Our inaugural Australian Travel Awards are coming up fast!

Which means it’s time for the industry to unite and celebrate another amazing year.

This consumer and travel trade facing industry awards programme will celebrate wholesalers, destinations, airlines, tourism boards, cruise lines, retailers and the myriad of other companies that make the travel industry so amazing.

And entries are only open for three more weeks.

Judged by more than 70 of Australia’s most experienced travel industry alumni as well as the country’s foremost marketing experts, 37 categories cover the full gamut of the travel industry and there’s no limit on the number of categories you can enter.

Get started on your entries right here for your best shot at winning one of these new, yet prestigious awards.

Entries will close on September 28, and you can find all the entry criteria and other info on the website.

The Australian Travel Awards, presented in association with Seven West Media’s Better Homes and Gardens and 7Travel, are a new way to champion the inspiring companies and people that make the travel industry so amazing.

As a principal partner for the awards, Crystal’s senior vice president and managing director, Karen Christensen, said the company is “excited to have the opportunity to be principal partner of the inaugural Australian Travel Awards.”

“Crystal’s Australian office has been open for over 18 months now, and we felt it was the perfect time to partner with the Travel Weekly team as principal sponsor to support our industry’s top performing trade partners.

“The Australian Travel Awards also presented a further enticement for us in that the awards will also be consumer-facing as a result of the media partnership with 7Travel and Better Homes & Gardens,” she told Travel Weekly.

One category of the awards, People’s Choice, will be consumer-facing, with voting interest generated by 7Travel and Better Homes & Gardens. 

The winner of the coveted Grand Prix award, for the best award entry overall, will also receive an advertising package worth over $75,000 across the Seven West Media network.

Christensen added that Crystal would be thrilled to receive an award on the night, especially the Grand Prix or People’s Choice award.

“We would, of course, be thrilled for Crystal to receive an award on the night, as we continue to bring awareness to the evolution of the Crystal brand which now encompasses Crystal Cruises, Crystal River Cruises, Crystal Yacht Expedition Cruises, Crystal AirCruises and Crystal Luxury Air.

“We also look forward to seeing deserving trade partners and suppliers recognised across all aspects of the travel industry,” she said.

Crystal is becoming more and more dynamic, just like the ever-expanding tourism industry, and Christensen said that the Australian Travel Awards are particularly important to celebrate its successes.

“The tourism industry is one of Australia’s most dynamic industries catering for more travellers than ever before,” she said.

“It stands out for the hard work and professionalism of those engaged within it, whether they’re travel agents, travel industry groups, tour operators or tourism boards who deserve to be recognised and celebrated for their efforts and achievements.”

The Australian Travel Awards will be held on Friday, November 30 at Paddington Town Hall, Sydney. Grab your early bird tickets here and find all the nitty gritty details on the website here.