Toowoomba Globetrotters win suppliers choice from Travellers Choice awards

Taking advantage of “revenge travel”, a Toowoomba travel agency has taken out the top sales and service award for a popular cruise line for its stunning sales growth in the past year.

Crowded upper deck of the MSC Musica cruise ship as it pulls into the harbour of Kotor Montenegro on Boka or Bay of Kotor. Escape 4 August 2024 Doc Holiday Photo – iStock

Multi-generational families keen on cruising the Mediterranean for seven days has put the Darling Downs on the map, after a Toowoomba-based travel agency was recognised for topping sales and service for one of the world’s largest cruise brands.

Cruise sales grew over 124 per cent this year as people were opting for “revenge travel” after the pandemic, Globetrotters Travel and Cruise manager Benjamin Aspey said.

“Many people have never travelled in their life and are going out to get their passports,” he said.

Globetrotters took home the 2024 Suppliers Choice Award from MSC Cruises, the third largest cruise brand in the world, and was recognised for topping sales along with providing exceptional service and product knowledge, he said.

Ben Aspey, manager from Globetrotters Travel and Cruise, holds the award the business won for the 2024 Supplier's Choice from MSC Cruise. Picture: Supplied

With most of the sales coming from Toowoomba and surrounds, Mr Aspey said the days of the pandemic for cruises were “totally gone” with the market showing no signs of slowing down.

In fact, cruises have been expanding, and MSC Cruise has added an Alaska cruise and a first-time Japan cruise, he said.

By far though, the most popular proved to be the seven-day Mediterranean cruise, meaning travellers only needed to “unpack once” despite one day waking up in Rome and another day in Tunisia, he said.

“It’s a stress-free way to see a different port everyday,” Mr Aspey said.

With more than 75 years of business experience within the region, and also coming from an agricultural and farming lifestyle, he said it meant a lot for the business to win the award.

“There is a cruise for everyone,” he said.

“This is a much-deserved reward for which the staff of Globetrotters, along with the people of Toowoomba, can be rightly proud,” Travellers Choice managing director Christian Hunter said.

The Supplier’s Choice Awards were given as part of the annual Travellers Choice Awards in November, which recognises achievements of Australia’s travel agents within its networks.

Originally published as Toowoomba Globetrotters win suppliers choice from Travellers Choice awards