The awards are for the UK’s top mid-market private companies based on sales, with Southall Travel being the best-placed travel agency in 17th with sales of £491 million.

London-based Southall Travel has risen from 48th place in the list in 2015 thanks to a 17% rise in sales over the past 12 months.

Managing director Kuljinder Bahia said: “This is an incredible achievement by the entire team here at Southall Travel and I am absolutely thrilled.

“Our business continues to grow at a rapid rate and once again I am very grateful to our suppliers, with whom we have very strong relationships, and to our loyal customers.”

Travel Counsellors has made the Sunday Times Top Track 250 for the first time and ranked 162nd, with sales of £166.4 million.

Chief executive Steve Byrne said: “Having been listed in the ‘Ones to Watch’ last year, this achievement is testament to the team’s ongoing focus on providing the best customer experience and offering the most personalised service possible. 

“We celebrated a 22% increase in turnover at the end of the last financial year thanks to the outstanding level of customer care provided by our Travel Counsellors and the ongoing development of our own state-of-the-art technology to facilitate this.”

Hays Travel ranked 49th with £306 million in annual sales, while DialAFlight owner Lotus Group was 41st with £331.2 million in sales and JacTravel came in 56th place with sales of £288.9 million.

Other travel firms included Holiday Extras, which ranked 73rd with £247.2 million in sales, and Riviera Travel was placed 222nd with £126.2 in sales.