By Isle of Wight Observer
IOW Tours, based in Lake, scooped the top accolade at the Group Travel Awards at a ceremony held at the Park Plaza Riverbank, London. The company was presented with their award of Best Group Tour Operator in the UK, by Springwatch’s Michaela Strachen.
The awards are voted for by readers of Group Travel Magazine, who IOW Tours were proud to host earlier this year on the Island, to help showcase what travellers to the Island can do off the beaten track and in the winter months, to ensure tourists travel to the Island throughout the year.
IOW Tours were especially pleased to receive the award, as they are also celebrating their 30th anniversary. The driving force of IOW Tours is Islander, Shirley Winn. From selling tickets to day-trippers at the end of Ryde Pier, she is now Managing Director and Owner of IOW Tours.
After collecting the award, Shirley said: “I am so proud of each and everyone of my team that we have achieved this major awards. What makes it especially special is that it is our customers that not only nominate us for it but vote for us to win, so it is a true reflection of how we are valued by customers.”
Sales Manager at IOW Tours, Geoff Holt, was delighted that his team had beaten off competition from some well-known national operators. He said: “IOW Tours has been operating on the Island for 30 years, but we are not just about holidays to and from here. We heavily promote our Island, as we know it is a fantastic destination, but we also have a broad client base across the UK and take our groups all over the country, as well as further, by coach.”
