Leading local travel agency, Bicton Travel, has taken home the prestigious top prize; Office of the Year Award, at the Travelscene American Express Owners Managers Conference, 2011 in Singapore – making them the Number One Agency of Australia’s Number One Travel Agency Group.

Bicton Travel is a locally owned and operated Member agency of Travelscene American Express, which this year was awarded the National Travel Industry Association’s “Top Travel Agency Group Award” for the third time. Bicton Travel was singled out for exemplary service, travel knowledge and expertise at the group’s Owners Managers Conference, held at the majestic Marina Bay Sands in Singapore this week.  The Conference was themed “Be the Difference” – and that’s exactly what Bicton Travel has done, paying off for the small business which prides itself on a customer service ethic that is second to none.

“I was utterly surprised when our name was called out at the awards, purely because the standard and calibre of nominations was very high” Bicton Travel owner, Carole Smethurst said. “Until now I considered Bicton Travel to be a small business in Perth in comparison to others, so to win the national prize made me feel incredibly appreciated.”

“The prize recognised our support of the many travel partners we have access to, throughout our proud membership of Travelscene American Express, and this could not have come to fruition without a really focused team dedicated to customer service – one of the most important elements of small business success.”

Bicton Travel is no stranger to awards, winning Cruise Agency of the Year at the International Cruise Council Australasia 2010 awards. Manager Phil Smethurst was also voted Australian Cruise Consultant of the Year.

“I believe it is important for a small business to identify as a specialist in a given area, particularly in the travel industry. From an early stage we focused on cruises – and have since excelled in our knowledge in this area.”

“Bicton Travel started with two people in one small office and we have since grown to sixteen people working across three offices in Perth. I am a huge believer in ongoing training development and rewarding great staff with initiatives such as experiencing the holidays that they are selling.”

“This recent award has been a huge inspiration to the whole team and I’d like to thank them for their contributing efforts. I’d also like to thank Travelscene American Express, and the fantastic support given by State Manager, Wayne Callaghan over the years.”

The 2011 Travelscene American Express Owners Managers Conference is a once-a-year opportunity for Members around the country to come together to learn, share, develop and innovate. Travelscene American Express, which recently won Australia’s Top Travel Network, also unveiled a string of new initiatives and tools for its Members to assist them in driving the best products and services to their customers.