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
Best Travel Agency Group (50 outlets or more)
Flight Centre |
Best Travel Agency Retail – Single Location
Main Beach Travel |
Best Travel Agency Corporate – Single Location
DBT Corporate Travel |
Best National Travel Management Company
Corporate Travel Management |
Best Online Travel Agency
flybuys Travel |
Best Travel Consultant Retail
Giselle Pennington, Spencer Travel Southside |
Best Travel Agency Manager – Retail Single Location
Debbi Ashes – Helloworld Travel Lane Cove |
Best Travel Agency Manager – Corporate Single Location
Jame Maclean – Corporate Traveller Cathedral Place |
Young Agent of the Year
Courtney Ashes – Helloworld Travel Lane Cove |
Best International Airline – Online
(Non-judged category) Singapore Airlines |
Best Cruise Operator – Domestic Deployment
(Non-judged category) Royal Caribbean International |
Best River Cruise Operator
(Non-judged category) APT |
Best Tour Operator – International
Intrepid Travel |
Best Tourist Office – International
(Non-judged category) Tourism New Zealand |
Best Wholesaler – Australian Product
Qantas Holidays & Viva! Holidays |
Best Agency Support Service
(Non-judged category) Air Tickets |
Best Hotel/Resort Group
(Non-judged category) Club Med |
Best Travel Writer
Jocelyn Pride |
Best Non Branded Travel Agency Group
Helloworld Business Travel |
Best Travel Agency Retail – Multi Location
Phil Hoffmann Travel |
Best Travel Agency Corporate – Multi Location
Stage and Screen Travel Services |
Best Travel Broker Network
MTA- Mobile Travel Agents |
Best Business Events Travel Agency
Event Travel Management |
Best Travel Consultant Corporate
Nicole Hay – Show Group Enterprise |
Best Travel Agency Manager – Retail Multi Location
Renee Nightingale – Helloworld Travel Albury, Wangaratta & Wodonga |
Best Travel Agency Manager – Corporate Multi Location
Andre Moten – Corporate Travel Management |
Best Domestic Airline
(Non-judged category) Qantas Airways |
Best International Airline – Offline
(Non-judged category) Finnair |
Best Cruise Operator – International Deployment
(Non-judged category) Royal Caribbean International |
Best Tour Operator – Domestic
APT |
Best Car/Campervan Rental Operation
(Non-judged category) Avis Australia |
Best Specialty Wholesaler
Bench Africa |
Best Wholesaler – International Product
Adventure World |
Best Sales Executive – Industry Supplier
Michelle Nickelson – Air New Zealand |
Best Registered Travel Industry Training Institution
Cornerstone Learning and Development |
Best Travel Agent Technology Innovation
Qantas Learning Hub – Qantas Airways |
People’s Choice: Retail Travel Agency of the Year
(Non-judged category) Bicton Travel |
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