Shortlists revealed for Aspire Awards 2025

The shortlists for this year’s Aspire Awards have been unveiled, highlighting the cream of the crop in the luxury travel sector.

 

The coveted awards recognise and reward the achievements of the industry’s leading brands, top trade-friendly teams and most passionate and innovative agents.

 

Aspire will honour the hard work of those shortlisted at its annual awards ceremony, which will return to Kimpton Clocktower Hotel in Manchester on November 20.

 

The event is run in partnership with headline sponsor Celebrity Cruises and destination headline sponsor Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board.

 

Other sponsors include Amoh Rhodes, Above by CV Villas, Explora Journeys, Grecotel Hotels & Resorts, Kerzner International, Manchester Airport, Oceania Cruises, Pure Luxury, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Silversea and Virtuoso.

 

There are no shortlists for the categories of Outstanding Contribution, Aspire Supporter and Unsung Hero; the winners of these will be announced on the night.

 

Aspire acting editor Erica Rich said: "I’m thrilled to announce the finalists for this year’s Aspire Awards. We once again received an impressive number of submissions, so a huge thank you to all those who took the time to enter.

 

"We take great pride in ensuring the entry process is as watertight as possible, without any chance of bias. There are numerous judging panels – some in person and some virtual – and judges score each entrant independently and anonymously.

 

“Congratulations to all those shortlisted. We can’t wait to celebrate the successes of the sector in November."

 

To book tickets before they sell out, visit aspireawards.co.uk.

 

AGENT CATEGORIES

Concierge Agency of the Year

Artisan by Travel Four Seasons

Berkeley Travel

Ten Lifestyle Group

Wanderlux

 

Inclusivity Champion of the Year

Anna Ironmonger, Not Just Travel

Harry Wales, Travelosophers

Inclusive Luxury Hotels, Inclu Group

 

Independent Luxury Agency of the Year

Guru Travel Group

Privé Luxury Travel

Select World Travel

Swords Travel

Travel Chaps

Travl Love and Limelight Escapes

Wanderlux

 

Independent Luxury Retail Business of the Year

Heritage Collection Travel

Murray Travel (Inverness)

Oasis Portfolio of Luxury Travel

Park Lane Travel

Select World Travel

Swords Travel (Wimbledon Village)

 

Luxury Cruise Agency of the Year

Mundy Cruising

Panache Cruises

SixStarCruises

The Cruise Room

 

Luxury Homeworking Business of the Year: Large

Not Just Travel

Swords Travel

The Holiday Fixer

Travel Counsellors

Travology Travel

 

Luxury Homeworking Business of the Year: Small

Future Travel Group

Guru Travel Group

Paper Plane Travel

 

Luxury Seller of the Year

Duncan Greenfield-Turk, Global Travel Moments

Francesca Clink, Park Lane Travel Company

Janey Berry, Berry Travel

Katrina Smith, Travel Counsellors

Leanne Rees, Swords Travel

Nicola Tempest-Mitchell, Panache Cruises

Ross Johnson, Travlux

Samuel Mond, Reserve A Hotel

 

Rising Star of the Year

Case Travel

Cruise Monks

Holly Axelrad, Artisan by Travel Four Seasons

Leanne Rees, Swords Travel

The Good Travel Agent

Travel Den

Whalley & Ross

 

Sustainability Champion of the Year

Alicia Sharpe, Luxeco Holidays

Emma Andrews, The Holiday Village

TravelTime World

 

SUPPLIER CATEGORIES

Expedition Cruise Line of the Year

AE Expeditions

Aqua Expeditions

Ponant Explorations Group

Quark Expeditions

Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours

Seabourn

Swan Hellenic

 

Inclusivity Initiative of the Year

Explora Journeys

IncluCare

Sea Breeze Beach House

Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau

 

Luxury Adventure Brand of the Year

Abercrombie & Kent

Aqua Expeditions

Kamba African Rainforest Experiences

 

Luxury Cruise Line of the Year

Celebrity Cruises

Cunard

Hebridean Island Cruises

Oceania Cruises

Virgin Voyages

Windstar Cruises

 

Luxury Hotel Group of the Year: Large

Grecotel Hotels & Resorts

Meliá Hotels International

The LUX Collective

 

Luxury Hotel Group of the Year: Small

Atlantis Dubai

Iconic Luxury Hotels

Iniala Group

Mar-Bella Collection

Numo Hotels & Resorts

OKU Hotels

One&Only Resorts

Sani/Ikos Group

 

Luxury Hotel of the Year: Independent

Calabash Hotel

Eden Roc Cap Cana

Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni

The Nautilus Maldives

Treville Positano

 

Luxury River Cruise Line of the Year

AmaWaterways

Scenic & Emerald Cruises

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises

 

Luxury Salesperson of the Year

Konstantinos Sinis, Grecotel Hotels & Resorts

Lucy Boardman, Carrier

Mark Harrison, Exsus Travel

 

Luxury Team of the Year

Abercrombie & Kent and Cox & Kings

Carrier

Explora Journeys

Grecotel Hotels & Resorts

If Only

ITC

Kerzner International

Seabourn

 

Luxury Tour Operator of the Year

Carrier

Elegant Resorts

Exsus Travel

Inspiring Travel

 

Luxury Tourist Board of the Year

British Virgin Islands Tourist Board & Film Commission

Royal Commission for AlUla

Gran Canaria Tourist Board

Los Cabos Tourism Board

Tourism New Zealand

Visit Portugal

 

Premium Tour Operator of the Year

Cox & Kings

If Only

Kuoni

Pure Luxury

 

Sales Representation Company of the Year: Large

Canopy Sales & Marketing

Lumirani Collection

SLC Representation

 

Sales Representation Company of the Year: Small

Bespoke Earth

Clear Marketing International

Holberry Associates

Le Petit Monde

Paradise Promotions

Seamless Travel Marketing

The Wellwind Collection

 

Specialist Luxury Tour Operator of the Year

CV Villas

Metropolitan Touring

Oliver’s Travels

Simpson Travel

Spectate

Vedere Travel

 

Sustainability Initiative of the Year

AE Expeditions

Phāea

Sani Resort

The Datai Langkawi

Trisara

 

Trade Initiative of the Year

Visit California

Carrier

Grecotel Hotels & Resorts

Seabourn

 

Ultra-Luxury Ocean Cruise Line of the Year

Explora Journeys

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Seabourn

Silversea