An "over the moon" Teesside travel agent has been crowned the best in the UK.
Libby Gray, who leads the team at Hays Travel in Teesside Park, won both UK and Ireland Agent of the Year and Manager of the Year at the Travel Industry Awards (TIAs) in London on September 23.
The awards celebrate excellence across the travel industry, and Libby said the wins came as a shock.
She said: "It still hasn’t sunk in as it came as a huge surprise when I saw my name come up on the board.
"I am absolutely over the moon to win."
"We have had customers phone to congratulate me and to book their next holiday. The response from people has been amazing."
Teesside Park Hays Travel team (Image: Chris Booth)
After a Danube river-cruise familiarisation trip and a recent visit to India’s Taj Mahal, Libby said the experiences had changed what she believes customers want from holidays.
“I think a lot of customers are looking for these types of bucket list trips now.
"Japan, Canada, Thailand – as well as cruising – are all popular," she explained.
“There is a lot of appetite for touring, as I think people want memorable experiences."
Libby has worked in the travel industry for 24 years and joined the Hays Travel team when it acquired the licence to operate the Thomas Cook estate in 2019.
Libby said: "I love working with the team at Teesside Park and these awards are for us all.
"We are in a great location here and have created a welcoming place for people to come and book their holidays.
"Our team has a wealth of knowledge, with 275 years of experience between us, and we were also named Top Travel Agency in the North East at the TTG Top 50 awards this year.
"It is all about the customer at Hays Travel. Delivering exceptional service is so important for a travel agent.
"You have to get to know people, and this is one of the things I love most about my job – speaking with customers and hearing about what they are looking for."
Dame Irene Hays, owner and director of Hays Travel (Image: CHRIS BOOTH)
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Owner and director Dame Irene Hays said: "Everyone across the Hays Travel group is incredibly proud of Libby.
"To win two top Travel Industry Awards is an amazing achievement and reflects her hard work and dedication to customer excellence.
"Libby embodies our Hays Travel values and her commitment to her community in Teesside is exemplary."