Paul Hackett

Paul Hackett has transitioned to Founder & Director at Click&Go Holidays as of September 2026, focusing on cruise holidays and international expansion. He and co-founder Bob Haugh created Click&Go to reinvent traditional online package holidays by giving customers the power to choose what type of holiday they wanted and how they wanted to pay for it. Click&Go Holidays has received multiple industry awards including ITAA Travel Agency of the Year in 2024. The company arranged holidays for over 200,000 people since its launch and grew its turnover to around €40 million by 2017.

Hackett has worked in the travel industry for 30 years and learned the trade in Aer Lingus Holidays, Budget Travel and JWT. He obtained a B.Sc.Mgmt degree with a focus in Marketing from Technological University Dublin (1983-1987) and worked as a part-time lecturer at DIT Cathal Brugha Street from 1990 to 2002 and LSB College from 1990 to 1995, where he was involved in setting up the first BA in Tourism Studies in Ireland. Prior to Click&Go, he was Managing Director of NST - The Group Travel Specialists from 1996 to 2010, where he grew the business to become Ireland's largest school and educational group travel company.

Hackett currently serves as Vice President and Board Member of the Irish Travel Agents Association since 2023, and previously served as President from 2021 to 2023. In 2011, Click&Go made the Enterprise Ireland list of high potential start-ups and began its partnership with Aer Lingus under the Holidays with Aer Lingus brand. The company employs 60 staff and operates from Dublin with a Polish subsidiary in Warsaw.

Career history

• Marketing Executive, Aer Lingus Holidays (1989-1990)
• Marketing roles at Joe Walsh Tours/JWT and Budget Travel
• Part-time Lecturer, DIT Cathal Brugha Street and LSB College (1990-2002)
• Managing Director, NST - The Group Travel Specialists (1996-2010)
• Co-founder & CEO, Click&Go Holidays (2010-September 2026)
• Founder & Director, Click&Go Holidays (September 2026-present)

What Paul Hackett could bring to Founder & Director role at Click&Go Holidays: Hackett's transition to focus on cruise holidays and international expansion draws on his 30+ years in travel, established industry leadership as former Irish Travel Agents Association President, and proven success building Click&Go from startup to 60-employee company with major partnerships. His vision for customer-centric innovation and willingness to forgo personal compensation during growth phases position him to develop emerging business divisions.