REVEALED: Luxury hotels and new flight routes to America and Europe announced for 2026

A number of new flight routes and two new luxury hotels have been announced for the Irish travel market this year.

The Editor of Travel Extra, Eoghan Corry, revealed to RTÉ that Ryanair and Aer Lingus will be facilitating flights to two new American destinations as well as a new European capital. 

Aer Lingus will soon be starting direct flights to Pittsburgh following a four-year sponsorship deal that started in early 2025 with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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The airline will also begin a direct flight to Rally Durham in North Carolina, which is an important stop for American connections.

Ryanair has revealed a new European holiday destination with flights to Tirana in Albania to become available this year. 

"You have those beautiful beaches at about 30% cheaper than those other destinations," Eoghan said about the new stop. 

The addition of Tirana to Ryanair's flight routes means there are now only three European capitals that do not have direct flights to them from Dublin. 

Eoghan also explained how now is the best time to book new destinations as they are cheaper than more established tourist locations. 

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"My strong advice is book early, you're going to get better prices," he said.

Those who prefer staycations will soon be able to stay at two new five-star hotels in Ireland.

The Hawthorn in Galway and The Grace in West Cork, named after the Pirate Queen Grace O'Malley, will both open in March, but are available to book at the moment.

A new high-end hotel will also come on the Irish tourism market at Dublin Airport along with roughly three new Premier Inns across the country.