After an 18 month wait for hopefuls across the coach tourism sector, the winners of the 2020 British Coach Tourism Awards were crowned last night in a prestigious live event at the National Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham.
The UK’s best coach tour operators, destinations, visitor attractions, hotels, and tourism industry suppliers, were honoured last night (22 September) at the 2021 British Coach Tourism Awards, organised by Diversified Communications UK.
The prestigious awards ceremony, which took place in Birmingham following the first day of the travel trade event, British Tourism & Travel Show, brought back the industry once again to celebrate excellence and innovation across the multi-billion-pound coach tourism sector.
Hosted by presenter (and Strictly Champion) Chris Hollins, stunning entertainment was provided by the Mamma Mia! Production, which contributed to a truly memorable and ‘electric evening’.
Winning coach tour operators included: Johnsons Coaches, Kirbys Coaches, Lucketts Travel, Masons Minibus & Coach Hire and Woods Travel, Bognor Regis. Albatross Travel, Best Western Hotels & Resorts GB, Bletchley Park Trust, Holkham, P&O Ferries, Rendezvous Hotel (Skipton), RHS Gardens, Roeville Reservation Software, Skills Holidays, Stuart Line Cruises, and Wells also took home accolades.
The British Coach Tourism Awards 2020 winners are:
Coach Friendly Destination, partnered by Floating Grace – Wells
Highly Commended – Otley
Coach Friendly Attraction (history & heritage), partnered by Beverley East Yorkshire – Bletchley Park Trust
Coach Friendly Attraction, partnered by Beverley East Yorkshire – RHS Gardens
Highly Commended – Aerospace Bristol
Coach Friendly Guided Tour, partnered by CoachMarque – Holkham
Highly Commended – Culloden Battlefield
Cross-Sea Carrier, partnered by Action Tours – P&O Ferries
River and Inland Cruise Operator, partnered by DFDS – Stuart Line Cruises
Accommodation Provider (independent hotel), partnered by Harmony Coach Holidays – Rendezvous Hotel, Skipton
Accommodation Provider (hotel group), partnered by Albatross Travel – Best Western Hotels & Resorts GB
Coach Tourism Industry Supplier, partnered by Eurotunnel Le Shuttle – Roeville Reservation Software
Tour Wholesaler, partnered by Planet Hollywood & The View from the Shard – Albatross Travel
Coach Tourism Professional of the Year, partnered by Continuum Attractions – Barry Cobb, Johnsons Coaches
Coach Tour Driver of the Year, partnered by Roadchef – Andy Hinks, Lucketts Travel
Highly Commended – Glyn Harrison, Alfa Travel (Sadly, since deceased)
Holiday Programme, partnered by Distinctive Systems – Skills Holidays
Day Excursion Programme, partnered by P&O Ferries – Woods Travel, Bognor Regis
Coach Tour Operator Social Media Campaign, partnered by John Hill Coach Sales & Services – Johnsons Coaches
Coach Tour Operator – Small Fleet (1 – 5 coaches), partnered by City Cruises – Masons Minibus & Coach Hire
Coach Tour Operator – Medium Fleet (6 – 15 coaches), partnered by Warner Leisure Hotels – Kirbys Coaches
Coach Tour Operator – Large Fleet (more than 15 coaches), partnered by Wrightsure Insurance Services – Johnsons Coaches
British Coach Tourism Recognition Award, partnered by Hilton – Denise Bridges, Albatross Travel
Denise Bridges from Albatross Travel was awarded The British Coach Tourism Recognition Award for her significant contribution to the coach tourism industry.
“I find myself lost for words, I am rather overwhelmed to receive this award when I am lucky enough to do a job I love, with amazing colleagues, clients and suppliers. This industry is full of warmth, creativity and hard work with an end game of delivering great holidays to those people who choose to travel by coach,” says Denise Bridges.
She continues: “I have spent my rather long career working in travel trade either in hotels, attractions or now, as a wholesaler, and this is absolutely the worst of times in over 40 working years. However, I know our industry will recover, with honesty and understanding between all of us, the best of times will return, it just may take a minute.”