Now in its seventh year, the glittering ceremony returned to Raffles London at The OWO in Whitehall, the historic location which inspired Ian Fleming’s creation of James Bond.
The sell-out celebration, held in association with Silversea, welcomed 350 leading figures in luxury travel with 19 awards recognising innovation, creativity and business success over the past 12 months.
With the company celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Black Tomato co-founders Tom Marchant and James Merrett were celebrated for the company’s pioneering approach to curated luxury experiences.
Receiving the accolade on stage, Marchant thanked Black Tomato’s clients, partners and said he and Merrett were "truly humbled".
"At Black Tomato we always want to look for new opportunities - and with opportunity comes hope. Our belief is always looking for hope. I think it’s fair to say the world at the moment feels a little heavy and difficult at times and people need to be hopeful about what we can do and what travel can do. It’s about connecting people to amazing parts of the world, different cultures and opening minds. Congratulations everyone here for doing that as we need that more than ever."
Grecotel was named Luxury Trade Support Team of the Year and Luxury Hotel Company of the Year (Large), while Panache claimed Luxury Cruise Agency of the Year and Luxury Travel Workplace of the Year.
Oasis Portfolio of Luxury Travel took home Luxury Travel Retail Business of the Year and enjoyed a further triumph as Portfolio’s founder Julie-Anne Vaughan was named Luxury Travel Designer of the Year.
Meanwhile, Claire Masse, founder of Frangipani Holidays, scooped New Luxury Travel Designer of the Year and the team at Delmar World in Gresford took home the hotly contested Luxury Travel Agency of the Year (Sole Store)
Other agencies spotlighted on the day included Not Just Travel, which picked up Luxury Homeworking Business of the Year (Large), while Travology Travel collected the award for Luxury Homeworking Business of the Year (Small).
Designer Travel’s innovative new Fab Bank was also celebrated as it received the award for Luxury Travel Big Idea of the Year.
Carrier extended its dominance in the Luxury Operator of the Year category, with a seventh consecutive win, while Seabourn was the first cruise brand to claim the new Luxury Expedition Cruise Line of the Year award during the event.
Volcanoes Safaris founder Praveen Moman became the latest recipient of the prestigious Sustainability Hero of the Year award. Moman, who was once forced out of his Ugandan home as a refugee, founded Volcanoes Safaris in 1997 and has since been at the forefront of reviving gorilla and chimpanzee conservation and tourism in the region.
“From providing economic opportunities to marginalised communities, to building women conservation leaders, Volcanoes Safaris is an excellent example of how conservation, regenerative travel and hospitality can work together to drive rewards for both the economy and the planet,” said judges of Moman’s achievements.
Other awards saw Celebrity Cruises scoop Premium Cruise Line of the Year, while Explora Journeys picked up Ultra-luxury Cruise Line of the Year for the first time.
There was a repeat win for Inside Travel Group for Specialist Operator and the hotel trophy for Luxury Hotel Company of the Year (Small) went to a first-time winner, Mar-Bella Collection.
The ceremony also saw show-stopping entertainment courtesy of Cunard’s Queens of Rhythm and guests helped raise nearly £7,000 for TTG Media’s chosen charity of 2025, the MS Society.
Following the awards, winning individual agents and representatives from agency categories will be invited to attend a special Winners Lunch, held at the exclusive Mauro’s Table back at Raffles, in partnership with Grecotel.
In another first, all entrants for these 2025 TTG Luxury Travel Awards will receive a new industry insights report.
“Our awards are some of the toughest to win in the travel industry and we know how much it means to get one, whether you’re an individual travel designer, or a large cruise line,” said April Hutchinson, editor and publisher of TTG Luxury.
“Huge thanks to all our 27 judges who helped select the winners, and I hope everyone celebrates their huge achievements in style. We are thrilled with how beloved this event has become, and it was our privilege to be able to gather so many friends and guests from across the luxury sector at this incredible, historic venue.”
TTG Media’s sales director Emma Dixon added: “These amazing awards could not exist without the support of our partners across the industry and we were thrilled to introduce several brands to our luxury travel community via this event for the first time this year. Our particular thanks go to our loyal headline partner, Silversea and of course to Peter Shanks, as he heads into retirement later this year.”
