THE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHAMPION

Sponsored by Hurtigruten

Beth Healy-Phillips, Sam Smith Travel

After an elderly solo traveller of Beth’s was hospitalised with pneumonia just weeks before he was due to depart on holiday, and knowing her customer had no family to see him, Beth asked permission to visit. Beth regularly gave up her time to visit her client and brought provisions and much-needed companionship, even stopping by on New Year’s Day, helping to lift her client’s spirits and support his recovery. Once he was well, Beth also assisted in submitting his insurance claim for his missed trip.

Chris Wood, Hays Travel

While sailing on a cruise in Norway, Chris’s 83-year-old client suffered a medical episode leaving her confused and disoriented. She had no awareness of where she was, or why she was on the ship. With the ship’s onboard team advising it might not be safe for her to continue the voyage, Chris liaised with the crew, speaking directly with his client to reassure and comfort her, coordinated with her family, and arrange a safe, fully-assisted journey home, providing care and peace of mind for his client and her loved ones.

Dan Hyams, Travel Counsellors

Shortly before departing for Rhodes, Dan’s clients discovered their hotel had suddenly introduced a formal evening dining dress code. This change threatened to ruin the trip for the family’s son, who has special educational needs and would find such a change to his routine highly distressing. Dan worked closely with hotel management to explain the situation and secured a personal exemption for the son and arranged for hotel staff to be fully briefed before arrival, ensuring he could dine comfortably.

Lydia Harmer, Oyster Travel

After one of Lydia’s clients suffered a stroke in Rhodes and was hospitalised for several weeks, Lydia became a constant source of support for the client’s husband. Speaking with him regularly and managing all insurance, refund and repatriation arrangements. On return to the UK, the client’s wife remained in hospital for a number of months before sadly passing away. Lydia regularly invited him into her agency for tea, helping him download films and music to share with his wife during hospital visits. Her care was acknowledged during her client’s funeral.

Paula Louise Mottram, Designer Travel

For several years, Paula has arranged holidays for a multi-generational family of 17 with complex needs, including the father, who is a double amputee. During a trip to Turkey last year, he sadly passed away unexpectedly and without travel insurance in place. Paula stayed in constant contact, providing reassurance and coordinating support. When no return flights were available with the family’s airline, she sourced alternatives and paid for them herself to ensure they could return home as smoothly as possible.

THE UNSUNG HERO AWARD

Sponsored by Attraction World

Ann Freestone, Salesforce manager & systems lead, MagicBreaks

Nominating Ann, colleagues said: “Ann has been part of MagicBreaks for nearly a decade and her progression speaks volumes about her dedication, capability and the trust she has earned across the organisation. When we made a major investment in a new CRM, Ann stepped forward to lead the project. With no prior technical background, she immersed herself completely, spending months teaching herself the system from the ground up. She also led the successful migration to our new email platform and stepped in to support the marketing team during a challenging period. What truly sets Ann apart is her attitude. She is endlessly patient, unfailingly kind and brings a calm, positive energy that lifts everyone around her. She is the glue that holds everything together.”

Graham Miller, systems development manager, Barrhead Travel

Nominating Graham, colleagues said: “While much of Graham’s work happens behind the scenes, its impact is felt across the entire business every single day. Graham is responsible for our in-house intranet and CRM; he develops and enhances the systems which underpin how we operate. He goes over and above to help our teams perform at their very best. Recently, he has played a pivotal role in helping the business achieve compliance with CMA requirements. He has worked incredibly hard to ensure critical deadlines were met under significant pressure. What could have been a hectic and complex transition has instead been made seamless thanks to Graham’s dedication, attitude and skill. What truly sets him apart, is not just his technical ability but how he consistently goes the extra mile and supports colleagues without hesitation.”

Kathryn Freeman, BDM, The Good Travel Agent

Nominating Kathryn, colleagues said: “As business development manager, Kat’s dedication, resilience and work ethic quietly power the success of our agent network. Supporting close to 80 agents, Kat is constantly on hand to answer questions, solve problems, and provide guidance - often well beyond standard working hours. Her commitment never wavers, and she does it all with calm, positivity, and genuine care. She goes above and beyond to ensure our agents have the best possible chance of success. She organises and delivers weekly webinars, regular check-ins and support sessions, making sure agents feel confident and informed. What makes Kat truly exceptional is that she does all of this without seeking recognition. She simply shows up for everyone. She represents the very best of our culture.”

Lauren Docker, HR, people & culture director, Inspire Group

Nominating Lauren, colleagues said: “Lauren is the quiet force behind everything that makes Inspire a great place to work and by extension, a great company for our customers. As director of people & culture, she has fundamentally transformed what HR means, turning it into a proactive, people-first strategy that sits at the very heart of our business. She has built a monthly wellbeing calendar owned by the teams themselves, introduced cultural initiatives, secured a healthcare cashback plan and 24/7 employee assistance programme, appointed a mental health first aider and launched a menopause programme with specialist support and manager training. Lauren's impact has been so significant that she has was promoted and also sits on the board. Her fingerprints are on every five-star experience Inspire delivers.”

