Council of Australian Tour Operators to operate a standalone awards event in 2020.
The Council of Australian Tour Operators has just announced that the “CATO Awards” will take place in October next year, as a separate event dedicated to the land supply sector.
The move will expand on this year’s inaugural CATO Awards, which took place as part of the National Travel Industry Awards gala dinner. A total of 14 categories will be awarded, up from this year’s four, with CATO members nominating winners in a range of categories including naming an “Agency of the Year” for each of Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa/Middle East and Oceania.
Individual consultants will be honoured for their performance in Group Touring, Adventure, Youth Travel, Ski and FIT, and there will also be a Rookie of the Year award.
CATO MD Brett Jardine said the 2020 CATO Awards would be held as a “lavish cocktail function” on the evening of Friday 23 October, and would provide the opportunity for the organisation to recognise the “valued support it receives from travel agents and the retail travel trade”.
More details in tomorrow’s issue of Travel Daily.