Three travel advisors from Australia received nominations for awards and recognition at the 2022 Virtuoso Travel Week. Over the coming days, awards will be presented across a range of fields, providing formal recognition for those leading the way in their respective specialty areas.
The trio of Aussie advisors nominated for Community Awards [‘Community’ being a sub-category of either Adventure, Family + Celebration, Ultraluxe, Culinary and Wellness] included Gabrielle Thackray from Wentworth Travel; Eirini Hatzellis from Savenio (both attending VTW 2022 in person) and Yvonne Verstanding, Trans World Travel.
The winners of the Community Awards were presented yesterday during the Globetrotting lunch break. Other 2022 accolades yet to be announced will include Partner Awards and Recognition Awards winners.
Among those are Australia’s own Aurora Expeditions in the ‘Best Expedition Cruise Lines’ category. Aurora Expeditions is a relative newcomer to the Virtuoso Preferred global partnership (joining in late July 2021, in a move foreshadowed by LATTE), and only recently welcomed a new CEO to the position, Michael Heath, as of 1 June 2022. Also in the nominees from the Oceania region is Park Hyatt Auckland in the ‘Best New or Reimagined Hotel’ category, Southern Crossings for ‘Best On-Site’ and Tourism Australia, and Tourism New Zealand, for ‘Best Tourism Board.
View the full list of nominees, and the Community Award winners, below:
2022 Community Award Nominees and Winners
ADVENTURE
Member Nominees
Rob Borzillo, Departure Lounge
Joey Levy, Embark Beyond
June Kleier, Protravel International
Yvonne Verstandig, Trans World Travel
Angela Wallace Pierson, Wallace Pierson Travel – WINNER
Partner Nominees
Big Five
Enchantment Resort
G Adventures
Micato Safaris – WINNER
Natural Habitat Adventures
FAMILY + CELEBRATION
Member Nominees
Kathy Lubrano, Coastline Travel Advisors
Kate Johnson, CSB Travel
Jen Campbell Boles, Gifted Travel Network
Jessica Griscavage, McCabe World Travel, Inc. – WINNER
Duncan Greenfield-Turk, Protravel International UK
Partner Nominees
Family Twist
Kulm Hotel St. Moritz
Made for Spain and Portugal – WINNER
Park Hyatt Aviara
The Palms Turks and Caicos
ULTRALUXE
Member Nominees
Linda Scroggins, Affluent Luxury Travel
Jonathan Phillips, Cassis Travel Services
Victoria Boomgarden, Direct Travel Luxe – WINNER
Amy Grigos, High Access Travel
Becky Craft, Travel Experts
Partner Nominees
The Brando – WINNER
Casa Cipriani
Cheval Blanc St Barths
Dream Escape
Remote Lands
CULINARY
Member Nominees
Elli Beck, Andavo Travel
Dawn Johnson, Coastline Travel Advisors – WINNER
Tammy Murphy, Gifted Travel Network
Nicholas Cutrone, Vista Travel Consultants, INC
Gabrielle Thackray, Wentworth Travel
Partner Nominees
Condado Vanderbilt
IC Bellagio – WINNER
Relais il Falconiere
Tourisme Montreal
Tutka Bay Lodge – Within the Wild
WELLNESS
Member Nominees
Donna Jacobs Padilla, Coastline Travel Advisors
Sheila Gallant-Halloran, Vision Travel, A Direct Travel Company – WINNER
Eirini Hatzellis, Savenio
Francis Contreras, Travelworld International Group
Kim Schneider, Tzell Travel Group
Partner Nominees
JOALI Being
Miraval Resorts – WINNER
Palmaia the House of AiA
The Ranch Malibu
SHA Wellness Clinic
Recognition Nominees
PROTECTING THE PLANET*
Member Nominees
Amy Welfare and Katie Terrington, 360 Private Travel
Avenue Two Travel
Leo Sorcher, Embark Beyond
JTB Global Assistance
Shari Tucker, TPI
Partner Nominees
Mashpi Lodge
Six Senses Laamu
Slovenian Tourist Board
Soori Bali
White Desert
SUPPORTING LOCAL ECONOMIES*
Member Nominees
Jess Tang, 360 Private Travel Hong Kong
Linda Scroggins, Affluent Luxury Travel
Black Tomato
Kevin Wu, Charm Deer
Danielle (Koch) Meyer, Coastline Travel Advisors
Partner Nominees
Adams & Butler
andBeyond
Velas Resorts
Noteworthy United Kingdom
Wilderness Safaris
CELEBRATING CULTURE*
Member Nominees
Cadence
Embark Beyond
Kenia Collins, Gifted Travel Network
GOYA by Copastur
The Travel Society
Partner Nominees
Access Italy
Casa Gangotena
Entree Destinations
Four Seasons Resort Lana’i
Terranea Resort
2022 Partner Award Nominees
BEST SPECIALTY, INSURANCE or AIRLINE*
Partner Nominees
Allianz Partners
American Airlines
Delta Air Lines
Travelex Insurance Services
United Airlines
BEST OCEAN CRUISE LINEˆ
Partner Nominees
Celebrity Cruises
Oceania Cruises
Seabourn
Silversea
Viking
BEST RIVER CRUISE LINEˆ
Partner Nominees
AmaWaterways
Aqua Expeditions
Avalon Waterways
Uniworld Boutique River Cruises
Viking
BEST EXPEDITION CRUISE LINEˆ
Partner Nominees
Aurora Expeditions
Celebrity Xpedition
Lindblad Expeditions
Quark Expeditions
Silversea
BEST INNOVATIVE GUEST EXPERIENCE*
Partner Nominees
Airelles Chateau de Versailles, Le Grand Controle
Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort
Etéreo, Auberge Resorts Collection
NoMad London
One&Only Gorilla’s Nest
BEST HOTEL*
Partner Nominees
Gleneagles, Scotland
Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo
Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid
Montage Healdsburg
Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal
BEST NEW OR REIMAGINED HOTEL*
Partner Nominees
Borgo Santandrea
Cheval Blanc Paris
Park Hyatt Auckland
San Domenico Palace, Taormina, A Four Seasons Hotel
The St. Regis Venice
HOTELIER OF THE YEAR*
To be presented 18 August, at the Gala Celebration of Luminaries, Legends, and Leaders.
Partner Nominees
Guillaume Marly, Hotel Cafe Royal, London
Markos Chaidemenos, Canaves Oia
Aaron Kaupp, The Carlton Tower Jumeirah
Valentina De Santis, Grand Hotel Tremezzo & Passalacqua
Christian Westbeld, Raffles Singapore
Best On-Site*
Partner Nominees
Costa Rican Trails
IC Bellagio
Imago Artis Travel
Leonidas Travel
Southern Crossings
BEST TOUR OPERATOR*
Partner Nominees
Abercrombie & Kent
Big Five
Family Twist
Micato
Tauck
BEST TOURISM BOARD*
Partner Nominees
Austrian Tourist Office
Los Cabos Tourism Board
The British Virgin Islands Tourist Board
Tourism Australia
Tourism New Zealand
ˆ To be presented 15 August at Cruise Night Out.
* To be presented 18 August, at the Gala Celebration of Luminaries, Legends, and Leaders.
Lead image credit: Julian Paefgen/Unsplash
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