The best of Australia’s travel industry has been named in the National Travel Industry Awards. The banquet hall at the International Convention Centre Sydney was packed with more than 1300 guests last Saturday night, as awards rolled out winners across 36 categories. And there were plenty of familiar names on this gala night of nights, run by the Australian Travel Industry Association.
Bicton Travel was named most outstanding leisure travel agency (multi location). Viking was named most popular ocean cruise operator and Uniworld Boutique River Cruises awarded most popular river cruise operator. And Singapore Airlines is officially Australia’s most popular airline (online).
Albatross Tours was named most outstanding tour operator (specialist). Albatross is a close partner of Seven West Media’s Travel department, presenting our Round Europe Dinner on November 14, and partnering in a West Travel Club tour of Italy next year. The Albatross team was up on stage to celebrate, and posed for our photograph afterwards — founder and tour designer Euan Landsborough and wife Julie-anne, managing director Shelley Poten, director of marketing James Hewlett and Maria Limberios from the accounts department.
Euan founded the company in 1995, and Albatross has been designing, creating and operating European escorted tours for Australians since then. I leave on November 27 with a group of readers on our West Travel Club tour to Antarctica with Lindblad Expeditions National Geographic, w.
