The winners! 2018 National Travel Industry Awards

Here they are, the winners! AFTA’s National Travel Industry Awards (NTIA) 2018 took off in style on Saturday at Sydney’s International Convention Centre – with a massive turnout approaching 1400 people and ARIA award-winner Anthony Callea providing the entertainment.

Held in the Grand Ballroom, the Gala Dinner drew travel industry representatives from across the industry – airlines, hotels, car hire providers, tour operators, wholesalers, river and cruise operators and of course leisure, corporate and online travel agencies.

Roll up, ladies and gentlemen!

“The NTIA is the industry’s only true awards, it has industry-wide representation and a strong history of recognising and celebrating businesses and personnel who demonstrate outstanding service, marketing excellence and business acumen within the travel industry,” AFTA chief executive Jayson Westbury told the audience.

“The event may be put on by AFTA but it is the industry who makes it a celebration to remember each and every year.”

Qantas chief executive international, Alison Webster, welcomed guests in a keynote address. Qantas is a major sponsor.

The founder of Consolidated Travel Group, Spiros Alysandratos, was made an AFTA Life Member.

Anthony Callea performing at #NTIA2018 pic.twitter.com/2CgB3jxxDh

— AFTA (@AFTAOfficial) July 21, 2018

Airline sponsors amazed guests with over AUD 50,000 worth of prizes.  Major sponsor Qantas gave away AUD $10,000 and AUD 20,000 Qantas travel vouchers.  Star Alliance partnered with CATO tour operators to give away an array of flights and land packages.

Beverage Sponsor, Air New Zealand, kept the drink flowing and gave away NZ wine escapes to Hawke’s Bay, Christchurch and Northland.

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MTA – Mobile Travel Agents won the new category Best Travel Broker Network and flyBuys Travel won Best Online Travel Agency. Despite having initially been nominated in the ‘Best Broker Travel Network’ category, TravelManagers declined the nomination back in March, as it didn’t consider ‘Best Broker Travel Network’ to be an appropriate descriptor for the TravelManagers business model.

Qantas Airways was recognised for its innovative technology, the Qantas Learning Hub, in the category for Best Travel Agent Technology Innovation.

A mother and daughter team from Helloworld Travel Lane Cove had plenty to celebrate: Courtney Ashes won Young Travel Agent of the Year and Debbi Ashes won Best Travel Agency Manager Retail Single Location.

A special congratulation went to Andre Moten, Corporate Travel Management, who won Best Travel Agency Manager Corporate Multi Location for the third year running.

Laura Ruffles, CTM Global COO accepts the award for “Best National Travel Management Company” sponsored by @Qantas #NTIA2018 @AFTAOfficial pic.twitter.com/sXTKvTPU6f

— Corporate Travel Management AU/NZ (@TravelCTM) July 21, 2018

Michelle Nickelson from Air New Zealand won Best Sales Executive Industry Supplier after receiving a judges’ commendation in 2017.

There are two categories of winner – judged and non-judged. Non-judged are chosen by popular vote. Judged are chosen by the judging panel (see at the bottom of this story, below the winners list, for the judges’ names.) In the list below, Non-judged categories are identified. All the others are Judged.

THE WINNERS

THE JUDGES: Bob Lunnon (Chief Judge), Anne Rogers, Brett Jardine, Christian Schweitzer, Donna Campbell, Hugh Houston, Jeannie Foster, John Hart, Julie King, Richard Savva, Stephen Limbrick and Quentin Long.

Written by Peter Needham