It is with great pleasure that Travel Weekly can finally announce all the finalists for The Travel Awards 2019!
We know, we know – the big reveal was originally planned to happen last week. However, due to a higher-than-expected number of entries, our esteemed judges have been running an extra-fine tooth comb over each submission to separate the best from the rest.
As such, we’ve extended the deadline for those wishing to snap up some early bird tickets to The Travel Awards until COB tomorrow (Friday 11 October). Click HERE to secure your spot now!
This year, The Travel Awards will be held on Friday 29 November at The Venue Alexandria in Sydney, marking the perfect time to celebrate a year of hard work and to recharge your batteries for another year ahead.
The dress code for the sit-down-dinner affair is black tie, so start getting your glad rags ready for what’s set to be a glittery, glamorous evening.
Before we go ahead and reveal the finalists for this year’s awards, a big thanks is in order for our media partner Better Homes and Gardens and principal partner Crystal Cruises, along with the rest of the sponsors (you can see them all at the bottom of this article). The Travel Awards would not be possible without your generous support!
So, without further ado, here are the finalists for The Travel Awards 2019:
Adventure Travel Wholesaler of the Year
Adventure World Travel
Crooked Compass
G Adventures
RAW Travel
V Travel Network
World Expeditions
Boutique Hotel of the Year – 10 Properties or Less
Jamala Wildlife Lodge
Ovolo Group
QT Queenstown
Treasury on Collins
Business Class Airline of the Year (sponsored by Corporate Traveller)
Air Canada
American Airlines
Cathay Pacific
Etihad Airways
Japan Airlines
LATAM Airlines Group
SriLankan Airlines
Corporate Travel Agency of The Year – 50 Employees and Over (sponsored by Hertz Australia)
QBT
Stage and Screen Travel Services
TravelEdge
TripActions
Corporate Travel Agency of The Year – 49 Employees and Under (sponsored by Travel Trade Recruitment)
Eden Corporate Travel
JC Travel Professionals
Platinum Travel Corporation
Spencer Travel
The Travel Authority
Destination of the Year (sponsored by Crystal Cruises)
Abu Dhabi
The Hawaiian Islands
New York City
South Australia
Camino de Santiago
North Pole
USA
Employer of Choice
Accor
Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley
Flight Centre Travel Group
G Adventures
Gate 7
Inspiring Vacations
Intrepid Group
Luxury Escapes
The Travel Corporation
The Walshe Group
TravelEdge
Escorted Touring Company of the Year
AAT Kings
Albatross Tours
Collette
Contiki
G Adventures
Insight Vacations
Inspiring Journeys
Inspiring Vacations
Intrepid Group
Wendy Wu Tours
Expedition Cruise Line of the Year
Coral Expeditions
G Adventures
Hurtigruten
Lindblad Expeditions – National Geographic
PONANT Yacht Cruises & Expeditions
Quark Expeditions
Silversea Cruises
Home Based Agency Group of the Year (sponsored by Intrepid Travel)
iTravel
Saara Holidays
Savenio
TravelManagers Australia
Hotel Group of the Year (sponsored by Wendy Wu Tours)
Accor
Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts
InterContinental Hotels Group
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts
Taj Hotels Group
Hotel of the Year (sponsored by Travel Associates)
Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley
Ovolo Inchcolm
Ovolo Woolloomooloo
QT Canberra
QT Melbourne
QT Sydney
Rydges Sydney Airport
Stamford Plaza Melbourne
The Calile Hotel
The Langham, Melbourne
voco Gold Coast
Innovation of the Year (sponsored by Red Havas)
Accessible Accommodation
Cruiseco
G Adventures
Inspiring Vacations
Intrepid Group
Luxury Escapes
Quark Expeditions
The Lumery + Jetstar
TravelEdge
Vloggi
Luxury Travel Brand of the Year
Crystal Cruises
Health and Fitness Travel
Luxury Escapes
Ocean Alliance
Travel Associates
Uniworld Boutique River Cruises
Marketing Campaign of the Year
Air New Zealand – ‘The Nicest Christmas Ever’
Contiki – ‘Europe Launch’
Crystalbrook Collection – ‘Riley Launch’
GTI Tourism for New Caledonia – ‘The Bachelor in New Caledonia’
GTI Tourism for Visit Seattle – ‘Sound of Seattle’
Intrepid Group – ‘Intrepid Uncharted’
MercerBell for Carnival Cruise Line – ‘FUNBELIEVABLE’
Quest Apartment Hotels – ‘Work. Play. Sleep. Repeat.’
