Here are the winners! In suitably spectacular style, some 1200 industry people turned out in their festive finery to the first National Travel Industry Awards in three years – at Sydney’s International Convention Centre on Saturday night.
AFTA chief executive Dean Long celebrated the industry’s emergence from the pandemic. He paid tribute to the quality of entries received and to the support agents had rendered to their clients as travel reeled under the ravages of the pandemic.
Long described NTIA 2022 (major sponsor Singapore Airlines) as “truly a night to remember”, adding that this was “is in no small part due to the high calibre of entries we received and the exemplary support travel professionals provided to their clients this year.
“Events of the scale the NTIAs 2022 celebration do not just happen,” Long said. “On behalf of everyone I thank the hardworking AFTA team and the generous support of our sponsors for helping us realise our vision for this event.”
TravelManagers Australia won the Most Outstanding Mobile Advisor Network award
Long continued: “I hope everyone enjoyed the entertainment, and I look forward to sharing more details around AFTA’s new approach as we continue developing the theme of taking the travel industry forward into the future.”
Australia’s top travel suppliers and sellers were honoured. TravelManagers Australia, which just recently hosted its own National Conference in Sydney, did particularly well, winning the NTIA Most Outstanding Mobile Advisor Network award – while TravelManagers representative for Hawthorne in Queensland, Rose Febo, won the accolade for Most Outstanding Mobile/Home Based Travel Advisor.
Febo spent the pandemic years working proactively to make improvements to her business.
TravelManagers’ Rose Febo, Most Outstanding Mobile/Home Based Travel Advisor, 2022
“After two challenging years of working really hard, I was extremely excited to nominate myself for this year’s awards, with amazing support from industry partners and colleagues,” Febo said. “The submission required a lot of work, but also allowed me to reflect on all that I have achieved.”
Long concluded: “Judging by some of the stories we heard about on the night, I know the travel industry will continue rising to overcome any challenges, just as we have already done over the course of the pandemic. Our resilient travel community is our greatest strength, and moving forward AFTA will continue our focus on harnessing the skills and expertise across our network to benefit our industry, our clients and our businesses.”
THE 2022 NTIA WINNERS ARE:
- Rookie of the Year – Bella King, American Express Global Business Travel
- Most Outstanding Travel Consultant Leisure – Emily Kadinski, itravel Carlingford
Lineup of top industry talent. Emily Kadinski of itravel Carlingford was the Most Outstanding Travel Consultant Leisure
- Most Outstanding Travel Consultant Corporate – Lynette Wells, American Express Global Business Travel
- Most Outstanding Travel Industry Training Institution – CLIA Australasia
- Most Outstanding Employee Engagement and Recruitment Program – American Express Global Business Travel
- Travel Consultant Scholarship – Kristy Moore, Travel Moore
Kristy Moore, winner Travel Consultant Scholarship. Credit: Mikulas J / Event Photos Australia
- Most Outstanding Wholesaler – Creative Cruising
- Most Outstanding Tour Operator – Chimu Adventures
- Sustainability Award – Agency – Reho Travel
- Sustainability Award – Supplier – Air New Zealand
- Most Outstanding Marketing Campaign – Agency – River Collection Launch by Ignite Travel Group – MyCruises
- Most Outstanding Marketing Campaign – Supplier – Walk for Wellness by Norwegian Cruise Line
- Most Outstanding Consumer Travel Journalist – Fiona Carruthers
- Most Outstanding Industry Support – Accommodation – Quest Apartment Hotels
- Most Outstanding Industry Support – Air – Singapore Airlines
- Most Outstanding Industry Support – Cruise – Norwegian Cruise Line
- Most Popular Travel Support Service – Amadeus
- Most Popular Tourism Office – Singapore Tourism Board
- Most Popular Travel Support Service by an Individual – Charlie Trevena
Most Popular Travel Support Service by an individual – Charlie Trevena (2nd from right). Credit: Mikulas J / Event Photos Australia
- Most Outstanding Sales Executive – Land Supply – Dylan Hearne, Backroads Global Touring
- Most Outstanding Sales Executive – Air – Nicole Laurie, Delta Air Lines
- Most Outstanding Sales Executive – Cruise – Tenille Hunt, Quark Expeditions
- Most Outstanding Travel Agency Manager – Jacinta Blundell, Helloworld Travel Buderim & Caboolture
- Most Outstanding Mobile/Home-Based Travel Advisor – Rose Febo, TravelManagers
- Most Outstanding Travel Agency – Leisure – Helloworld Travel Mackay, Mt Pleasant & Townsville
- People’s Choice Award – TravLin Travel
- Most Outstanding Online Travel Agency – MyCruises
- Most Outstanding Mobile Advisor Network – TravelManagers Australia
- Most Outstanding Travel Management Company – Corporate Travel Management
- Most Outstanding Non-branded Agency Group – Travellers Choice
- Most Outstanding Travel Agency Group – Flight Centre Travel Group
Written by Peter Needham
