Gemma Antrobus, owner of Haslemere Travel, has won a prestigious international travel award at a gala dinner in Deauville, France – while the agency also received the top designation for luxury travel, one of only five in the UK to be awarded “1st Grand Designer” and the only agency outside London to be chosen for this honour.
In a vote by luxury hotels around the world, Gemma has been awarded the title of “Most Creative Designer” of travel experiences at the annual luxury travel industry organization Traveller Made awards in Deauville, beating agencies from as far afield as France, Brazil, India and Switzerland. The selection criteria demanded the winner should be renowned for their “imaginative, knowledgeable, curious, inventive, ingenious and inspirational” ideas for travel experiences for their clients.
The accolade of “1st Grand Designer” is the highest achievable in this leading luxury travel organisation – with only 101 agencies worldwide recognised as such among a global membership of 1,000 fully vetted and selected luxury travel agencies, from countries as diverse as the USA, Russia, Japan, Jordan, South Korea and mainland Europe. Monitoring of Haslemere Travel’s performance was carried out over a 12-month period. The agency is now entitled to use an official seal, which is recognised globally as a sign of excellence.
“This accolade is an amazing achievement for Haslemere Travel as a whole and I am also immensely proud to be recognized by my peers globally in the luxury travel industry,” said Gemma Antrobus.
“Above all, the 1st Grand Designer accolade is excellent news for all our loyal clients, as it now ensures that they will be at the top of the list for any VIP benefits at partner luxury hotels worldwide – such as premium upgrades, complimentary amenities, early check-ins, late check outs and resort credits, ensuring we can truly provide the best travel experience possible.”
At the age of only 37, Gemma bought Haslemere Travel in 2015, having previously been Managing Director since 2008. The agency consists of a hugely successful retail shop and a division of elite home-working consultants, launched in 2012, based across the UK. It has consistently won major industry awards for its customer service.
Traveller Made is a global network community of luxury travel designers, dedicated to providing unique and exclusive bespoke journeys to travellers looking for different and original experiences and requiring skilled and knowledgeable advisors who are fully committed to servicing their needs. www.haslemeretravel.co.uk