The Association of Touring and Adventure Suppliers is calling on travel agents to enter its prestigious 2024 awards scheme.
The Atas Recognition Awards scheme honours agents who have showcased touring and adventure holidays in the most innovative or successful ways.
The winners will be crowned during a glittering ceremony at the Atas Annual Conference, which will take place at the Royal Armouries, Leeds (October 15-16).
Claire Brighton, Atas director, said: “It was great to highlight the many achievements among our agent community when we presented the 2023 awards at last year’s conference in Liverpool.
“All the delegates at the Titanic Hotel last year were excited to see which agents had won the awards and celebrate their dedication to our sector.
“Now we are encouraging agents to take part again for 2024, by nominating themselves or a colleague who has distinguished themselves over the past year – and we’d like to see as many agents as possible join us in Leeds as we recognise the winners’ remarkable achievements at our conference.
“And we have added a new category this year – Expedition Cruise One to Watch – which reflects the growth in this sector and the increasing focus by many agents who recognise the opportunities of expedition cruises.”
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The awards for 2024 are:
• Touring & Adventure One to Watch
This category is open to any individual agent or agency which has made strides to start selling the touring and adventure product in the last 12 months. Entries should highlight their route to promoting and selling touring and adventure holidays, the successes they have seen as well as plans for future growth. This award can be self-nominated or nominated by someone else from the wider travel industry.
• Expedition Cruise One to Watch
This category is open to any individual agent or agency which has made strides to start selling the expedition cruise product in the last 12 months. Entries should highlight their route to promoting and selling expedition cruises, the successes they have seen as well as plans for future growth. This award can be self-nominated or nominated by someone else from the wider travel industry.
• Social Media Star
This category is open to any individual agent or agency which has promoted touring and adventure holidays via social media over the last 12 months. Entries should briefly describe your social media strategy and include details on followers and engagement levels as well as detailing the success seen as a result of the strategy. This award can be self-nominated or nominated by someone else from the wider travel industry.
• Sustainability Champion
This category is open to any individual agent or agency who prides themselves on putting sustainable practices at the forefront of their business. Entries should highlight a passion for sustainable/responsible travel and examples of how you put issues around sustainability front and centre to ensure clients are having as little impact as possible when travelling. Agents entering this category must be engaging with the touring and adventure sector. This award can be self-nominated or nominated by someone else from the wider travel industry.
• Regional categories are nominated and voted for by suppliers:
Agency of the Year – Southeast England
Agency of the Year – Southwest England
Agency of the Year – Northeast England
Agency of the Year – Northwest England
Agency of the Year – Central England
Agency of the Year – Scotland & Northern Ireland
Agency of the Year – Wales
Agency of the Year – High Street
Agency of the Year – Homeworking
Agency of the Year – Online/Call Centre
Touring & Adventure Agency of the Year
To enter or nominate, please contact Claire Brighton on claire.brighton@touringandadventure.com. The closing date is August 22.
Winners last year included Travel Counsellors as the Touring and Adventure Agency of the Year (pictured).