TTG’s Top 50 Travel Agencies 2023, in association with Visit Florida, is the eighth annual search for the best agencies in the UK and Ireland, and this year has seen a number of first-time nominees – many of whom have made the shortlist such as Dawson & Sanderson, Sunderland.
The Travel Village Group, Spear Travels, Travel Counsellors and Designer Travel have seen particular shortlist success, with three spots apiece.
High street miniples Perfect Getaways, Oasis Travel and Cassidy Travel all have two of their branches in the final, while there are four places on the shortlist for Barrhead Travel and five for Hays Travel.
Changes to the awards this year include updated assessment forms that put an even greater weighting on customer service, and a commitment from TTG to provide every Top 50 winner with a wide suite of social media assets, including video, to better support them in promoting their win on social channels.
Next, TTG journalists and sponsor supplier partners will be hitting the road to visit each of the 60 regional finalists in-person in February, while the 35 nationwide finalists will be interviewed by video-call.
The shortlist was compiled by a wide-ranging panel of 71 suppliers across tour operating, cruise, airlines, hotels, ancillaries and GDSs, who rated agencies they have worked with based on customer service, expertise, innovation and team culture.
Each of the shortlisted agencies will receive a complimentary invite to the TTG Top 50 Travel Agencies ceremony, taking place on 27 April at the Vox in Birmingham.
An additional five special categories covering customer service, community efforts, back-office heroes, sustainability and contribution to the industry, are now open for nominations.
TTG Media group editor Pippa Jacks said: "With more than 400 nominations from across the sector, TTG’s Top 50 Travel Agencies 2023 is set to be one of the biggest and best yet, and our editorial team can’t wait to meet every single finalist to find out more about their recent achievements."
To see the shortlist, visit the TTG Top 50 website.