Top travel achievers celebrated at National Travel Industry Awards.
Travellers Choice has taken out the Best Travel Agency Group category at this year’s National Travel Industry Awards, which have just been announced at Sydney’s International Convention Centre.
The black-tie event, which was attended by over 1,300 travel industry members, also saw Magellan Travel crowned Best Non-Branded Travel Agency Group for another year, while other big winners included Royal Caribbean International and Princess Cruises who took out the Best Cruise Operator Domestic and International Deployment titles respectively.
Other reprised winners in 2019 included APT, crowned Best River Cruise Operator for another year, and Corporate Travel Management which once again claimed the title of Best National Travel Management Company.
New for 2019 were the Council of Australian Tour Operators (CATO) Awards, recognising and rewarding front line travel consultants who show excellence and knowledge in their specific travel category.
Top consultants and supplier sales executives were also honoured, with the celebrations continuing into the night at the Singapore Airlines after-party.
The full list of winners is below:
Category 1 – Best Travel Agency Group (50 stores or more): Travellers Choice
Category 2 – Best Non-Branded Travel Agency Group: Magellan Travel
Category 3 – Best Travel Agency Leisure – Single Location: Main Beach Travel
Category 4 – Best Travel Agency Leisure – Multi Location: Helloworld Travel Mackay & Mt Pleasant
Category 5 – Best Travel Agency Corporate – Single Location: Complete Business Travel
Category 6 – Best Travel Agency Corporate – Multi Location: The Travel Authority
Category 7 – Best National Travel Management Company: Corporate Travel Management
Category 8 – Best Mobile Travel Advisor Network: TravelManagers Australia
Category 9 – Best Online Travel Agency (OTA): Flybuys Travel
Category 10 – Best Business Events Travel Agency: The Events Authority
Category 11 – Best Travel Consultant – Leisure: Rebecca Knowles, Flight Centre Devonport, TAS
Category 12 – Best Travel Consultant – Corporate: Veronika Panzic, Show Group Enterprise, WA
Category 13 – Best Travel Agency Manager – Leisure Single Location: Debbi Ashes, Helloworld Travel Lane Cove, NSW
Category 14 – Best Travel Agency Manager – Leisure Multi Location: Bridie Clarke, italktravel & cruise East Doncaster, Fountain Gate & Mt Waverley
Category 15 – Best Travel Agency Manager – Corporate Single Location: Christopher Goddard, Maxim’s Travel, NSW
Category 16 – Best Mobile Travel Advisor: Kathy Millett, TravelManagers, WA
Category 17 – Young Agent of the Year: Annabel Edgecombe, Flight Centre Indooroopilly, QLD
Category 18 – Best Domestic Airline: Virgin Australia
Category 19 – Best International Airline – Online: Air New Zealand
Category 20 – Best International Airline – Offline: Lufthansa German Airlines
Category 21 – Best Cruise Operator – Domestic Deployment: Royal Caribbean International
Category 22 – Best Cruise Operator – International Deployment: Princess Cruises
Category 23 – Best River Cruise Operator: APT
Category 24 – Best Tour Operator – Domestic: APT
Category 25 – Best Tour Operator – International: Bunnik Tours
Category 26 – Best Car/Campervan Rental Operator: Avis
Category 27 – Best Tourist Office – International: Tourism New Zealand
Category 28 – Best Specialty Wholesaler: Entire Travel Group
Category 29 – Best Wholesaler – Australian Product: Qantas Holidays & Viva Holidays
Category 30 – Best Wholesaler – International Product: Adventure World
Category 31 – Best Agency Support Service: Air Tickets
Category 32 – Best Sales Executive – Land: Kat Nitarski, On The Go Tours, Queensland
Category 33 – Best Sales Executive – Cruise: Richard Waugh, P&O Cruises, Queensland
Category 34 – Best Sales Executive – Air: Lisa Manera, Finnair, WA
Category 35 – Best Hotel/Resort Group: Club Med
Category 36 – Best Registered Travel Industry Training Institution: William Angliss Institute
Category 37 – Best Travel Writer – Consumer: Catherine Marshall
Category 38 – Best Travel Agent Technology Innovation: New Distribution Capability, Tramada Systems
Category 39 – Emirates Travel Consultant Scholarship: Laura Jago, Helloworld Travel Kotara, NSW
Category 40 – People’s Choice: Retail Travel Agency of the Year: Bicton Travel
THE CATO AWARDS
Category 41 – Consultant of the Year – Adventure Travel: Leanne Flanagan Smith, Back Track Adventures, QLD
Category 42 – Consultant of the Year – Group Touring: Michelle Barker, Jayes Travel, NSW
Category 43 – Consultant of the Year – Ski: Jenny Tucker, Travel Partners, NSW
Category 44 – Consultant of the Year – F.I.T: Michelle Barker, Jayes Travel, NSW
More details and all the pics from the night in next week’s issues of Travel Daily, Cruise Weekly and Business Events News.