The British Educational Travel Association (BETA) held its annual British Youth Travel Awards last week and honoured businesses that are focused on raising the bar for the youth travel market in the UK.
With awards presented by double Olympic medallist, rower Alex Partridge, the event was a glitzy affair that continued into the evening in a British-themed restaurant.
And the winners were:
BEST MARKETING
Winner: Spaceships Campervans “where’s Mike”
Silver: Clink Hostels
Bronze: STA Travel “live like an aussie”
BEST USE OF SOCIAL/MOBILE MEDIA
Winner: Generator Hostels
Silver: Clink Hostels
Bronze: Topdeck Travel
BEST VOLUNTEERING ORGANISATION
Winner: Blue Ventures Expeditions
Silver: Madventurer Volunteer Projects
Bronze: Camps International
RISING STAR AWARD
Winner: Sophie Herbert, St Christopher’s Inns
Silver: Sebastian (Seb) Powell, Topdeck Travel
Bronze: Lauren Gibbs, BritBound
BEST ACCOMMODATION
Winner:Clink78
Silver: Kingswood & Camp Beaumont (Dearne Valley)
Bronze: Palmers Lodge, Swiss Cottage
BEST INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DESTINATION
Winner: Spain
Silver: Australia
Bronze: Germany
BEST EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
Winner: Oxford Royale Academy
Sliver: Bucksmore Education
Bronze: Ardmay House Intl Summer School
BEST LEISURE PRODUCT
Winner: Live the City
Silver: Spaceships Campervans
Bronze: Golden Tours
BEST SUPPORT SERVICE
Winner: BritBound
Silver: Britannia Student Services
Bronze: Live the City
BEST UK YOUTH DESTINATION
Winner: London
Silver: Brighton
Bronze: Liverpool
CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD
Winner: Palmers Lodge Hostels
Silver: St Christopher’s Inns
Bronze: Clink Hostels
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION AWARD
Winner: Micheline Sutton, Anglophiles Academic
Winners were decided by a judging panel, which said the volume and standard of entries was higher than ever. “”The quality of applicant was impressive. Large and small, there are travel companies doing some really great and innovative things in the UK,” said Nate Bucholz, Head of Industry, Google.
Founder of STA Travel and BETA Chairman, Dick Porter, opened and closed the event, highlighting how important (and innovative) the youth travel market is as part of the UK’s travel and tourism industry. Other directors of BETA include David Walker from The Ardmore Group and Michael Gerber from Eurocentres.
More photos from the event can be seen here.
