The Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) has announced the finalists for this year’s National Travel Industry Awards (NTIAs).

The AFTA NTIAs recognises and rewards excellence in the Australian travel industry, through a process which includes nominating, voting and judging candidates, culminating in the announcement of the winners at a gala awards dinner.

So, without further ado, here are your finalists for 2019:

NTIA 2019 Finalists

CATEGORY 1: BEST TRAVEL AGENCY GROUP – 50 OUTLETS OR MORE

• Flight Centre
• Helloworld Travel
• Travellers Choice

CATEGORY 2: BEST NON BRANDED TRAVEL AGENCY GROUP

• Australian Travel Agents Co-operative (ATAC)
• CT Partners
• Independent Travel Group
• Magellan Travel
• Travel Associates

CATEGORY 3: BEST TRAVEL AGENCY LEISURE – SINGLE LOCATION

• Cherry Picked Travel
• East Burwood Travel & Cruise
• Helloworld Travel Lake Haven
• Helloworld Travel Lane Cove
• Main Beach Travel

CATEGORY 4: BEST TRAVEL AGENCY LEISURE – MULTI LOCATION

• Helloworld Travel Hunter Travel Group
• Helloworld Travel Mackay & Mt Pleasant
• italktravel & cruise East Doncaster, Fountain Gate & Mt Waverley
• Phil Hoffmann Travel
• Travelcall

CATEGORY 5: BEST TRAVEL AGENCY CORPORATE – SINGLE LOCATION

• Acland Travel
• Anywhere Travel
• Complete Business Travel
• Helloworld Business Travel, Newcastle Corporate
• Traveltoo

CATEGORY 6: BEST TRAVEL AGENCY CORPORATE – MULTI LOCATION

• Corporate Traveller
• Flight Centre Business Travel
• Goldman Travel Corporation
• Stage & Screen Travel Services
• The Travel Authority

CATEGORY 7: BEST NATIONAL TRAVEL MANAGEMENT COMPANY

• American Express Global Business Travel
• Corporate Travel Management
• FCM Travel Solutions
• QBT

CATEGORY 8: BEST MOBILE TRAVEL ADVISOR NETWORK

• MTA – Mobile Travel Agents
• Smartflyer Australia
• Travel Counsellors
• Travel Partners
• TravelManagers Australia

CATEGORY 9: BEST ONLINE TRAVEL AGENCY – OTA

• Cruise Guru www.cruiseguru.com.au
• Fly365.com www.fly365.com
• flybuys Travel www.flybuystravel.com.au
• Global Journeys www.globaljourneys.com
• TripADeal www.tripadeal.com.au

CATEGORY 10: BEST BUSINESS EVENTS TRAVEL AGENCY

• American Express Global Business Travel
• Directions Conferences & Incentive Management
• Event Travel Management
• The Events Authority
• TRIBE Travel & Events

CATEGORY 11: BEST TRAVEL CONSULTANT – LEISURE

• Courtney Kynoch Helloworld Travel Lane Cove NSW
• Hannah Campbell Global Journeys QLD
• Mike Drew Bicton Travel WA
• Rebecca Knowles Flight Centre Devonport TAS
• Sophie Krauel Travel By Wyndham QLD

CATEGORY 12: BEST TRAVEL CONSULTANT – CORPORATE

• Helena Jamieson Sanford International Travel NSW
• Paula Lafferty Orbit World Travel QLD
• Sam Skinner FBI Travel VIC
• Sarah Hackett DBT Corporate Travel NSW
• Veronika Panzic Show Group Enterprise WA

CATEGORY 13: BEST TRAVEL AGENCY MANAGER – LEISURE SINGLE LOCATION

• Debbi Ashes Helloworld Travel Lane Cove NSW
• Gada Selim Helloworld Travel Miranda NSW
• Gary Seignior Hampton Travel & Cruise VIC
• Julie Avery Brighton Travel World VIC
• Matt Grigg Flight Centre Heidelberg

