We are delighted to announce Joanne Fryer of Midcounties Co-operative Travel has won this year's 'Going the Extra Mile' award, presented at the Travel Brit Awards ceremony on Sunday 23 June.

The judges were impressed with Joanne’s exceptional customer service when she helped a disabled elderly client in her own time to ensure she got to Australia to visit her daughter. The client required wheelchair assistance and needed to take medication on board. To guarantee boarding the client needed a letter from the GP. Joanne helped the client by taking her to the doctor’s surgery on her day off to ensure the forms were completed correctly and sent to the airline. To assist further on the day of travel she helped the client pack her medication correctly and weighed her case.

ABTA and TTG teamed up to find an agent who provides outstanding customer service, often going above and beyond expectations. Nominations opened in March and entries were received from colleagues. The judges were very impressed by the standard of the nominations but concluded that Joanne really stood out.

The judges also recognised the outstanding customer service provided by Zoe Cowlard of Newmarket Holidays and Kristina Hulme of Travel by Design.

Joanne Fryer commented on winning: “I am overjoyed and proud at winning the Going the Extra Mile award, it feels so nice to be recognised and appreciated by others who are not in direct contact with you on a daily basis. To be recognised by ABTA and the travel industry on a whole is overwhelming, going above and beyond is part of my job and I like to treat our customers as I would like to be treated, this service will be always be offered to our customers, we have a lot of loyal customers that come back to us year after year for the service we offer, a fantastic achievement.”

Mark Tanzer said: “The three nominees for the Going the Extra Mile award were worthy candidates, but Joanne was exceptional. She is an incredible example of the professionalism and customer care being provided by so many travel staff throughout the UK.”

About the Travel Brit Awards

The Travel Brit Awards is the only award ceremony exclusively celebrating travel agents selling domestic products. This year’s main sponsors include Bourne Leisure, Shearings Holidays, Superbreak, The Hoseasons Group, Great Rail Journeys, Preston Holidays, Visit England and ABTA.

Previous Travel Brit Awards have taken place in Nottinghamshire, Crewe, Skegness, Harrogate and Bognor Regis.

The group consists of the leading domestic tour operators, National Tourist Boards and retailers and aims to promote UK product to the travel trade.

Members of the ABTA UK Tourism and Leisure Group are ABTA, Shearings Holidays, Superbreak, The Hoseasons Group, Premier Holidays, Preston Holidays, Red Funnel, Bourne Leisure, Great Rail Journeys, Tourism Ireland, Visit England, Visit Scotland, Wales Tourist Board.