Your Co-op Travel agencies in Wiltshire and Somerset are celebrating a triumphant win at the prestigious Travel Weekly Agent Achievement Awards, which took place in London last Thursday.

Part of The Midcounties Co-operative, Your Co-op Travel, has 76 branches across England’s mid counties, including five in Wiltshire and Somerset, in Melksham, Swindon, Warminster, Frome and Street.

The agency scooped the Central England Large Agency award for the eighth consecutive year.

Launched more than 25 years ago by leading multimedia company and magazine for the UK travel industry, Travel Weekly, the annual Agent Achievement Awards are regarded as the highest honour in the industry for both individual travel agents and agencies.

This year’s awards were the first to be held since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and honour those travel agencies and travel agents who have truly represented the best of the industry over the past 18 months.

Hosted by comedian, Tom Allen, and Travel Weekly editor-in-chief, Lucy Huxley, at a glittering awards ceremony in London, the winners are selected based on voting by travel industry suppliers including tour operators, airlines, cruise lines and tourist boards.

The news of the award-win was followed by a government announcement on September 17 that the traffic light system is to be simplified from October 4, with just two categories – 'red' and 'rest of the world' – which will provide a higher degree of clarity for travellers and a welcome boost for the tourism industry.

Additionally, from October 4 fully-vaccinated travellers will no longer be required to take a test before returning to the UK, and the expensive 'day-2' PCR test will be replaced with a cheaper, lateral flow option towards end October, removing two significant barriers for holidaymakers.