Kevin Savage on the 14th May 2012
LISTED COMPANY PREVIEW NOW ONLINE
The British Travel Awards Academy has deliberated on the applications received for listing on this year’s consumer voting form and we are pleased to publish the names of the successful companies. Three categories - Best Luxury Tour Operator, Best Escorted Tours Operator, Best Villa/Self Catering Booking Company - were heavily oversubscribed and the Academy found it impossible to equitably determine which companies should or should not be listed. For this reason, three additional award categories will be included on the 2012 consumer voting form.
Best Luxury Tour Operator has been changed to two new categories: Best Worldwide Luxury Tour Operator and Best Regional Luxury Tour Operator.
Best Escorted Tours Operator has been amended with one additional category: Best Escorted Tours Operator, Best Escorted Experience Tours Operator. Coach operators who applied to be listed in this category have been transferred to Best Coach Holiday Tour Operator.
Best Villa/Self Catering Booking Company has been amended with one additional category: Best Villa/Self Catering Booking Company and Best UK Holiday Cottage/Self Catering Booking Company.
Explanations of the criteria applied to these revised categories and how the votes will be distributed can be found on the Company Listing Preview page under the category headings.
If you have any comments please email sophie@britishtravelawards.com before 8th June 2012.
Kevin Savage on the 27th April 2012
FINAL DAY FOR ONLINE REGISTRATION
Applications to register your company or brand for inclusion in the various travel categories on the British Travel Awards 2012 Consumer Voting Form close at midnight tonight.
To find out the companies that had registered by 17:00 yesterday (Thursday26 April) click on the links below:
- TOUR OPERATORS
Best tour operator by holiday type, best tour operator to destinations around the world (there will be three awards in each tour operator category:
1. Winner Best Small Tour Operator... (Less than 10k pax per year)
2. Winner Best Medium Tour Operator... (10k to 80k pax per year)
3. Winner Best Large Tour Operator... (More than 80k pax per year)
There will be three overall Tour Operator Awards:
1. Small Tour Operator of the Year
2. Medium Tour Operator of the Year
3. Large Tour Operator of the Year
The winners of these awards will be determined by taking the overall number of votes cast for a company across all the tour operator categories and dividing it by the number of categories in which that company receives votes. The company with the highest result in each small, medium, large group will be deemed the winner.
- CRUISE HOLIDAYS
Best cruise line by market sector, best cruise holiday retailer
- HOTELS & ACCOMMODATION
Best hotel/resort group by market sector, best online hotel booking company, best villa/self catering booking company
- HOLIDAY ADD ONS
Best attraction ticket provider, best worldwide theme park, best airport parking company, best holiday transfer company, best foreign exchange retailer, best travel insurance company
- UK/DOMESTIC HOLIDAYS
Best UK heritage attraction, best UK leisure attraction, best UK holiday county or region, best UK coastal town, best UK visitor guide website, best UK holiday park operator
- TRAVEL RETAILERS
Best national travel retailer, best small travel agency, best travel agency website
To register your company click on the Registration Form tab at top of page.
Lorraine Barnes Burton on the 26th April 2012
THE RIVER BOAT QUEEN!
BTA CEO off to Memphis for launch of a fantastic Mississippi River Steam Boat – Paddle Steamer no less! Can’t wait – being launched by Priscilla Presley no less and will soon be available for sale to all of our lovely UK travellers. Watch this space for more info and pics – this really is a big departure from usual cruise and river holidays.....
One thing to remember though – I turned up at Heathrow to board my Delta Airlines flight and had completely forgotten that now when you travel to the USA you need to fill in and have an ESTA approval before you are allowed to board any flight to the USA. A frantic call back to the angels at the BTA office, £39.99 later, and a follow up call with Jazz at US Visa support meant that from start to finish in an emergency situation at the check in desk at Delta – it all took less than 40 minutes from panic to relief! Sometimes the systems work well – and I was really grateful that today was one of those days!
