Ronaldsway Airport based travel agent Antony Guy, who runs his own corporate travel business as part of leading independent travel company Travel Counsellors, is celebrating after the company was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise*, the UK’s highest accolade for business success, in recognition of the company’s continued growth and overseas expansion.
The independent travel company, which has one of the highest scores in the world for customer loyalty, received the highly respected award for International Trade having successfully brought its unique business model, which focuses on providing clients with the highest levels of personal service, to overseas markets in Ireland, the Netherlands, South Africa, Australia, Canada, Dubai and most recently expanding into Belgium earlier this year.
Antony comments; “I am thrilled the company has received this fantastic accolade. Our international expansion hugely benefits me and my corporate travel clients as I have access to exclusive products and can draw on the local knowledge and support of fellow Travel Counsellors in eight countries across the globe, offering my clients a unique level of personal insight that they simply would not get from another business travel provider. Plus I have 24/7 support from our global offices, so my clients know I am always available to help them should they need it.”
The company, which now has 800 leisure and business Travel Counsellors across the UK and a further 500 in its overseas operations, has experienced a growth of 120% since its first overseas launch in Ireland nine years ago. Since joining the company in October 2011 Antony has seen his corporate travel business go from strength to strength.
The award also follows Travel Counsellors being the first, and so far the only, UK travel agency to receive the Queen’s Award for Innovation in 2003, which recognised the company’s original and pioneering concept of enabling travel professionals such as Antony to run their own travel businesses whilst supporting them from the company’s central head office in the UK, which now has over 200 staff and a further 60 plus in its overseas offices.
Antony comments; “I am so proud to be part of a company that has received the Queen’s Award for a second time and that has grown globally because its customers trust the independent, expert, personalised travel advice we provide. I take the time to get to know my clients and their needs to provide truly tailored corporate travel itineraries that suit their exact requirements. My clients really appreciate the fact that I am always there for them should they need me, something they would not find by arranging their corporate travel online, and they can be safe in the knowledge that their money is safe in the Travel Counsellors’ dedicated financial trust fund.”
Travel Counsellors continued success has also recently been recognised when the company was listed in the 2014 Sunday Times Profit Track earlier this month.
For more information or to discuss your future corporate travel plans please contact Antony on 01624 833551 or email antony.guy@travelcounsellors.com.
* The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are awarded to businesses for outstanding achievement in International Trade, Innovation and Sustainable Development, and are announced annually on 21 April, The Queen’s birthday. Approximately 160 Queen’s Awards have been announced this year. For further information please visit www.queensawards.org.uk.
