For a company that’s accustomed to winning awards (the group has won five National Travel Industry Association (NTIA) gongs in a row for Most Outstanding Travel Agency Network), Travellers Choice is damn good at handing them out too – as evidenced at its national conference in Melbourne over the weekend.
For one, there’s the sheer volume of gongs given – scores of them; secondly, there’s the uncurbed enthusiasm. Whether it’s the group’s Choice Awards, the Service Awards or new awards like the rookie of the year, you’d be hard pressed a more excited group of advisors and suppliers celebrating each other’s wins; even the applause for Jamison Travel, who should’ve just parked themselves beside the stage for all the prizes they took home, didn’t diminish. But that’s what this group of travel agents is all about: growing stronger together, when a rising tide floats all boats.
Then, there’s the transparency. Travellers Choice’s highest-profile prizes – 30 Gold, Silver and Bronze Choice Awards – are based on members’ support for its preferred suppliers. So, straight-up outcome-based awards, without subjectivity.
Finally, there are the prizes. This year’s top 30 performers are rewarded with their choice of three exclusive trips to Alaska, Iceland and Zanzibar, courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line, Collette and The Africa Safari Company, respectively. Not bad rewards.
“The Choice Awards mark the success our members have been able to deliver, with some outstanding sales performances, despite a few lingering challenges,” Travellers Choice General Manager – Sales, Nicola Strudwick said when announcing the winners, who were unveiled at the conference awards gala.
During the event, Travellers Choice also handed out its Leading Agency Award – arguably the most prestigious honour, which recognises “a member who has achieved outstanding business success and consistently contributed to the group’s overall performance”. This year, South Australia’s Tailor Made Travel Mt Gambier claimed the prize, which included a $2,500 winner’s grant to be used towards any Travellers Choice service or event.
Meanwhile, the network also presented its first-ever Rookie of the Year award, acknowledging the performance of a new-to-industry consultant who graduated from the first ProStart training program. The recipient of the inaugural rookie prize was Charlotte Marshall of Windsong Travel, who scored an Intrepid Travel tour of Peru, plus a $2,000 airfare credit from Travellers Choice.
Elsewhere, the group presented Encouragement Awards for the first time since 2019. Determined by members’ percentage growth in sales support for Travellers Choice preferred suppliers, the winners were Kingscote Travel (South Australia), Travel Masterpiece (Queensland), Travel 195 (NSW), Devonport Travel and Cruise (Tasmania) and Villa Holiday Your Way (Western Australia). Each scored a $500 winner’s grant.
As has become tradition, Travellers Choice also recognised major membership milestones, led by four businesses celebrating 25 years with the group – Balnarring Travel & Cruise, Tour de Force Travel, Chelsea Cruise & Travel and Canadian Bay Travel.
Service awards were also presented to agencies marking 20 years, 15 years, 10 years and five years with the network.
On the partners’ side, APT and Travelmarvel were awarded Supplier of the Year for the fourth time.
Meanwhile, the 2025 Suppliers Choice Awards saw preferred partners award agencies throughout the course of the event.
2025 GOLD CHOICE AWARD WINNERS
- Chris Watson Travel
- Endeavour Travel & Cruise
- Everywhere Travel
- Home and Afar Travel
- Jamison Travel
- Luxeworld Travel
- Oliver Travel
- Panorama Cruise & Travel
- Top Deck Travel
- Windsong Travel
2025 SILVER CHOICE AWARD WINNERS
- Select World Travel
- Easy Travel and Cruise
- Whyalla Travel & Cruise
- Ballina Cruise & Travel
- Hastwell Travel & Cruise
- Capricorn Travel
- Kawana Waters Travel
- Mudgee Travel & Cruise
- Travel Makers
- Tailor Made Travel Mt Gambier
2025 BRONZE CHOICE AWARD WINNERS
- Queanbeyan City Travel & Cruise
- Aspire Travel & Cruise
- Ucango Travel & Cruise Centre
- Tewantin Travel
- Travel and Cruise Professionals
- Carine Travel Bug
- All About Travel
- James St Cruise & Travel
- Discover Travel & Cruise
- Travel Design
And next year’s awards gala goes to…
Another winner is the city of Perth, with Western Australia’s capital named host city for Travellers Choice’s 2026 conference. With the group headquartered in the west, the event marks a homecoming of sorts. So get ready for a potentially bigger event next year.
Karryon was on location at the Travellers Choice conference, themed “Nailing It”, in Melbourne. The writer was a guest of Travellers Choice. Stay tuned for more from the event.
For more info on Travellers Choice, visit its website.
