Who was voted best for group trips and holidays? Who made the shortlist in each category? The Group Leisure & Travel Awards 2023 reveals the views and opinions of the people that keep the group travel industry moving… our readers.

The 2023 awards dinner and ceremony took place at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Milton Keynes on Wednesday 4th October with over 250 guests attending, including group travel organisers, coach operators, attractions, hotels, cruise lines, tour operators, experience providers and all types of travel trade supplier.

The results: here are your 2023 GLT Awards winners and finalists…

… with thanks to our Awards Partners, who announced the results during the ceremony, all of which are detailed below.

Best UK Attraction for Children & Families

Category Partner: Ascot Racecourse

  • Cadbury World
  • Howletts Wild Animal Park
  • LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort
  • Monkey World (winner)
  • Norfolk Lavender
  • West Midlands Safari Park

Category Partner: Disney on Stage Group Bookings

  • Aerospace Bristol
  • King Richard III Visitor Centre
  • National Motor Museum, Beaulieu
  • National Waterways Museum
  • Royal Air Force Museum London
  • The Royal Mint Experience (winner)
 

Thank you to our official 2023 Awards Partners…

 

Best Historic Attraction or Venue

Category Partner: LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort

  • Blenheim Palace
  • Hereford Cathedral
  • Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich
  • Tower of London (winner)
  • Waddesdon Manor
  • Windsor Castle

Best Garden Visit

Category Partner: HF Holidays

  • Borde Hill
  • Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens
  • The Lost Gardens of Heligan
  • RHS Garden Wisley
  • Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (winner)
  • The Savill Garden

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Source: Jeff Eden, RBG Kew

Groups are spoilt for choice when it comes to visiting the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Best Coach or Tour Operator - UK Tours

Category Partner: The Royal Mint

  • Airedale Tours
  • Alfa Travel
  • Daish’s Holidays
  • Dunwood (winner)
  • InterChoice
  • Just Go Holidays

Category Partner: Who’s Who in Group Leisure

  • DFDS
  • Irish Ferries (winner)
  • LeShuttle
  • P&O Ferries
  • Stena Line
  • Wightlink

Best Event for Groups

Category Partner: Daish’s Holidays

  • BBC Gardeners’ World Live
  • Kynren (winner)
  • London International Horse Show
  • Qatar Goodwood Festival 
  • Royal Ascot
  • Southport Flower Show

Best Christmas Experience

Category Partner: Brend Collection

  • Christmas at Kew
  • Gloucester Quays
  • Hever Castle (winner)
  • Thursford Christmas Spectacular
  • Waddesdon Manor
  • York Christmas Festival

Hever Castle, Kent

Hever Castle picked up the Best Christmas Experience Award for a second year running.

Best Guided Tour

Category Partner: The New Meridian

  • Bombay Sapphire Distillery
  • Historic Dockyard Chatham
  • Manchester City Stadium Tour
  • Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (winner)
  • Royal Albert Hall
  • The Royal Mint Experience

Best Accommodation for Groups

Category Partner: Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines

  • Brend Collection
  • Daish’s Holidays
  • Leisureplex
  • Potters Resorts
  • Richardson Hotels
  • Warner Leisure Hotels (winner)

Best Group Dining Experience

Category Partner: Potters Resorts

  • Bateaux London
  • Faulty Towers The Dining Experience (winner)
  • The Floating Grace
  • Hard Rock Cafe
  • Mamma Mia! The Party
  • North Yorkshire Moors Railway’s Pullman Dining Carriages

Faulty Towers the Dining Experience

Source: ©Jane Hobson

Faulty Towers The Dining Experience scooped the Best Group Dining Experience award.

Best Theatre Production

Category Partner: Group Line

  • Disney’s Frozen The West End Musical
  • The Lion King (winner)
  • Mamma Mia!
  • Pretty Woman The Musical
  • SIX
  • Wicked

Best Cruise Line

Category Partner: Group Leisure & Travel Show

  • Amadeus River Cruises
  • Ambassador Cruise Line (winner)
  • CroisiEurope
  • Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines
  • P&O Cruises
  • Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours

Ambassador Cruise Line's ship Ambience

Readers of Group Leisure & Travel decided that Ambassador Cruise Line was the best in cruising for 2023, earning its first ever win at the GLT Awards.

Best Ticketing Agency

Category Partner: CroisiEurope

  • ATG Tickets
  • Delfont Mackintosh Theatres
  • Group Line
  • LW Theatres (winner)
  • Nimax Theatres
  • The Ticket Factory

 Best UK Destination

Category Partner: Dunwood

  • Isle of Wight (winner)
  • Leicestershire
  • London
  • Staffordshire
  • Wiltshire
  • York

Shanklin, Isle of Wight

Source: Visit Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight came out on top in the Best UK Destination category in 2023.

Best International Destination

Category Partner: DFDS

  • Flanders
  • France
  • Ireland (winner)
  • Italy
  • Malta
  • Slovenia

The Excellence Award

Category Partner: P&O Ferries

  • Faye Brant-Key, National Memorial Arboretum
  • Jackie Cook, Success Tours
  • Sophie Dart, Nimax Theatres
  • Daniel Pocock, Potters Resorts (winner)

>> Read more about The Excellence Award finalists. 

Best Group Tour Operator

Category Partner: LeShuttle

  • Airedale Tours
  • Alfa Travel
  • HF Holidays (winner)
  • Simply Groups
  • Success Tours
  • Travel Editions

Best UK Attraction

Category Partner: Warner Leisure Hotels

  • Brighton i360
  • Buckingham Palace
  • Coronation Street The Tour
  • Longleat
  • National Memorial Arboretum (winner)
  • Windsor Castle

Group Travel Organiser of the Year®

Category Partner: Ambassador Cruise Line

  • Mary Gotts, GOTT 2 TRAVEL (winner)
  • Andy Hine, The Roller Coaster Club of Great Britain
  • Linda Hubbard, Bexley Civic Society
  • Richard Preston, The Valentine Club

>> Read more about each of the GTO of the Year® finalists.

Keep up to date with the GLT Awards at groupleisureandtravel.com/awards 

Interested in becoming an Awards Partner for the 2024 initiative? Click here or contact Sharon Yandell on 01908 613323 or email sharon.y@yandellmedia.com.