Bourne holiday agent Shaun Taylor wins national award for his new business

A travel expert from Bourne who created his own business during the pandemic has won a national award.

Shaun Taylor, who set up Inspire Travel by Shaun, in Abbey Road, has been named Best New Travel Agent of 2022 by judges at the Travel Industry Awards.

The event was attended by about 1,000 leading figures from the travel industry.

Afterwards, Shaun said: “Hearing my name announced as the winner of the Best Newcomer award has to go down as one of the most amazing moments of my life.

"I have worked so hard to make a success of my travel business in Bourne, since launching it in the peak of the pandemic, and this recognition certainly makes all the blood, sweat and tears of the last two years well worth it.”

Shaun was praised by judges for his ‘commitment to growing his product knowledge as well as some great examples of thoughtful customer service really helped him to stand out.

The judges added: “Treating every customer ‘like a VIP’, Shaun has had one client book five holidays with him since last September. With a range of community-led and sustainability-focused initiatives in the works, we look forward to seeing what Shaun does next.”

Awards organisers TTG Media group editor Pippa Jacks said: “With hundreds of entries, and a robust system of judging, the awards are the toughest to win in the travel sector, and any company or individual which takes home a trophy on the night can truly feel they are the best in their field.”

A year ago, Mr Taylor said sales were soaring and he was recruiting staff.