VIC CATEGORY 14: BEST TRAVEL AGENCY MANAGER – LEISURE MULTI LOCATION

• Bridie Clark italktravel & cruise East Doncaster, Fountain Gate & Mt Waverley VIC
• Leah Temple Temple Travel Group trading as Helloworld Travel, Bowral, Shellharbour, Macarthur Square & Campbelltown Mall and Going Global Narellan NSW
• Louise Dann Hunter Travel Group NSW
• Natalie Cherry Noosa Cruise and Travel, Cooroy Cruise and Travel QLD

CATEGORY 15: BEST TRAVEL AGENCY MANAGER – CORPORATE SINGLE LOCATION

• Christopher Goddard Maxim’s Travel NSW
• Jame Maclean Corporate Traveller Cathedral Place QLD
• Katrina Connor American Express Global Business Travel NSW
• Ronit Leshetz FBI Travel VIC
• Susan Connor Corporate Travel Management VIC

CATEGORY 16: BEST MOBILE TRAVEL ADVISOR

• Belinda Le Breton TravelManagers NSW
• Kate Narracott MTA – Mobile Travel Agents QLD
• Kathy Millett TravelManagers WA
• Kelly Ayers MTA – Mobile Travel Agents NSW
• Robyn Sinfield Home Travel Company / Savenio TAS

CATEGORY 17: YOUNG AGENT OF THE YEAR

• Abby Thomas italktravel & cruise Blue Mountains NSW
• Annabel Edgecome Flight Centre Indooroopilly QLD
• Ariel Rose McKiernan Kempsey Travel & Cruise NSW
• Courtney Kynoch Helloworld Travel Lane Cove NSW
• Patrick Hull Orbit World Travel QLD

CATEGORY 18: BEST DOMESTIC AIRLINE

• Qantas Airways
• Virgin Australia

CATEGORY 19: BEST INTERNATIONAL AIRLINE – ONLINE

• Air New Zealand
• Emirates
• Qantas Airways
• Qatar Airways
• Singapore Airlines

CATEGORY 20: BEST INTERNATIONAL AIRLINE – OFFLINE

• Finnair
• Lufthansa German Airlines
• Oman Air
• Swiss International Air lines

CATEGORY 21: BEST CRUISE OPERATOR – DOMESTIC DEPLOYMENT

• Carnival Cruise Line
  • Celebrity Cruises
• P&O Cruises Australia
• Princess Cruises
• Royal Caribbean International

CATEGORY 22: BEST CRUISE OPERATOR – INTERNATIONAL DEPLOYMENT

• Norwegian Cruise Line
• Princess Cruises
• Royal Caribbean International
• Silversea
• Viking Cruises

CATEGORY 23: BEST RIVER CRUISE OPERATOR

• APT
• Avalon Waterways
• Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection

CATEGORY 24: BEST TOUR OPERATOR – DOMESTIC

• AAT Kings
• APT
• Contiki
• Inspiring Journeys
• Topdeck Travel

CATEGORY 25: BEST TOUR OPERATOR – INTERNATIONAL

• Bunnik Tours
• Contiki
• G Adventures
• Insight Vacations
• Wandering the World

CATEGORY 26: BEST CAR/CAMPERVAN RENTAL OPERATOR

• Avis
• Britz Campervan Rentals
• Europcar
• Hertz
• Thrifty Car & Truck Rental

CATEGORY 27: BEST TOURIST OFFICE – INTERNATIONAL

• Japan National Tourism Organization
• Singapore Tourism Board
• Tourism Fiji
• Tourism New Zealand
• Visit California

CATEGORY 28: BEST SPECIALTY WHOLESALER

• Entire Travel Group
• Greece & Mediterranean Travel Centre
• Inside Japan Tours
• Sno’n’Ski
• V Travel Network

CATEGORY 29: BEST WHOLESALER – AUSTRALIAN PRODUCT

• Expedia TAAP
• Infinity Holidays
• Qantas Holidays & Viva! Holidays
• Sunlover Holidays

