North East travel agency is flying high with national award wins

A holiday company is walking on sunshine after winning two prestigious accolades at a national travel industry event in London this week. Dawson and Sanderson, which celebrated its 50^th anniversary last year, won ‘Travel Agent of the Year - North East and Yorkshire’ at the Agent Achievement Awards (AAA), held on April 15 at the Lancaster Hotel in the capital. The company’s second award was presented to managing director Chris Pattison, who won the title of ‘Outstanding Contributor to the Travel Industry’. The annual ceremony, organised by Travel Weekly, is widely regarded as the most competitive event in the industry. More than 500 people attended this year’s event, from online and high street travel agents all over the UK. An independent panel of travel experts handpicked which companies to enter for the ‘Travel Agent of the Year’ awards, and chose the winners based on a range of factors such as their record of service and the quality of their campaigns. Chris Pattison said: “This is the first time that Dawson and Sanderson has received independent recognition on this national scale. Until now, the company had been the unsung hero of the travel industry, so it’s wonderful for the firm to be rewarded at such a renowned event. It’s a huge credit to our staff and we’re very proud of the whole team.” Chris Pattison’s own award marks his achievements over a 33 year career at Dawson and Sanderson. He joined the company in 1980, at a time when it had 30 staff. The firm now employs a team of 250 people in 21 branches across the North East and Yorkshire. Jan Fawcett, retail director, said: “Since Chris joined Dawson and Sanderson he has been the driving force behind the company’s growth, and has built it into a formidable regional brand. We’re delighted that he has been nationally recognised for his dedication, his track record of success, and his commitment to the team.” To celebrate Dawson and Sanderson’s success, for the next two weeks the travel agent will be giving away £25 worth of holiday spending money on thousands of new summer 2013 holiday bookings. For more details, plus full terms and conditions, call into your local branch. The company’s holiday packages and flights are ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. For more information visit www.holidayco.co.uk