A Weymouth travel agent has won a top award at a prestigous industry event.

Hayley Gadd, manager of the Weymouth branch of Hays Travel, won the Manager of the Year award at the Travel Trade Gazette’s Travel Industry Awards.

The ceremony was hosted by former Big Brother presenter Davina McCall at Magazine London, and also saw internationally renowned DJ Joel Corey entertain the crowd.

Each nominee was placed in one of four categories: Agent-judged Supplier, Expert-judged Supplier, Fairer Travel and Travel Agent, with Hayley coming out as the Manager of the Year in the Travel Agent category.

Dorset Echo: Hayley Gadd, manager at Hays Travel Weymouth branch, pictured with her award at the TTG Travel Industry Awards 2023Hayley Gadd, manager at Hays Travel Weymouth branch, pictured with her award at the TTG Travel Industry Awards 2023 (Image: Hays Travel)

She said: “It’s a huge honour to be awarded such a high accolade. I’ve absolutely got to thank my incredible team in Weymouth for always supporting me and being my biggest cheerleaders.

"I'm incredibly proud of the record-breaking year we have had at Hays Travel Weymouth and how hard the team work together.

"With over 125 years combined experience, it's so wonderful to be able to assist our customers with the planning of their trips.” 

Nearly 1,000 people were in attendance for the prestigious event and many of Hayley’s colleagues from across the country were delighted with her victory.

Some or her co-workers were so delighted that they left messages of support on the company’s intranet, with one saying: 'Huge well-done Hayley!! So pleased for you, very well deserved.' whilst another remarked 'It was great to celebrate with you'.

The awards night recognise brands and individuals who have raised the bar, stood out from their competitors, and strived to work smarter, better and fairer over the past 12 months and Hayley's acheivements were not overlooked by the top brass either.

Jonathon Woodall-Johnston, chief operating officer for Hays Travel, said: “We are incredibly proud of Hayley for winning the award and for representing Hays Travel at such an influential event.

“Hayley is proof that our staff demonstrate a motivated and dedicated work ethic and collaborate with one another to deliver customer excellence - one of our focal aims as a company, and one that we will continue to live and breathe through our SMILE Values.”