CATEGORY 30: BEST WHOLESALER – INTERNATIONAL PRODUCT

• Adventure World
• Expedia TAAP
• Qantas Holidays & Viva! Holidays
• Tempo Holidays
• Wendy Wu Tours

CATEGORY 31: BEST AGENCY SUPPORT SERVICE

• Air Tickets
• Cover-More Travel Insurance
• Qantas Agency Connect
• Sabre
• Virgin Australia Industry Support

CATEGORY 32: BEST SALES EXECUTIVE – LAND

• Karen Newbury APT QLD
• Kat Nitarski On The Go Tours QLD
• Nathan Sexton Topdeck Travel NSW
• Tenille Hunt Chimu Adventures VIC
• Vanessa Green Insight Vacations NSW

CATEGORY 33: BEST SALES EXECUTIVE – CRUISE

• Helen Courias Princess Cruises NSW
• Julie Rogers Ponant Yacht Cruises & Luxury Expeditions NSW
• Rachaelle Tyrrell Princess Cruises NSW
• Richard Waugh P&O Cruises QLD
• Walter Nand Avalon Waterways

NSW CATEGORY 34: BEST SALES EXECUTIVE – AIR

• Elizabeth Hutchison Air New Zealand NSW
• Lisa Manera Finnair WA
• Michelle Nickelson Air New Zealand QLD
• Stella Hritis Air New Zealand NSW
• Will Wightman Etihad VIC

CATEGORY 35: BEST HOTEL/RESORT GROUP

• AccorHotels Luxe Brands
• Club Med
• Shangri La Hotels and Resorts
• Marriott International
• The Leading Hotels of the World

CATEGORY 36: BEST REGISTERED TRAVEL INDUSTRY TRAINING INSTITUTION

• TAFE NSW
• TAFE Queensland
• TAFE SA
• Travel Training Australia
• William Angliss Institute

CATEGORY 37: BEST TRAVEL WRITER – CONSUMER

• Catherine Marshall
• Helen Hayes
• Roderick Eime
• Steve Madgwuick
• Tayla Gentle

CATEGORY 38: BEST TRAVEL AGENT TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION

• Express Academy Express Travel Group
• New Distribution Capability Tramada Systems
• Phenix Travel Counsellors
• Travelport Trip Assist Travelport
• Tour Atlas Tour Atlas

CATEGORY 39: EMIRATES TRAVEL CONSULTANT SCHOLARSHIP

• Christine Steel Travel Focus Group NSW
• Elizabeth Moore Flight Centre George Street Sydney NSW
• Jacinta Lane Tewantin Travel QLD
• Jade Ashton Cruise Travel Centre – Hunter Travel Group NSW
• Laura Jago Helloworld Travel Kotara NSW

CATEGORY 41: CONSULTANT OF THE YEAR – ADVENTURE

• Crandon Keddie Cathie Rice Travel WA
• Jos Bauk Peregrine Travel Centre WA
• Kelly Pinkerton Student Flights Shellharbour NSW
• Leanne Flannagan Smith Back Track Adventures QLD
• Rebecca Hausler Temora Travel NSW

CATEGORY 42: CONSULTANT OF THE YEAR – GROUP TOURING

• Dayana Brooke The Sustainable Traveller NSW
• Hannah Campbell Global Journeys QLD
• Jo Gostin FBI Travel VIC
• Lisa Campany Flight Centre Edgecliff NSW
• Michelle Barker Jayes Travel NSW

CATEGORY 43: CONSULTANT OF THE YEAR – SKI

• Jenny Tucker Travel Partners NSW
• Kelly West Noller & Turner Travel Associates QLD

CATEGORY 44: CONSULTANT OF THE YEAR – FIT

• Ash Chawla Global Sports Travel and Tours QLD
• Kieran Mackenzie Altitude Travel Tea Gardens NSW
• Mathieu Cadart Ucango Pelican Waters QLD
• Michelle Barker Jayes Travel NSW