And few can have seen such a significant boost to their business as Paul Johnstone of Now Let’s Travel in Newcastle, crowned both Cruise Agent of the Year and overall Top Agent of the Year at last year’s TTG Travel Awards.

Twelve months later, the social media buzz around his double-win has helped Now Let’s Travel amass 17,000 likes on Facebook, and regularly attract several hundred shares of its social media posts. And his eight-strong call-centre team has doubled revenue in the past year, giving Paul such confidence in the business that he’s opening his first high street store.

Trophies alone will never transform a business; it’s a hardworking team and effective marketing that really makes sales grow. But we’re thrilled to think taking home a gong has played a part in raising Now Let’s Travel’s profile, and giving Paul and his team the encouragement to reach for the stars.

Next month we’ll be announcing eight more agents we believe to be the best at what they do, alongside 18 supplier winners, at the TTG Travel Awards 2016. Join us on September 19 to meet our winners for yourself; we can’t wait to see what they’ll go on to achieve.

Fair deal for women

If agents like Paul make us proud to be in travel, then sportsmen and women like Max Whitlock, Mo Farah and Charlotte Dujardin are making us proud to be British this week. But as Jo Rzymowska notes in this week’s TTG, the commentary at the Olympics has hardly been medal-winning in terms of gender equality, reminding her of the need for travel firms to encourage women leaders.

Barrhead Travel is one company that has taken nurturing its female employees – as well as male – very seriously, and has an 80% female board. And with Barrhead currently reporting profit up 66% on last year as it seeks investment, perhaps embracing diversity is what’s helping this travel agency go for gold.