The agency came away from Monday’s ceremony (7 July) at Grant Thornton in London with a hat-trick of awards, including best large company.
Other "standout" winners included Access Bookings (best mid-size company) and Luxury Coastal (best small total). In total, 20 travel companies were recognised for their efforts to champion people and talent.
Yorkshire’s Beverley Travel also made the top 20.
Gail Kenny, who co-founded the awards and accompanying employee survey, said that the 2025 programme demonstrated "that despite continued economic pressure and ongoing industry change, people still matter".
Designer Travel also won two of the programme’s six special awards, recognising excellent in "happiness" and "performance and recognition".
Other businesses honoured with special awards included Holiday Architects ("wellbeing" and "purpose"), Travel Nation ("equity") and USAirtours ("progression").
"This year’s results paint a picture of resilience and commitment, despite the economic and geopolitical challenges the travel industry faces," Kenny continued.
"Even where the data shows small dips, the best travel employers are using this insight to improve, not panic. And that’s the point of Best Workplaces in Travel – real feedback, real action."
Research carried out as part of the awards process revealed the overall employee engagement score fell slightly year-on-year to 79% (-1%), with the biggest dip coming in employers’ attention to "feedback and progression".
The awards’ rankings are built on values-based, individually-tailored surveys, with each participating employer receiving analysis, trends and practical next steps "to help turn insight into impact".
Kenny said the top performers "stood out for their ability to retain, develop and energise their people", while workplace culture expert Jo Harley from Korero stressed the best employers were those "listening more, acting faster and taking people experience as seriously as customer experience".
"That’s how they win talent, and how they’ll keep it," she added.
In total, 20 travel businesses achieved a place on the Best Workplaces in Travel "hotlist". They were: Ace Cultural Tours, Access Bookings, Beverley Travel, Blue Cube Travel, Caledonian Leisure, Canterbury Travel, Cornish Gems, Designer Travel, Golfbreaks, Holiday Architects, Ice Travel Group, Intrepid Travel, Luxury Coastal, Lusso, Neilson, Panache Cruises, Simpson Travel, Travel Nation, USAirtours and Wild Frontiers.
