After being named InteleTravel’s top-performing Irish agent and becoming the US homeworking firm’s second Irish ambassador, Furlong completed the hattrick by landing her largest booking to date – a stay at Disneyland Paris in November for a staggering 234 people, more than 10 times bigger than her previous largest booking.
Of those 234, 89 are members of jazz dance school Starstruck Dance Academy, including her son, while the rest are accompanying family and teachers.
As an ex-ballet teacher, Furlong foresaw the benefit to the students taking an overseas trip; she pitched Disney’s performers package to the academy, which gives amateur groups an opportunity not only to visit the famous theme park, but also perform there for other guests.
"I knew the idea had potential, but I’d never done a booking of this size so it was a bit of a test case," explains Furlong, who founded her business – Inclusive Travel – shortly after joining InteleTravel.
Prior to the monster Disneyland bookings, Furlong’s business had predominantly been luxury family trips – the largest being a ski trip for 17.
She booked a smaller overnight trip for Starstruck to a West End show in London as a trial. “The academy said it was the smoothest trip they’d ever been on," says Furlong. "So they decided to take the leap and book the big trip. They have also committed to repeating the London trip, which is great."
Working with Furlong, the academy eventually settled on November 2025 for the big trip. Accounting for the cost of transport, transfers and accommodation, Furlong estimates the booking will run to €150,000 – and then some.
“People from the group are already approaching me to do other trips for them," she continues. "Lots of the families want to add things on to the Disneyland trip, and I have two other dance schools interested in Disney performers packages for 2025/26.”
Furlong’s background is in finance and business, and while travel has long been one of Furlong’s passions, she only took the leap and joined the industry two years ago after a friend recounted a positive experience with InteleTravel.
"They are super supportive," she says. "They really help you hone your knowledge of the product and build your confidence, which is essential when starting out on your own in a new industry.”
Now that Furlong has established herself, she spends her time helping other InteleTravel consultants through her new position as an InteleTravel ambassador. The role is designed to help nurture other agents through dedicated training, webinars and mentoring to help them build their businesses.
While Furlong is confident of a bumper year, she is grateful to the support she’s received from her family. "It was my wife Ellie who pushed me to finally pursue a career in travel," she adds. "She knew it had always been in the back of my mind. I’m happiest when travelling or planning to travel.”
