A Bolton-based cruise company has won a coveted national travel award for being the best agency to work for.

Panache Cruises picked up one of the UK Travel Industry’s most prestigious awards at last week’s Travel Weekly Agent Achievement Awards.

The Travel Weekly Agent Achievement Awards are the largest celebration of the travel trade in the UK and Ireland and the highest accolade for travel agencies and agents.

The awards are designed to honour those travel agencies and travel agents who truly represent the best of the travel industry and recognise excellence in a range of categories and specialisms.

The award criteria took into consideration Panache Cruises’ commitment and approach to its employees’ well-being and development. 

Details of the company’s training, career progression and development plans for employees were also taken into consideration, as well as the impact of the company’s business performance on the wider workforce and community.

James Cole, founder and managing director, Panache Cruises commented: “The fact that we have won this award on our third birthday as a business is amazing.

“Of all the awards we have won in the relatively short time we have been trading, this one is extra special because it reflects the effort, we put into ensuring we offer the best we can for our team.

“I believe strongly that if your employees are happy in their work, then your customers will be happy too.

“I have dedicated this award to their amazing contribution to the success of the business since we launched three years ago.”

Speaking at the event on behalf of the award sponsor Jules Verne, Debbie O’Neill, said: “In this category the judges felt the culture at the winning agency was driven from the top down, but delivered through a shared belief that staff welfare leads to business success.

“Judges said the owner was leading from the front, setting the pace and the example with drive and ambition – and achieving great results with a culture underpinned by strong support and empathy.”

Panache Cruises has won the award on what is its third anniversary, following its launch in July 2020 during the pandemic.

The business is now generating annual sales in excess of £15m and is currently in the process of investing significantly in the expansion of its headquarters in Chorley’s Strawberry Digital Hub, in order to accommodate its growing business.

The glittering awards ceremony, hosted at London’s Park Plaza Hotel in central London, was held in front of more than 700 guests in association with headline sponsor Virgin Atlantic, and was hosted by television favourite Mark Wright, alongside Travel Weekly editor-in-chief Lucy Huxley.

The award winners are selected based on voting by travel industry suppliers including tour operators, airlines, cruise lines and tourist boards, with some categories decided by panels of expert judges.

If you have a story or something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at chloe.wilson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @chloewjourno.