It’s time to vote for the 2019 Group Travel Awards!
It’s that time of the year again when we ask readers of GTO and the Grapevine to reflect back over the trips you’ve made with your groups in the past few months! Simply nominate the attractions, destinations and operators in our award categories that have enabled your group to have fantastic days out and holidays.
Every vote really does count in the Group Travel Awards (GTAs) as it is the nominee with the most votes that goes on to be the winner in each category. There are hundreds of companies, places and people that you could vote for and the difference between one of them winning the award or being a runner up may only be a handful of votes so it really does matter!Why nominate?
Throughout the group travel industry there are many outstanding people and places that work hard to offer the best service to you and your group. The GTAs, established nearly 25 years ago, provide you with a way to recommend the companies that have excelled for your group.
Please vote in as many categories as you can
For example, if you are thinking of your day trips over the year, do recommend your coach or tour operator but also let us know what places were a hit for your group – including historic houses and gardens, canal or river cruises, the restaurants you enjoyed and visitor attractions – both inside London and outside the capital.
There are many other categories too, from animal, bird or sealife centres, guided tour providers, West End theatre and Events, to all types of accommodation suppliers, ocean cruise operators and plane, train and ferry providers. Which destinations have you visited in the UK and overseas and what was the best? Do let us know your nominations in as many categories as possible.
Closing Date
The closing date for making your nomination online or returning the form is Friday 25th January 2019.
What your Nomination means
Each business – from the largest airline to the smallest tearoom – is very grateful to receive your vote as it is a testimony to the high quality service and the work they do to make sure they offer the best experiences for groups.
The eventual award winner is always delighted on accepting their award, and comments such as this are typical ‘It’s a testament to the hard work that every single member of the team puts in on a daily basis to ensure all our customers have a fantastic stay with us.’
The finalists
After we have counted all your nominations in each category, we take the ones with the most votes and prepare our list of finalists. We’ll share this with you in the March 2019 issue of GTO.
2019 Award Categories
- Best UK Destination For Groups
- Best Event for Groups
- Best Canal or Riverboat Operator for Groups
- Best Sea Crossing Operator for Groups
- Best Ocean Cruise Line Operator for Groups
- Best Coach Operator for Groups – Large Fleet and Small Fleet
- Best Airline for Groups
- Best Rail Operator for Groups
- Best Group Dining Experience
- Best Company or Venue offering Guided Tours
- Best Information Product for Groups
- Best West End Production
- Best Group Ticketing Agency
- Most Group-Friendly Hotel Chain or Group
- Best Individual Hotel for Groups
- Best Holiday Park for Groups
- Best University Accommodation for Groups
- Best Group Tour Operator
- Best European Attraction for Groups
- Best European Destination for Groups
- Best Animal or Sea Life Attraction for Groups
- Best Historic House and/or Garden for Groups
- Best Family Day Out
- Best Attraction for Group Visits – Outside London
- Best Attraction for Group Visits – Greater London
2019 Editorial Awards
In addition to the nominations made by readers, the editorial team also review the places visited over the last year and nominate a handful of suppliers for special awards. These are typically places that are new, are innovators in tourism or are a ‘little treasure.’
We also select the winner of the Outstanding Individual in Group Travel. This is an individual of standing in the group travel and tourism sector who has made a significant contribution over many years.
In exchange for your sponsorship, we offer:
- Editorial coverage in GTO in issues leading up to the event.
- Complimentary seats at the gala evening presentation event.
- Coverage in the Awards Menu.
- Your logo to appear on a powerpoint display during the gala evening, plus enhanced exposure when you present your category.
- Your company logo displayed prominently on the Group Travel Awards website, together with a direct link to your own web site.
- Together with our Celebrity Host, you will present the trophy to the winner of your chosen category.
- Editorial coverage regarding your involvement in the awards will be published in the special Awards Supplement which accompanies the June/July 2019 issue of GTO Magazine after the event.
- Logo credits on e-mails promoting the event.
Sponsorship of The Group Travel Awards is an opportunity to invest and celebrate in group travel excellence!
Contact Sarah Jeffery
With a passion for travel, Sarah has worked within the industry for almost 20 years. 17 of these have been spent with Landor Travel Publications, specialising in the group travel industry; working on GTO Magazine, together with regional and national group travel exhibitions. The 2019 Group Travel Awards will be the 11th that Sarah has organised and are the highlight of Sarah’s industry calendar.
To discuss sponsorship opportunities or should you have any questions about the awards, please contact Sarah via one of the methods below.