Travel Weekly’s luxury sister title Aspire is launching a new set of awards to celebrate the best of the luxury travel sector.
The Aspire Awards previously made up part of the annual Travel Weekly Agent Achievement Awards. This year it will be a standalone event honouring agents and suppliers that excel in luxury. The awards will take place on the evening of September 9 at Hansom Hall at St Pancras Renaissance Hotel London, with 300 people set to attend. It’s being held in partnership with 
headline sponsor Celebrity Cruises. Other sponsors supporting the event include ANA, Hearst, Indulgent Escapes by Jet2holidays, Seabourn and Silversea Cruises.
Editor Hollie-Rae Brader said: “The luxury travel sector continues to grow, with more businesses launching high-end products or focusing on affluent travellers.
“Alongside this, Aspire continues to grow to serve this exciting sector. I’m delighted to announce the launch of the standalone Aspire Awards, which will honour its stars.”
Agents are invited to nominate themselves in relevant categories. A panel of eight suppliers will judge the entries, which will be presented to them anonymously to ensure there is no bias to preferred partners.
In the supplier categories the judging will be twofold, involving both a judging panel and a voting process among agent members of the Aspire Travel Club.
The awards
Supplier categories
• Outstanding Contribution to Luxury (Supplier)
• Luxury River Cruise Line of the Year
• Luxury Ocean Cruise Line of the Year
• Premium Tour Operator of the Year
• Luxury Tour Operator of the Year
• Best Luxury Destination
• Luxury Adventure Company of the Year
• Best New Product Launch
• Luxury Team of the Year
• Sales Representation Company of the Year
• Best Boutique Hotel
• Best Large Hotel Brand
• Best Air Service
Agent categories
• Outstanding Contribution to Luxury (Agent)
• Independent Agency of the Year
• Travel Professional of the Year
• Concierge Service of the Year
• The One to Watch Award
• Extra Mile Award
• Unsung Agency Hero of the Year
• Best Use of Content
• Aspire Supporter of the Year
To enter, vote, buy tickets or find out more, visit aspireawards.co.uk
To find out about sponsorship opportunities, email Mary Rega at mary.rega@travelweekly.co.uk