PHOTOS: Travel Associates stylishly celebrates 25th anniversary at its flagship store

  • Marking 25 years of TA 237
  • Emcee Casey Bennetto 086
  • Dani Galloway
  • Dani Galloway, Global MD Luxury Leisure, with Ashmore Harris & James team 188
  • Current Business Leader, Christine Bottrell 111
  • Askin Erkec, Dani Galloway, Christine Bottrell 185
  • Ashmore Harris & James team 247
  • Kellie Woodward of Ashmore Harris & James with guest 361
  • Geoff Harris Founder 144
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Edited by Travel Weekly


    The team at Ashmore, Harris & James Travel Associates celebrated its 25th anniversary over the weekend with a birthday party at Pietro Gallus Estate in Warrandyte, just outside Melbourne. The event also marked a quarter century for the luxury travel agency brand.

    The Travel Associates team hosted 75 guests, clients, industry stakeholders and tourism partners to thank them for their support and to toast to the enduring success of the flagship Travel Associates office, located in Canterbury.

    Ashmore, Harris & James Travel Associates was the very first in the luxury network to open, and considered a test case to see how well a concept agency focusing exclusively on the best of the best in travel product would be received.

    Travel Associates founding director, Geoff Harris, said the anniversary celebration highlights the success of the business concept.

    “Twenty-five years ago, I gave the go ahead to trial the first Travel Associates office. As our first office we were not expecting that a high-end travel boutique would be so well received in the Melbourne community of Canterbury.

    “It’s testament to former business leader, Greg Ashmore, and now Christine Bottrell, that the level of service provided to clients is not only exceptional but has exceeded all our expectations in the community. Luxury travel is a specialist skill, and this team has continued to build on the reputation for quality and professionalism for a quarter of a century,” said Harris.

    Danielle Galloway, global managing director of Luxury Leisure for FCTG said: “We are so incredibly proud of this milestone for Travel Associates, this founding business which has showcased our DNA so successfully, and to remain the leader in curating one-of-a-kind travel experiences for discerning clients.”

    “The now legendary purple ribbon service which is delivered by our amazing advisors every day will continue to be the reason for our success, alongside our bespoke and tailored approach to every client’s luxury holiday. Every client, every travel advisor and every holiday is ‘one of a kind’.”

    Christine Bottrell, business leader at Ashmore, Harris & James Travel Associates added: “The event was a thank you to our loyal clientele and celebrate the connections we have made with our industry partners. Travel is an investment in life and our clients entrust our team of advisors to fulfil these one-of-a-kind experiences and create a lifetime of memories. This is our passion.”

    Bottrell also paid homage to founding business leader and the inspiration behind the brand’s original business; “We are proud to have Greg Ashmore’s name on the door, a name forever associated with the Travel Associates DNA. His legacy will continue to inspire our Travel Associates team who strive for the same success and passion for luxury travel. Our team of seven experienced advisors will keep focusing on what we are doing best: bespoke end-to-end service that is underpinned with exceptional relationships with our travel partners.”

    One of the agency’s clients, Professor Mark Compton has counted on Ashmore, Harris & James Travel Associates for his travel arrangements for more than 12 years.

    Compton stated: “There are a few things about important professional relationships. First, it is about trust. It is the Travel Associates advisors’ ability to solve problems as of course things don’t always go smoothly when travelling. “

    “After trust, it is customer service that matters above anything else. For me this is delivering on promises as well as for my advisor to be thinking ahead. I can rely on the expertise of my advisor in order to make an informed decision.”

    The 25th Birthday event was attended and supported by representatives from Abercrombie & Kent, Silversea, Ponant and IHG.

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