It’s time for the travel industry to unite and celebrate. The Australian Travel Awards, in association with media partners Better Homes and Gardens and 7Travel, with Crystal as principal partner, are here!

The women, men and companies that make up the Australian travel industry form the backbone of a booming economic sector – and now there’s a new way to champion their success.

Organised by Travel Weekly, part of The Misfits Media Company, and presented in association with Seven West Media’s Better Homes and Gardens and 7Travel, this new consumer and travel trade facing industry awards programme is designed to celebrate wholesalers, destinations, airlines, tourism boards, cruise lines, retailers and the myriad of other companies that make the travel industry so amazing. The awards will feature Crystal as the principal partner.

Winning an Australian Travel Award will be a show of excellence that can be used to promote your business and gain market share with consumers who nowadays demand brands they can trust to deliver the best.

Judged by more than 70 of Australia’s most experienced travel industry alumni as well as the country’s foremost marketing experts, 37 categories will cover the full gamut of the travel industry. And of course, the highly coveted Grand Prix Award will highlight one company making the biggest, most impressive splash in the industry. The victorious winner of this award will also receive an advertising package worth over $75,000 across the Seven West Media network.

There will also be public voting on selected categories with interest generated by Better Homes and Gardens and 7Travel.

In announcing the Australian Travel Awards and the media partnership with Seven West Media, Travel Weekly‘s publisher and co-founder of The Misfits Media Company, Dan Uglow, said, “With a total audience reach of almost four million, Better Homes and Gardens is the country’s most successful multi-platform brand, combining a TV show, power-house print magazine, and thriving digital and social platforms.”

“A major push into the travel sector is planned for Better Homes and Gardens, which has unrivalled influence with its baby boomer audience. Meanwhile, 7Travel is backed by the country’s largest diversified media business, Seven West Media and has a significant digital audience.”

The gala awards dinner will be held on November 30, 2018 at Paddington Town Hall in Sydney, making it the perfect night to celebrate a year of hard work and to recharge your batteries for another year ahead.

Get started on your entries right here or visit the website for more information about the awards.

There’s a whopping 35 categories you can enter into, with no limits on the number of categories entered.

So feast your eyes:

1. Corporate Travel Agency of the Year – Under $100 million revenue
2. Corporate Travel Agency of the Year – Over $100 million revenue
3. Wholesaler of the Year
4. Specialist Wholesaler of the Year
5. Adventure Wholesaler of the Year
6. Marketing Campaign of the Year
7. PR Campaign of the Year
8. Social Media Campaign of the Year
9. Tourism Board of the Year
10. Technology Provider of the Year
11. Trade Sales Team of the Year
12. Destination of the Year
13. Luxury Travel Brand of the Year
14. River Cruise Line of the Year
15. Ocean Cruise Line of the Year
16. Expedition Cruise Line of the Year
17. Small Ship Cruise Line of the Year
18. Business Airline of the Year
19. Economy Airline of the Year
20. Premium Economy Airline of the Year
21. Low Cost Airline of the Year
22. Rail Operator of the Year
23. Vehicle Rental of the Year
24. Hotel Group of the Year
25. Hotel of the Year
26. Boutique Hotel of the Year – 10 properties or less
27. Online Booking Website of the Year
28. Travel Insurance Provider of the Year
29. Escorted Touring Company of the Year
30. Travel Agency of the Year – Over 30 employees
31. Travel Agency of the Year – Under 30 employees
32. Employer of Choice
33. Sustainable Tourism Award
34. Social Responsibility Award
35. Innovation in Travel
36. People’s Choice Award – Favourite Travel Brand (consumer public vote via Better Homes and Gardens and 7Travel)
37. Grand Prix (selected by Travel Weekly team for the overall most outstanding entry)

Entries are open right now, people, so get to it!

And mark these key dates down in your diary:

• Entries open: August 6, 2018
• Entries close: September 28, 2018 – entry fee $99 + GST/entry
• Judging period: submit entries from the financial year July 2017 – June 30, 2018
• Awards night: Friday 30th November 2018 – Paddington Town Hall, Sydney

You can grab early-bird tickets right here, and find all the nitty gritty details on the website here.

We thank you for your participation and support and look forward to seeing you on the night.