More news and pics about Priscilla, Memphis, Gracelands (obviously!) , and the new American Queen Mississippi River Boat to follow!
Lorraine Barnes Burton on the 18th April 2012
INDUSTRY VIP DAY AT HENLEY ROYAL REGATTA
Join us on 27th June for an exclusive travel industry event at the Henley Royal Regatta 2012. In association with TravelMole and FST creative brand communications we are hosting a full hospitality "day out by the river"... everything from champagne and canapes to a fish and chip supper.
The Henley VIP Day offers a uniquely enjoyable corporate day for up to 200 guests. Situated in an enviable riverside location adjacent to the Stewards enclosure, the luxury marquee and private garden offer the ideal setting in which to enjoy the event.
Click here to find out more and book your places online.
Sophie Toyer on the 22nd March 2012
PAST WINNERS AND NOMINEES MUST REGISTER
I’ve received a number of calls since registration opened from BTA 2011 winners and nominees enquiring whether they have to register for listing on the consumer voting form in this year’s awards. The answer is YES. Unlike previous years, winners will not automatically be entered into the British Travel Awards 2012 and MUST register in order to be included. We’ve dropped the trade nomination cycle this year in favour of a self-registration process; in order that smaller companies have a fairer opportunity of being listed, click here for a full explanation.
Companies should identify their niche and register in the appropriate categories. You have until 27th April to register and the successful companies will be listed on our website between 7th May and 2nd June, prior to consumer voting opening on 3rd June.
So please register today because, “If you don’t buy a ticket you can’t win a prize”!
Kevin Savage on the 9th March 2012
UK REGIONS YOUR CHANCE TO SHINE
With the London 2012 Olympics and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the UK will be in the world's spotlight. This year more than ever, UK regions (local tourism partnerships and any organisation that starts it's website address with www.visit..., www.enjoy... etc) should be putting themselves forward for listing in the UK/Domestic Holiday categories:
- Best UK Holiday County or Region
- Best UK Coastal Resort
- Best UK Visitor Guide Website
And, spread the word to attractions in your area to enter:
- Best UK Leisure Attraction
- Best UK Heritage Attraction
- Best UK Theme Park
The UK/Domestic Holidays category group also includes:
- Best UK Holiday Park Operator
- Best UK Waterway/Lakes Boat Operator
Our BTA TravelVision 2011 survey results reveal that more people will be taking holidays in the UK this year and there will be a growth in the shortbreak market. Take the opportunity of receiving your visitor's seal of approval by registering in the above categories.
Lorraine Barnes Burton on the 8th March 2012
WHY THE REGISTRATION FEE?
This year we have introduced a nominal charge to cover the administrative costs of the awards programme. A British Travel Award is one of the highest accolades in the travel and tourism industry as it is your customers who determine the winners.
The British Travel Awards operate as a completely independent body, with no ties or affiliations to any travel or travel media companies. The results are rigorously audited by Deloitte LLP and for these reasons a British Travel Award is recognised by consumers and trade alike as the "true marque of customer satisfaction".
By registering your company in your chosen categories, your brand will receive:
- Listing on the consumer voting form (subject to meeting the category criteria) from 3 June to 30 September.
- Listing on the company listing preview during May.
- Listing in the June edition of BTA Check In magazine distributed to over 66,000 consumer subscribers.
- Use of the official BTA "Vote for Us" button and other marketing tools with url link to the BTA voting form.
- Benefit from brand exposure as a result of our £400,000 media campaign driving consumers to the BTA website.
Winning companies will also receive:
- The official BTA award status logo for free and unfettered use on your online and offline marketing collateral.
- Post awards publicity from our media partners.
- Featured in the awards edition of BTA Check In magazine.
- 1st level page listing on the BTA website until November 2013.
- 2nd level page listing in the awards archive from November 2013.
We believe the introduction of a registration fee is a fair and reasonable price given the level of exposure your brand will receive and is a necessary step in maintaining the British Travel Awards independence and your most highly prized recognition of business achievement.
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