Peakes Travel Elite in Shrewsbury was crowned best travel agency in the UK and Ireland for 2019, having been named top in the Central England region for a phenomenal four years in a row
This new award was introduced for 2019 to celebrate some of the incredible stories we heard during Top 50 judging of agents going the extra mile for customers
Cherie Richards, commercial director of travel agency consortium Global Travel Group, is the first-ever recipient of the Contribution to Travel award at TTG Top 50 Travel Agencies
Owner Maura Fahy clearly runs a tight ship at this Galway-based agency with a perfect balance between business know-how and delivering highly personalised service
Atlantic Travel has been in the Donegal town of Letterkenny for 27 years, but three years ago the owner’s daughter, Emma McHugh, was drafted in to give the business some TLC
Having opened his store in May 1972 in a prime high street location in Navan, owner Martin Skelly decided to rebrand to appeal to a wider audience five years ago
This family-run business has been selling travel for more than 28 years, with mother and son duo Marie and Paul Gallagher heading up a team of seven agents
Terra Travel has been operating in the Rushmere Shopping Centre since 1982 and is one of the company’s three branches – the others reside in Lurgan and Portadown
Now heading into its 10th year in business, Thorne Travel has installed itself at the heart of the Kilwinning community with a reputation for its canny approach to business and myriad charitable efforts
The store might only be two years old, but the nine members of staff working there – who between them have accrued close to 100 years of experience – are already making their mark
It is testament to the eye-catching look and hardworking exploits of Thomas Cook’s Metrocentre branch that the store stands out among more than 340 outlets in Europe’s biggest shopping mall
Since opening the store in 2015, owners Joanne and Gillian and their team have achieved big things – so much so that they opened a new shop last year in Barrowford to meet demand
What strikes you first on walking into Spear Travels in the village of Tettenhall in Wolverhampton is its warmth – created through a combination of bright colours and soft furnishings and helped by the wide smiles of the agents behind the desks, along with the aroma of perfume, which is a deliberate addition thought up by branch manager Kim Kent
Fred. Olsen Travel’s Felixstowe branch, one of seven across East Anglia, is a bright and spacious store. It enjoyed a record-breaking year for business in 2018 and is on course for a strong 12 months ahead
This impressive agency has consistently been in the TTG Top 50 Travel Agencies list since 2017 as it continues to make strides in developing the business
The Weymouth branch of Hays Travel sits in the bustling centre of the seaside town and is home to manager Katie Bunting’s tight-knit team of six full-time staff, who can claim more than 70 years’ travel experience between them
One of three C The World outlets, the Bath branch is also the newest, having opened in a historic, four-floor property in “The Corridor” arcade just two-and-a-half years ago
The Guernsey branch of Travelmaker – part of the Channel Islands Co-operative – has a team of five, led by manager Sandy Ogier, who’s been at the helm for an incredible 27 years
Uckfield is one of the smaller and quieter towns in which Baldwins Travel Group has a branch – but the Uckfield team sets high standards and punches well above its weight compared with its counterparts
Just picture it: you’re gently awoken from a doze on your sun lounger to be greeted with a refreshing beverage, a local drink you only discovered a few days before
There’s no missing Travel Designers. From its vibrant pink colour – thanks to a paint job after winning the London’s Top Agency accolade at last year’s ceremony – to its involvement in the community, this store sure knows how to make an impact
Mark and Stuart Swords only opened their new travel lounge just over a year ago, having started out as homeworkers, but have already built up a strong reputation in Wimbledon and beyond
Last year marked the 10th anniversary of Cruise 118, which despite launching during the recession is still thriving a decade later. Its 82 sales staff, entitled “concierges”, ensure quality customer service through regular contact with their clients and routine sales coaching every week
This family-owned business prides itself on customer service. Its 85 sales staff focus on learning from their own customers’ experiences through a database that records customer feedback. This then enables their experiences to be passed on to new clients
Iglu.com might only have been selling river cruise since 2015, but with 35 agents now dedicated to selling the sector, the company – including sister brand Planet Cruise – is working hard to make river cruise a significant part of the business
Part of World Travel Holdings, Rivervoyages.com was launched as a standalone brand in 2011, with eight dedicated river cruise “concierges” who put customer service at the heart of everything they do
While luxury “fly and flop” holidays have always been a big part of the business for this Radlett-based luxury agency, co-owner Andrew Devine and his team have also seen the opportunity in recent years to move more into experience-led travel, which gives them the chance to show off more of their skill set
Designer Travel was founded 12 years ago by Amanda Matthews and now counts 72 homeworkers across the UK who have around 2,000 years of travel experience between them
If you can judge a company by its customers, then the fact Click Travel recently won the £8 million account for Lidl, when the famously cost-conscious supermarket chain sought its first travel management company, speaks volumes
The online agency, which has an impressive 9.8/10 TrustPilot rating, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Having started out on the wedding show circuit, director Lakh Hayer now has a 14-strong team and even more ambitious growth plans
Holidaysplease is a Birmingham-based agency with a network of 87 homeworkers across the country. Its website, and digital marketing more widely, have always been critical to generating enquiries for its homeworkers, and the past 12 months have seen enhancements to the platform
The past two years have been transformative for this Stoke-on-Trent-based agency after it received £6.5 million in investment from a private equity firm to fast-track its growth plans
Travel Counsellors is the UK’s oldest and largest network of home-based travel agents, numbering 1,230 consultants in the UK and a further 600 worldwide, and is celebrating its 25th birthday this year
This Birmingham-based business was set up in 2002 and now boasts 87 home-based consultants, with its fastidious approach to recruitment meaning it has taken on only a handful of new agents in the past year
It’s been quite a journey for Miles Morgan Travel since launching in 2006. Despite many of founder Miles’s friends and colleagues openly questioning the wisdom of his decision to buy 10 shops from Thomson and start his own empire, fast-forward to 2019 and the 15-branch (soon-to-be 16) miniple is booming
Such has been the success of Regent Travel’s touring and adventure offering since launching in 1986, it has created a groups department, comprising six specialists who live and breathe the sector, tasked with planning, marketing and administration
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