One of Airlie’s longest standing booking agencies won a prestigious award in Sydney last week, thanks to nominations by the very customers it serves.
Owner/director of airliebeach.com Travel and Internet Centre, Tony Laurent, said the 17-year-old business picked up the “best small travel agent in Australia” award at the “Golden Backpackers Awards” organised by international young travellers’ magazine TNT.
“This was an a-political competition, which was about votes from customers so we were over the moon (to win),” Mr Laurent said.
“We have a very simple mantra – put the right people on the right trips and in the right accommodation and they come back happy. That’s the thing my wife and I have always adhered to. We’ve always said that honesty and integrity are what it’s all about and we’re lucky to have great local Whitsundays staff that reflect those principles,” he said.
“I’m very proud of them (the staff) and I’m proud of the recognition they justly deserve.”
Mr Laurent said winning the award was also a coup for the Whitsundays as a whole.
“It’s a wonderful reflection on the region. The standard of operators here is very good. Here you’re not so much a travel agent as a facilitator.
“There’s a lot of quiet achievers here in Airlie Beach. We just have to feel good about ourselves and our region and present it in a genuine way,” he said.
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