AITO, The Specialist Travel Association, named the recipients of its All Stars and Excellence Awards at the Leonardo Hotel, Hinckley Island.
The awards recognise AITO agents for their outstanding sales performance of AITO tour operator holidays and “proactive engagement” with the association’s core values. The winners were:
Tour Operator of the Year: Distinctive World Travel
All Star Agent – Highest Average Booking: Worldwide Escape
Most Improved Travel Agent: Luxury Dream Holidays
All Star Agent – Most Branch Bookings 2025: Traveller’s World (Salisbury)
Travel Agency of the Year: RB Collection
All Star Agent 2025 – North, Scotland and Northern Ireland: Designer Travel
All Star Agent 2025 – Central and East England: RB Collection
All Star Agent 2025 – South: Travelwise
All Star Agent 2025 – National: Designer Travel
Tour Operator Shining Star of the Year: Julie Gough, Africa & Beyond
New AITO Agent Shining Star: Janey Berry, Berry Travel
Agent Shining Star of the Year: Jacqui Cole, Bakewell Travel
AITO Specialist Agent Chair’s Award: Bridget Keevil, Travel Stop
Gold Excellence Awards went to Andara Travel, Full Circle Travel, Haslemere Travel, Oasis Travel, Off Broadway Travel, Travel Stop and Travelwise.
Beaver Travel, Designer Travel, Peakes Travel Elite, RB Collection, Select World Travel and Journeys a La Carte were announced as winners of the Silver Excellence Awards.
Billington Travel, Butterfly Travel, Create Your Escape Travel, Inspire Travel, Marco Polo Travel, Swords Travel, The Travel Concept, Travel by Hannah and Luxury Dream Holidays received Bronze Excellence Awards.
More than 100 members attended the Kick-Start conference, which was opened by AITO’s Agents’ Chair, Gemma Antrobus. The evening concluded with a Sensational 70s-themed Gala Dinner, celebrating AITO’s founding decade and a silent disco.
The AITO Marketplace followed on the second day, featuring 37 six-minute networking appointments.
Martyn Sumners, Executive Director at AITO, said: “Starting our 50th year with such a high level of engagement from both agents and operators is a testament to the enduring power of the AITO family.
“This conference wasn’t just about looking back at our history but about building on the work we’ve done to help carry our specialist partnerships through the next 50 years.”
