LEADING INDUSTRY AWARDS REVEAL THE BEST OF THE BEST IN LUXURY TRAVEL

Murray Travel Inverness picks up Luxury Travel Agency of the Year (sole store) award

Inverness agency Murray Travel has picked up a prestigious award at the TTG Luxury Travel Awards 2024, in association with Silversea, an initiative that recognizes a range of achievements across the luxury travel industry.

Hosted by the sector’s leading magazine, TTG Luxury, the awards are now in their sixth year, and Murray Travel’s Inverness branch manager Carla Murdoch was in London for the big event, collecting the trophy for Luxury Travel Agency of the Year (sole store) during a glittering ceremony held at Raffles London at The OWO.

There were more than 120 travel companies on this year’s overall shortlist across a total of 19 categories, with the winners announced at the popular industry event. Carla Murdoch, Branch Manager of Inverness said 'We are simply over the moon to have been selected as the Luxury Travel Agency of the Year (sole store) in the TTG Luxury Travel Awards 2024! This is a great achievement for our branch and shows the fantastic hard work and dedication our team have for their customers'

All entrants had to give a detailed entry submission covering a wide range of areas, such as operations; customer service; staff care; and innovation in product; as well as demonstrating their commitment to running a Smarter, Better, Fairer business, in line with TTG Media’s own core purpose. Entries were then judged by panels of industry experts.

The TTG Luxury Travel Awards judges said: “Styled on an up-market hotel lobby or luxury airline lounge, Murray Travel in Inverness has been further enhanced in the last year, with the installation of private consultation pods where customers can now sit back with a glass of bubbly as they plan their adventures. Thanks to a new social media strategy, the agency has seen a boost in new customers, who are all also being even more recognised now, thanks to the company’s investment in helpful technology. Murray Travel Inverness’s manager Carla Murdoch was also selected as one of TTG’s Sustainable Travel Ambassadors, a role that’s had a huge impact across the business. And we were thrilled to see the wider Murray Travel team has also adopted a strict code of conduct that ensures its values around sustainability are never breached. Well done to Murray Travel Inverness on this win!”

Winners picked up their trophies among 350 leading luxury travel industry figures in attendance, marking the largest ever outing for the event, with guests also enjoying a unique musical set from Brixton Chamber Orchestra, and helping to raise funds for charity Shelter.

TTG Luxury editor and publisher April Hutchinson said: “It gives me enormous pride to have awarded so many worthy recipients, who proved how they continually go above and beyond in our vibrant luxury travel sector. The TTG Luxury Travel Awards are not easy to win: we require a lot of detail from entrants to demonstrate how they strive to be a Smarter, Better, Fairer travel business, in line with TTG Media’s own core purpose. From global hotel brands to individual travel designers, the awards shine a light on what good looks like and we also place emphasis on recognizing those who make a positive contribution in the area of sustainability and community engagement. We’re thrilled to have hosted so many people from across our thriving luxury travel sector in such a fitting venue and send hearty congratulations to all winners.”

Among the categories awarded were eight for travel agencies, eight for industry suppliers and two special categories – Luxury Travel Workplace of the Year and Sustainability Hero of the Year, which have become hotly-contested categories.

The event was held in the hotel’s incredible Whitehall Ballroom and The Lawrence events spaces, created within the walls of the original Old War Office, which was built in 1906 and was the former site of the original Palace of Whitehall.

This location even inspired Ian Fleming to write the James Bond series after working for Britain’s Naval Intelligence Service there, and the hotel features The Spy Bar, a late-night subterranean speakeasy in rooms once used by MI5.

The full list of winners and more information on the awards initiative can be found online, https://www.ttgmedia.com/ttg-luxury-travel-awards