Jimmy Martin Travel in Stockbridge has triumphed at the annual Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association (SPAA) travel awards with the top title of Scotland’s Best Small Travel Agency.
The company was awarded the title of Scotland’s Best Small Travel Agency for the fifth time – and the fourth consecutive time – in the influential Agent Achievement Awards.
Almost 600 travel professionals watched as Jimmy Martin, Richard Sturgeon, Lorraine Gerstenberger and Emma Morrice received the award, at the SPAA Travel Awards in Glasgow.
The travel agency award categories are voted for by travel companies such as tour operators, airlines, cruise lines and tourist boards.
In a popular win, comments on social media included, “Absolutely no surprise. Totally deserved. You set the bar so high in everything you do. Congratulations!”
Founder Jimmy Martin said: “We like to think we put the ‘you’ first in travel; whether that ‘you’ is our travellers or the wonderful suppliers we work with. We like to build long term relationships and to appreciate the small details. We specialise in highly personal, luxury travel experiences and our philosophy has, and always will be, attention to detail and personal service. We’re a small, but incredibly tight team and this award celebrates the success that hard work and focus on finding the perfect trip for each and every individual brings.”
The firm celebrates its 21st birthday this year. Jimmy Martin opened the business and the shop on Raeburn Place in November 2001, just 6 weeks after international travel was decimated by 9/11. Since then, the firm has faced challenges in the form of foot and mouth, bird flu, the ash cloud and Covid. Like many high street businesses, the firm now faces sky-rocketing overhead costs.
However, Jimmy remains upbeat about the challenges to come.
“People have a desire and a need to travel for a myriad of reasons and we’ve proven time and time again that we can weather the travel storms and come back stronger. I’m a firm believer that a face to face environment for buying travel is absolutely the right one. When someone is in front of us, we can advise and suggest elements which make travel truly memorable.”
www.facebook.com/JimmyMartinTravel
The shop, open Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.30pm and Saturday 9.00am to 4.00pm, is at 94 Raeburn Place, Stockbridge, Edinburgh.
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