Rumble Strategic Creative for The Whitsundays – ‘Wonders of the Whitsundays’
South Australian Tourism Commission – ‘Tell us Where & Rewards Wonder’
Tourism New Zealand – ‘New Australia-Land’
Travel Associates – ‘Ocean Cruising Storybook’
Tucan Travel – ‘Mate, get out of here’
Ocean Cruise Line of the Year
Crystal Cruises
Princess Cruises
Royal Caribbean International
Silversea Cruises
Online Booking Website of the Year
Experience Oz
Inspiring Vacations
Jayride
Luxury Escapes
Klook
Trip.com
PR Campaign of the Year
Colorado Tourism Office – ‘Gregory Alan Isakov Tour’
Contiki – ‘ContikiCam’
Evil Twin PR for Tahiti Tourisme – ‘Coral Gardeners’
Experience Oz – ‘7 Wonders of Australia’
Intrepid Travel – ‘30 years of Intrepid Travel’
QT Hotels and Resorts – ‘BYO-Ex’
Tourism Fiji – ‘BULAnaires’
Rail Operator of the Year (sponsored by The Travel Corporation)
Amtrak Vacations
Eurail
Railbookers
The Ghan
River Cruise Line of the Year (sponsored by Gate 1 Travel)
Crystal Cruises
Scenic
Uniworld Boutique River Cruises Collection
Social Media Campaign of the Year (sponsored by Universal Traveller)
Air New Zealand – ‘The Nicest Christmas Ever’
Contiki – ‘Africa Launch’
South Australian Tourism Commission – ‘Tell Us Where’
Social Responsibility Award
Accessible Accommodation
Accor
Adventure World Travel
Antipodeans
Crooked Compass
Flight Centre Travel Group
InterContinental Hotels Group
Intrepid Group
Stage and Screen Travel Services
The Travel Corporation
World Challenge
World Nomads
Specialist Wholesaler of the Year
50 Degrees North
Crooked Compass
Cruiseco
Eclipse Travel
Encounter Travel
Exodus Travels
Health and Fitness Travel
InsideJapan Tours
Ormina Tours
RAW Travel
Wandering the World
Sustainable Tourism Company of the Year
Antipodeans
Contiki
Crooked Compass
Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley
G Adventures
Intrepid Group
Nanuku Auberge Resort
PONANT Yacht Cruises & Expeditions
Quark Expeditions
RAW Travel
The Travel Corporation
Technology Provider of the Year (sponsored by The Travel Corporation)
AirHelp
Amadeus
Odysseus Solutions
Verisk
Tourism Board of the Year
Brand USA
The Walshe Group on behalf of Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi
Gate 7 on behalf of Visit California
The Walshe Group on behalf of Hawai’i Tourism Oceania
Linkd Tourism on behalf of Colorado Tourism Office
South Australian Tourism Commission
Tourism New Zealand
Trade Sales Team of the Year (sponsored by Avis Budget Group)
Contiki
G Adventures
Intrepid Group
Princess Cruises
Uniworld Boutique River Cruises Collection
Travel Agency of the Year – Over 30 Employees (sponsored by Collette)
Peterpans Travel
STA Travel
Travel Associates
Travel Agency of the Year – Under 30 Employees (sponsored by G Adventures)
Anywhere Travel
JC Travel Professionals
Spencer Travel Eastside
Travel at 60
Travel Insurance Provider of the Year
Cover-More Travel Insurance
Insured by US
TravelCard
World Nomads
Travel Recruitment Agency of the Year
C&M Travel Recruitment
CRC Travel Jobs
TMS Talent
Travel Trade Recruitment
Vehicle Hire of the Year
Avis
GoGet
Hertz Australia
VroomVroomVroom
Wholesaler of the Year
Costsaver Tours
Crooked Compass
Excite Holidays
MW Tours
Wendy Wu Tours
For all enquiries regarding The Travel Awards, please email Nicolle Lawson at nicolle@travelweekly.com.au.
And for those who made the shortlist, please double-check your entry name is correct, as it will appear as published on the trophy (if you win, that is). If it’s not correct, please email Nicolle by COB on Thursday 17 October.
SEE WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING