Held at Cordis Auckland last Saturday, xtravel’s founding team members Niki Davies and Tori Keating both picked up individual awards.
Davies was named individual travel broker of the year — other finalists in that category were Kelly Cruickshank-Giles (NZ Travel Brokers), Rebecca Kent (Rove Culture — Travel by Rebecca Kent), Antony Myers (The Travel Brokers, helloworld) and Kim Payne (Wanderlust Travel Experts).
Keating, also nominated for marketing campaign of the year, brought home the award for community connection of the year, beating Deborah Kay (helloworld Travel Rotorua), Kay M Gregan (Kay M Gregan The Travel Designer), Mary Buckley (Shore Travel) and Kiri Martin (You Travel, Orewa).
Held by the Travel Agents Association of New Zealand (TAANZ), the awards recognise the best and brightest across the country’s travel sector.
In a statement, TAANZ says the winners reflect the "dedication, professionalism and energy that continue to drive our industry forward".
"As international travel rebounds and a critical enabler for stronger inbound travel, our sector, grows, the [awards are] a reminder of the strength and spirit of our travel community."
xtravel New Zealand — founded in November, 2016 — is a member of Envoyage NZ, a collective of leading independent travel professionals committed to delivering exceptional journeys.
Davies and Keating say their wins are a testament to their individual dedication and excellence, and the strong values and service-driven ethos at the heart of their brand.
Davies: "Winning these awards is an incredible honour. It reflects the relationships we build with our clients and the trust they place in us every day."
Keating says being recognised for community connection "means the world".
"It’s about more than travel, it’s about people, and I’m so proud to represent that."
