do you want agents to know about RIT agent fams and any other opportunities for RIT’s retail trade partners?
John: “Our aim is to offer a FAM trip at least once a year to the island of Ireland and the UK. Our FAMs are always about experiencing the destination and meeting with our local partners rather than visiting as many hotels as possible within a week. We always encourage travel advisors to sample our products where possible. We offer a 30% discount on our coach tours and a 25% discount on our sightseeing tours along with 20% off for advisors on all our other products such as rail and self-drive vacations.”
More information about RIT Vacations is at RITVacations.com. Watch for more insights, memories and a 2026 preview with Jonathan Sargeant and John Fallon in tomorrowʻs edition of Travelweek Daily.
At John Fallon pub in Dublin, RITʻs Fallon leads a fam
