The shortlists for this year’s Aspire Awards have been unveiled, highlighting the very best brands, the most passionate trade teams and the most innovative agents in the luxury travel sector.

Aspire’s annual awards ceremony will be held on October 18. For the first time, the event will be held in Manchester at the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel to reflect the wealth of high-end travel brands based in the north of the country.

Celebrity Cruises returns as headline sponsor of the Aspire Awards - a role the cruise line has held since the event’s inception - while the Cayman Islands will support the event as destination partner. 

Other sponsors include Kerzner International, Silversea Cruises, Explora Journeys, the Greek National Tourism Organisation and Above by CV Villas.

Aspire editor Hollie-Rae Brader said: “Our industry is lucky to have such incredibly hardworking, dedicated and exceptional people. The luxury travel sector has quality in abundance. I’m always thrilled to read the submissions as it highlights just how incredibly passionate everyone working in this sector is. We're so grateful to everyone who took the time to submit an entry and we can't wait to celebrate the industry in October.”

She added: “The response to us moving the event to Manchester has been incredible. The level of support from both agents and brands is beyond what we expected and we can’t wait to welcome a record number of guests at this year’s Aspire Awards.”

Only a small number of tickets are left for the awards. To buy yours, visit aspireawards.co.uk. For remaining sponsorship opportunities email: hollie@travelweekly.co.uk

AGENT SHORTLISTS

Concierge Agency of the Year

-       Bluebird Travel

-       Calder & Co

-       Ten Lifestyle Group

Independent Luxury Agency of the Year

-       Cartology Travel

-       Designer Travel

-       Oasis Travel

-       Panache Cruises

-       Select World Travel

-       Swords Travel

-       Tarporley Travel

-       Travelwise UK

-       Wonderluxe Travel

Independent Luxury Retail Business of the Year

-       Delmar World Travel

-       Peakes Travel Elite

-       Select World Travel

-       Swords Travel

Luxury Cruise Agent of the Year

-       Mundy Cruising

-       Panache Cruises

-       Six Star Cruises

Luxury Homeworking Business of the Year: Large

-       Designer Travel

-       Global Travel Collection UK

-       Holidaysplease

-       Panache Cruises

-       Travelosophers

Luxury Homeworking Business of the Year: Small

-       Cartology Travel

-       Elegant Resorts – Private Travel Designers

-       Future Travel Group

-       Go Bespoke

-       Once in a Lifetime Holidays

-       Swords Travel

-       Tarporley Travel

-       Wonderluxe Travel

Luxury Seller of the Year

-       Angela Mayall, Designer Travel

-       Clare Levy, Different Planet Travel

-       Dan Salmon, Never A Wasted Journey

-       Emma Mackley, Emma Mackley Private Travel

-       Jennifer Lonergan, The Luxury Traveller

-       Kent Milne, Select World Travel

-       Rachel Tredwell, Not Just Travel

Rising Star of the Year: Agency

-       Club Voyages

-       Global Travel Moments

-       Park Lane Travel Company

-       Privé Luxury Travel

Rising Star of the Year: Individual

-       Hollie Stillion, Swords Travel

-       Kate McGregor, Fox Private Travel

-       Kimberley Anne Private Travel, in Partnership with 360 Private Travel

Sustainability Champion of the Year

-       Not Just Travel

-       Rachel Tredwell, Tredwell Travel

-       Travel Matters

SUPPLIER SHORTLISTS

Expedition Cruise Line of the Year

-       AE Expeditions (part of Aurora Expeditions)

-       Aqua Expeditions

-       Ponant

-       Seabourn

-       Silversea Expeditions

Luxury Adventure Brand of the Year

-       AE Expeditions (part of Aurora Expeditions)

-       Quark Expeditions

-       White Desert Antarctica and White Desert World

Luxury Cruise Line of the Year

-       Aqua Expeditions

-       Celebrity Cruises

-       Oceania Cruises

-       Windstar Cruises

Luxury Hotel Brand of the Year

-       Atlantis Dubai

-       Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

-       Grecotel Hotels & Resorts

-       Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts

-       One&Only Resorts

-       Sani/Ikos Group

-       Shangri-La

-       Ultima Collection

-       Virgin Limited Edition

Luxury River Cruise Line of the Year

-       AmaWaterways

-       Aqua Expeditions

-       Uniworld Boutique River Cruises

Luxury Team of the Year

-       Seabourn

-       ITC

-       Explora Journeys

-       Carrier

Luxury Tour Operator of the Year

-       Audley Travel

-       Caribtours

-       Carrier

-       Elegant Resorts

-       Exsus Travel

-       Inspiring Travel

Luxury Tourist Board of the Year

-       ENIT (Italian National Tourist board)

-       Greek National Tourism Organisation

-       South African Tourism

-       Switzerland Tourism

-       Tourism New Zealand

-       Visit Finland

Premium Tour Operator of the Year

-       Classic Collection

-       If Only

-       Indulgent Escapes by Jet2holidays

-       Pure Luxury

Sales Representation Company of the Year: Large

-       Flospitality UK

-       Perowne International

-       Plateau International

Sales Representation Company of the Year: Small

-       JG Collection

-       Sarah Falconer Ltd

-       Van Isacker Exclusive

Specialist Luxury Tour Operator of the Year

-       Caribtours

-       CV Villas

-       Journey Latin America

-       Knighton Reeve

-       Quark Expeditions

-       Spectate

-       The Luminaire

Sustainability Initiative of the Year

-       AE Expeditions (part of Aurora Expeditions)

-       Audley Travel

-       Fairmont Maldives, Sirru Fen Fushi

-       InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort

-       Six Senses Laamu

-       Trees4Travel

-       Virgin Limited Edition

Trade Initiative of the Year

-       Advantage Travel Partnership’s campaign with Tourism Australia

-       Atlantis The Royal launch campaign

-       Audley Travel’s A-Lister programme

-       Explora Journey’s Pioneers programme

-       POB Hotel’s immersive trade events

-       Ponant’s Seminar at Sea initiative

Ultra-Luxury Cruise Line of the Year

-       Explora Journeys

-       Ponant

-       Regent Seven Seas Cruises

-       Seabourn

-       Silversea Cruises

-       Uniworld Boutique River Cruises