Mark Ross, Steps to Success business analyst, Hays Travel

Nominating Mark, colleagues said: “Mark’s analytical, data-driven role ensures frontline colleagues can thrive and reach their potential. His combination of technical skill, commitment, and genuine willingness to support others make him a true unsung hero. His attention to detail is remarkable. Multiple departments now treat Mark as their go‑to person and his reputation for excellence is well‑earned and widely recognised. When Hays Travel was transitioning between data reporting platforms, another department was short‑staffed and Mark stepped in immediately, working nights and weekends - not because he was asked to, but because he knew his skills could prevent delays for the wider business His humility, openness, professionalism and reliability make him a colleague people enjoy working with and trust completely.”

THE TUI COMMUNITY HERO AWARD

Sponsored by Tui

Craig Weatherill, Admiral Travel and Craig Travel

Craig has been nominated for his fundraising support for two charities - St Ann’s Hospice and Reuben’s Retreat. In memory of his father, who was cared for by St Ann’s Hospice, Craig ran the 2025 London Marathon, raising £3,500. He also took part in the Travel 10K to support Reuben’s Retreat. His biggest challenge came with the 130-mile Ring o’ Fire ultra-marathon around Anglesey. Despite being forced to retire at 84 miles due to injury, Craig still raised another £3,500 for Reuben’s.

Emma Dickinson, Em's little vacays

Emma has been nominated for a variety of fundraising and local community causes, helping to raise more than £44,000 in 2025. Her activities included pivoting her business to help the Kirkby Lonsdale Fire Disaster Recovery Fund after a devastating fire in her hometown, raising more than £13,000 after organising a charity auction. Emma was also “locked up” in Lancaster Castle to raise money for a local hospice calling on her network of clients, suppliers, and partners to secure her "bail” with donation, while an accompanying 90s disco event helped drive £30,000 for the hospice, ensuring they could continue providing vital care and support.

Jade Ayley, Hays Travel

Jade has been nominated for her inspiring fundraising for Little Princess Trust. In 2025 she cut off her hair and donated it to help create real-hair wigs for children who have lost their hair through cancer treatment. She also raised over £400 through fundraising in her branch and on social media, which was match-funded by the Hays Travel Foundation, bringing the total donation to around £850 while also raising awareness for the charity.

Panache Cruises

The team at Panache Cruises have been nominated for their efforts in raising more than £88,000 for Reuben's Retreat through a series of challenges – including a team of 15 staff climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, while others have completed ultra-marathons and the 500-mile Camino de Santiago walk in reverse. Combined with office fundraising through bake sales, raffles and office lunches and a customer donation scheme matching £10 per booking donation to boost fundraising.

Travelmax.co.uk

The team at Travelmax have been nominated for their range of community initiatives, including opening up their agency as a safe waiting space for local pupils. Allowing children to sit inside, charge their phones and wait safely for parents to collect them. The team has also donated more than £10,000 in holiday vouchers to support Catwalk Ballymena’s fundraising fashion show, while they also gifted a Belfast-based homeless mission soup and hot water dispensers to enable them to continue their outreach work.

THE INTREPID RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL CHAMPION

Sponsored by Intrepid

Annika Nickson, Nickson Travel

Annika has been nominated for her work over the past year to champion responsible tourism and help clients travel more sustainably. In 2025 Annika deepened her expertise around indigenous-led tourism and rail travel, while fam trips with Tahiti Tourisme and to Svalbard with Quark Expeditions helped her further grow her knowledge of positive impact tourism in destinations. She has also launched a “Travel Right Kit” in collaboration with another small business, environmentally-conscious beauty brand Posy, featuring plastic-free travel-sized essentials for clients.

Emma Andrews, The Holiday Village

Emma has been nominated for using her skills to drive a more responsible industry and help colleagues on their own sustainability journeys. After completing her NCFE Level 2 Certificate in Climate Change and Environmental Awareness, Emma has collaborated with her head office team at the Travel Village Group, authoring a white paper and advising on the company’s sustainability strategy. She has also finished writing an online course to help people in her local people reduce their single-use plastic.

Megan O'Leary, Travel Counsellors

Megan has been nominated for her advocacy for inclusive travel and leadership within Travel Counsellors. In the past year Megan became co-lead of the TC Pride affinity group, joined the TTG LGBT+ Travel Ambassador programme and developed a code of conduct to strengthen inclusive practices across her business, sharing it with her agent peer network to raise standard of care for all LGBT+ clients. She also joined a panel at the Travel Counsellors conference to explain the work of TC Pride and encourage membership.

Toni Sharp, Designer Travel by Toni Sharp

Toni has been nominated for her role helping to drive responsible travel standards within Designer Travel and across her wider clientele. As a member of Designer’s sustainability panel, Toni helps guide company policy and also supports peers by sharing news and examples of best practice. Recent fam trips to Vietnam and Morocco have seen Toni using her findings to educate customers with recommendations for properties and experiences genuinely supporting disadvantaged communities. She verifies suppliers’ green claims and has shifted her client gifting to ethically-sourced products.

Vicky Jones, Barrhead Travel

Vicky has been nominated for transforming her personal experience of disability to help raise awareness and drive change across Barrhead Travel. Following the loss of her arm after secondary cancer, Vicky has used her lived experience to champion accessible travel, sharing learnings and advice with colleagues at Barrhead’s conference and helping to establish a dedicated Accessibility Working Group for the company, which has driven more accessible travel training for Barrhead staff and opened up meaningful engagement with suppliers around accessibility standards.