Celebrity Cruises has revealed the winners of its annual Travel Agent Appreciation Awards (TAAAs).
The luxury event was held on 12 January at The Gherkin and saw over 70 travel partners come together and a total of eight awards presented.
The awards were hosted by Celebrity Cruises’ Vice President & Managing Director for EMEA, Jo Rzymowska, and Sales Director for UK & Ireland, Claire Stirrup.
A special award was presented to Dame Irene Hays DBE DL of Hays Travel, for her outstanding contribution to travel.
The winners were also the recipient of an Above & Beyond Award as well as partners that have reached new growth milestones and found new ways to market.
The full list of Celebrity Cruises’ Travel Agent Appreciation Awards winners includes:
- Cruise.co.uk – commended for their innovative go-to-market campaigns, creative approach and product planning
- Hays Travel – noted for their approach to investing in training and developing their people, to deepen their Celebrity Cruises product knowledge
- Love It Book It – who have focused on their TV channel to drive sales and showcase Celebrity Cruises, creating and investing in video footage to bring the brand to life
- Midcounties Co-Operative- for deepening their partnership with Celebrity Cruises by dedicating extra resources to drive Celebrity brand awareness and significantly increase their bookings
- Stewart Travel – for developing a bespoke Celebrity Cruises strategic plan which has resulted in exponential growth, and investing in their sellers to experience the product and build their knowledge of the brand
- The Cruise Village – called out as a company for going above and beyond to deliver personalised service and attract new guests to Celebrity Cruises
- Travel Counsellors – translating the real value of Celebrity Cruises’ relaxed luxury resort at sea experience to their customers, they are heralded for selling on value and not on price
- Outstanding contribution award: Dame Irene Hays DBE DL – an ambassador for the travel industry, a passionate advocate for championing young people to be the best they can be and to get the most they can out of life.
Jo Rzymowska, Vice President & Managing Director, EMEA, for Celebrity Cruises, said: “2022 was an incredible year for Celebrity Cruises with the launch of the industry-leading Celebrity Beyond in the UK, and the news that a stunning Edge-Series ship, Celebrity Apex, will be homeporting in Southampton from 2024.
“These achievements are a testament to the brand’s confidence in the UK market, owing to the incredible support of our travel partners.
“We’re also particularly encouraged by the strong start we are seeing to Wave already, and remain positive for a great year ahead in 2023.
“The Travel Agent Appreciation Awards are our opportunity to say thank you to our hugely valued travel agent community, as we simply couldn’t do it without them.”
2023’s awards also marked the final time Rzymowska will preside over the much-loved annual event before stepping down from her role in June.
Commenting on the significance, she added:
“This year’s awards are also particularly poignant for me as I think beyond just the last 12 months and back as far as when I first stepped into my role for the dedicated Celebrity Cruises business back in 2014.
“As I prepare to hand over the mantle in June, I’d like to add a note of personal gratitude to all of the travel partners and industry friends who have been vital to the success of our business during my time at its helm.”
Feedback from travel partners revealed that cash rewards would mean the most to agents this year.
In response, the cruise line offered its “biggest-ever” cash giveaway as part of this year’s Celebrity Moments campaign, totalling £125,000 and initiated through a suite of incentives and initiatives:
- The 100 top-performing agents over Wave are set to receive £500 in Celebrity Rewards.
- Agents have the opportunity to win up to a further £1,000 when making multiple bookings before 01 March 2023 and claiming through Celebrity Central before 08 March 2023.
- Further rewarding those who have gone above and beyond, the Sales Team set off on the road last week launching a ‘Mystery Envelope’ initiative.
Running until 31st March 2023, Regional Sales Managers are armed with envelopes containing one of over a hundred prizes ranging from money to spend on a team lunch, £10 worth of Celebrity Rewards points, branded goodies and even the chance to bag a place on the Seminars at Sea series – the ultimate Celebrity Cruises training experience.
For more details, travel agents should visit celebritycentral.co.uk.
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