The UK & Ireland’s most prestigious awards for travel agencies and agents have been revamped for 2025 to better reflect the travel trade and recognise excellence in all sales channels and regions.
The key contribution of small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in travel distribution has been recognised with a new tier of Agent Achievement Awards categories for mid-sized agencies.
The growth of the home-based agency channel in recent years is also recognised with more award categories for agencies of different sizes and the agents working within the sector.
Consolidation on the high street is reflected in a move from seven regions to four: Scotland & Northern Ireland, the North, the South and Central England & Wales.
Each bracket will feature categories for small, medium and large agency businesses, with a minimum requirement of shops within a region to qualify. The exception is Scotland & Northern Ireland, where the retail landscape is reflected with the traditional division of large and small companies.
The importance of commitment to sustainable business practices and product means the topic now becomes a key part of the criteria for companies entering the Best Agency to Work For categories rather than a standalone category.
Meanwhile, a new partnership with Travel Weekly sister brand Online Travel Training will see OTT present an award to a top-performing agent, joining existing partners Atas, Clia and Tipto.
Lucy Huxley, editor-in-chief of Travel Weekly, said: “The Agent Achievement Awards have long been seen as the pinnacle of success in the travel trade, but the industry has evolved significantly in recent years and it is crucial for the AAAs to reflect that evolution.
“The core awards will still be based on votes from suppliers to the trade and we hope our new categories and divisions allow companies of all sizes to shine.”
Huxley added: “We have also retained our most popular self-nominated categories which will be open to travel agencies operating in all channels and ranging from SMEs to national powerhouses.
“These awards will reflect excellence in provision for and development of staff as well as new companies on the rise, while individual categories will celebrate the best established and young travel agents, managers and support staff, alongside those going the extra mile to support colleagues’ mental health and wellbeing.”
The 2025 Agent Achievement Awards will take place in association with headline sponsor Celestyal in London on July 10.
Celestyal vice-president of business development Janet Parton said: “Celestyal is a long-standing supporter of the AAAs and we are delighted to return for a second year as headline sponsor in 2025. Travel agents remain at the heart of our distribution strategy, and we can’t wait to celebrate their successes.”
Find out more at agentachievementawards.co.uk.
If you are an agent or agency manager and would like to learn more about self-nominated categories in the 2025 AAAs, click here. If you are a supplier selling product through third-party agents, you can cast your votes for your top trade partners by clicking here.
