The operator also took home the Best Place to Work in Travel and Tour Operator of the Year – Large awards at the show-stopping ceremony on Thursday evening (26 September) attended by almost 1,000 industry professional at Magazine London, beside the O2 Arena.
TV royalty Davina McCall returned for hosting duties, while guests were treated to a scintillating set by Ella Henderson, courtesy of headline partner Virgin Voyages. Meanwhile, Holiday Extras’ Win Me A Mini competition saw Debbie Poole from Lincolnshire Co-operative Travel in Boston win a new car.
As revealed during the ceremony, The Travel Industry Awards by TTG will move to a new home in 2025 – Camden’s iconic music and arts venue, the Roundhouse.
Other big winners during the evening included Jet2, with operator Jet2holidays claiming the inaugural Agents’ Choice – Large title, and airline Jet2.com bagging Airline of the Year.
Reflecting on easyJet holidays’ success on the night, chief operating officer Matt Callaghan said it was hard to believe the brand would only be celebrating its fifth birthday in November.
"To pick up three of the most prestigious awards in travel is huge testament to the brilliant work our people do and the faith our brilliant trade partners put in us, who we are privileged to work with," he said.
"These awards are recognition of the highest order for our people and our partners. It has been a team effort on both sides which has enabled us to scoop these three magnificent awards."
Addressing agents directly, easyJet holidays’ head of trade distribution Natasha Marson added: "Stick with us. Trust us. Remain loyal. We are absolutely 100% behind our trade partners. We want to ensure they grow with us and reap the benefits. It’s a partnership for both ours futures."
SEE ALL THE WINNERS ON THE NIGHT
Intrepid Travel also took home two trophies – the Travel Industry Awards’ inaugural Positive Impact Award for its humanitarian and charitable efforts in response to the 2023 earthquake in Morocco, and Touring & Adventure Operator of the Year.
"It feels incredible," said Intrepid’s head of business development and partnerships Jo Reeve. "We love working with our industry partners, and we just want to say a massive thank you to them.
"We’re a small but mighty team. We work hard and always believe in what we do. We feel very connected in here. We’ve always been tightly knit as an industry, but we’re coming together on the causes that really matter."
Biheng Zhang, general manager of the Intrepid Foundation, added: "The Travel Industry Awards are very special to us. They really inspire us as we’re able to look to what other organisations are doing and really showcase what we’ve been working on. It recognises partnerships and everyone in the industry’s hard work.
Meanwhile, Hayley Markham, manager of Holidays By Design in Brigg, won the biggest award trophy of the night when she was named UK & Ireland Travel Agent of the Year having also scooped the Manger of the Year title.
"It’s hard to find the right words. I’m in shock, a little bit," she said moments after stepping off stage. "I’m just so proud, not just of my own achievements, but more so our team.
"We’re a relatively new branch, we’ve only been open for three years, so to achieve something like this at such a prestigious awards is just phenomenal for us. Thank so much to my girls, I’m so proud of you and can’t wait to celebrate with you all."
There was a poignant moment early in the ceremony after a special Heart of Travel Award was posthumously awarded to Melissa Tilling, who passed away suddenly in July. Her family was in attendance to accept the award on behalf of the pioneering founder of Charitable Travel and Sustainable Journeys and long-time champion of travel’s diversity, equity and inclusion mission.
Hays Travel chair Dame Irene Hays and Helen Hays presented The John Hays Entrepreneur Award to Limitless Travel founder Angus Drummond following an enhanced judging process, which this year included an interview stage held at Hays’ head office in Sunderland earlier this month.
Steven Freudmann, chair of the Institute of Travel and Tourism, was named Travel Legend recognising his outstanding contribution to the industry over the past nearly 60 years, while Tea Colaianni, founder and chair of Women in Hospitality, Travel, and Leisure, was named as the inaugural recipient of the Diversity Trailblazer Award.
Jet2holidays was named Agents Choice – Large. Lloyd Cross, general manager trade said: “It’s nice and simple, we try to look after our customers – and if we look after them, they’ll go back to the agents.”
Cross added he was "massively proud" of the Jet2holidays trade team. "We’ve been together for years and we’re always striving to improve, look at development opportunities and support agents."
Riviera Travel, meanwhile, took the Agents’ Choice – Small award, with trading director Stuart Milan also paying tribute to his team.
"We’ve worked so hard. Building the team up, putting the relationships in place with our trade partners. For all of that to come to fruition, it’s amazing," said Milan, who added he believed the escorted touring and river cruise specialist’s trade team "never rests on our laurels".
"We’re always going to focus on the next thing. The trade is where it’s at, it’s how we’re going to build our business and that is our pure focus for the years to come.”
Joe Biggs, who was named Home-Based Travel Agent of the Year, having been shortlisted in the same category in 2023, said there was "no better feeling than this". "You never know which way it’s going to go, with so many worthy candidates. It was very tough competition.”
Hays Travel Dundee’s Joel Grant, who picked up New Travel Agent of the Year, praised the support of his managers Chloe, John and Joanne and said his win was “going to be massive for the business going forward”.
