The UK’s top travel agents were recognised at a presentation dinner and awards ceremony at Birmingham’s spectacular The Vox convention centre last night (24 March).

Organised by travel industry publication TTG and sponsored by some of the travel industry’s biggest names, the TTG Top 50 is the annual celebration of the very best travel agencies in the country.

The awards are split into twelve regional categories for high street travel agents, eight national awards for the best-of-the-best and four ‘special’ categories.

Of the 24 categories, one is devoted to business travel. And it’s for this award – the Best Business Travel Agency 2022 – that Global Travel Management was honoured by being shortlisted, along with just three other companies.

Speaking before the event, Scott Pawley, managing director of GTM said,

From customer comments we receive on a regular basis, we know we’re doing a great job.  In fact that’s why so many customers remain so loyal to GTM; and why we’re heading out of the pandemic with more customers than at any time in our history.  But to be nominated for shortlisting in this category is a huge testament to the work we have put in over the years to make sure GTM is seen as a rightful competitor to some of the biggest, heavily-backed, multi-million dollar businesses in the industry.  

It might be too much to expect that a company the size of GTM could take on and beat the biggest businesses in the UK.  But I am very grateful for the support of our customers and suppliers which has enabled this David to step into the same ring as several Goliaths. 

In the event, it wasn’t too much to expect, because the judges decided to award Global Travel Management with one of just two places in the categroy Best Business Travel Agencies 2022.

Speaking after the awards were announced, Scott Pawley said:

The recognition we received by being shortlisted is for the hard work and excellence of the team that makes GTM tick – I am very pleased that everyone in our team knows that their contribution to our success has been recognised.

The judges saw that exceptional work GTM put in during the course of the pandemic. From launching new products and services like our Carbon Offset Programme and PinPoint to the work we put in behind the scenes, campaigning for a better deal from the government during travel bans and making our voices heard in Grant Shapps’ Global Travel Taskforce.

We also closed acquisitions and, with new customers coming on board, we now have more customers than at any point in our history.

It’s a great way to mark 25 years as a travel management company.

The event started with an exclusive afternoon tea party for travel agents and, following a lavish dinner, with entertainment, the awards ceremony took place, with the party continuing until 2am.