Readers Choice Awards Winners: A night of celebration: Travel Weekly

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Travel suppliers and advisor partners turned out to honor the industry’s finest, from award winners to this year’s Lifetime Achievement recipients. This is the night in photos.

January 17, 2022

They arrived vaxxed, tested and masked from around the country and around the world. The travel industry turned out in record numbers to honor its finest at the 2021 Readers Choice Awards gala, held at the Conrad New York on Dec. 16.

CEOs of cruise lines and tour operations, destination marketing executives and senior leadership from hotels and resorts, car rental agencies and airlines showed up not only in hopes of being named a recipient of a Travel Weekly Readers Choice Award but to honor the travel advisors who nominated them and elevated them to the finalist stage. Tables were filled with high-spirited supplier hosts and their travel advisor guests.

Six industry luminaries were also honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards, and one with the inaugural Travel Weekly Sustainability Award.

It was a night of reunion, emotion and gratitude as the industry celebrated its resilience and looked forward with confidence and optimism to the new year ahead.

View the finalists – and the winners – of this year’s Readers Choice Awards

VIEW WINNERS

World Travel Holdings executives celebrate co-CEOs Jeff and Brad Tolkin (back row center, holding plaques), who were recognized with Travel Weekly Lifetime Achievement Awards.

Karisma Resorts’ Paula Negrete and Marilyn Cairo with Travel Weekly publisher Anthony Carnevale.

Abercrombie & Kent’s Carson Muir, Marett Taylor, Shawn Johnson and Lisa Worksman.

Apple Leisure Group’s Joe Shomperlen, Andrea Kubon, Ray Snisky, Jacki Marks, Mary Ellen Burke and Jim Tedesco.

Robyn Basso of the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau.

Royal Caribbean Group executives with trade partners from Cruise Planners, Signature, Avoya, Virtuoso and Online Vacation Center.

2021 Sustainability Award

SVEN-OLOF LINDBLAD
Founder and Co-Chair of the Board, Lindblad Expeditions

The first Travel Weekly Sustainability Award was presented to Sven-Olof Lindblad in recognition of his pioneering role in highlighting the importance of sustainable practices within the travel industry. Since its founding in 1979, Lindblad Expeditions has had, as core tenets, a profound respect for nature and a dedication to conservation in all aspects of its operations. “Sven created a model for how sustainability can work hand in hand with tourism and raised awareness of why the principles of conservation are critical to the development of any tour, cruise or expedition,” said Travel Weekly editor in chief Arnie Weissmann. “He is a true champion of the planet, and we’re proud to shine a spotlight on his continuing efforts and life’s work.”

Viking Cruises’ Michele Saegesser, Erik De La Cruz, Lauren Green, Shannon Tiger and Barry Johnston.

Allison Farrell, Andrea Wright and Jermaine Humphrey of Playa Hotels and Resorts.

Collette’s Christian Leibl-Cote and Jaclyn Leibl-Cote with Alicia Evanko-Lewis of Northstar Travel Group.

Jeff Anderson of Avoya, Nikki Upshaw of Oceania Cruises and Don Walker of WPMH Vacations.

Apple Leisure Group’s Jim Tedesco and Jacki Marks with Travel Weekly’s Anthony Carnevale.

Evanko-Lewis with Arnold Donald of Carnival Corp. and Mary Gallo, Josh Leibowitz and Wendy Whitener of Seabourn.

Sustainability Award recipient Sven-Olof Lindblad, center, flanked by Northstar’s Bob Sullivan, Tourism Cares’ Greg Takehara, Donald and Travel Weekly editor in chief Arnie Weissmann.

2021 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT Award

BRAD AND JEFF TOLKIN
Co-Chairmen/Co-CEOs, World Travel Holdings

Brad and Jeff Tolkin serve as co-chairmen/co-CEOs of World Travel Holdings. They each have more than 30 years of experience as operating executives in the travel industry. Prior to co-founding World Travel Holdings in 2005, the Tolkins owned and operated Travel Impressions, one of the country’s most successful privately held travel wholesalers. Under the Tolkins’ leadership, Travel Impressions was profitable for 22 consecutive years and successfully operated such prestigious brands as Pan American Holidays, Eastern Vacations, Continental Vacations and Virgin Atlantic Vacations. In 1992, the Tolkins acquired Empress Travel, a retail travel agency with 40 stores, and expanded the chain to include more than 100 locations.

Travel Impressions and Empress Travel were sold to American Express in 1998. During the Tolkins’ tenure at American Express, they successfully transitioned both operations to wholly owned subsidiaries of American Express.

Brad and Jeff were elected to the CLIA Hall of Fame in 2014.

Oceania Cruises’ Nikki Upshaw with Northstar Travel Group’s Alicia Evanko-Lewis.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Todd Hamilton and Katty Byrd with Travel Weekly’s Anthony Carnevale.

Carnival Corp.’s Arnold Donald with Christine Duffy and Adolfo Perez of Carnival Cruise Line.

Carnevale with Elena Rodriguez and John Chernesky of Princess Cruises.

2021 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT Award

GLORIA BOHAN
CEO, Omega World Travel

Gloria Bohan launched Omega World Travel in 1972 as a small-town storefront travel agency. Today, Omega is one of the top woman-owned businesses in the U.S. Bohan is a very hands-on owner, focusing on strategic partnerships and the long-term direction of the organization. Bohan is a graduate of Marymount Manhattan College, where she serves as a trustee and holds an honorary doctorate.

Travel Weekly’s Anthony Carnevale with Nancy Logan and Chanda Vudmaska of Pleasant Holidays.

AmaWaterways’ Alex Pinello and Gary Murphy with Carnevale.

Royal Caribbean International’s Nick Weir and Christi Coachman flank Northstar’s Alicia Evanko-Lewis.

Northstar’s Bob Sullivan, Royal Caribbean International’s Vicki Freed, Lifetime Achievement Award winner Gloria Bohan of Omega World Travel and Travel Weekly’s Arnie Weissmann.

Delta Air Lines’ Laurie Miles, Ashley Canara, Kristen Shovlin, Norma Dean and Shawn Cole.

Gogo’s Pamela Scott, center; Brennan Quesnele, fourth from left; and John Van Den Heuvel, fourth from right, with travel trade partners.

2021 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT Award

PAULA HAYES
Vice President of Sales, Globus Family of Brands

For Paula Hayes, a deep love of learning inspired worldwide travel and, ultimately, her career choice. She spent her days in the small town of Mansfield, Pa., dreaming of the world and its wonders. It was not until she was accepted as a foreign exchange student in Guatemala City that she got her first taste of international travel. This opportunity to immerse herself in another culture led her to pursue a degree in language studies, giving her the chance to interact with people from other cultures and countries. Her first job was with a Caribbean wholesaler in St. Petersburg, Fla. After a five-year stint, during which she worked her way up from the call center to management, she went on to hold sales positions with Resorts International, the Big Red Boat, SuperClubs and Club Med.

Having always admired the Globus family of brands, she jumped at the chance to become the company’s vice president of sales in December 2008. For the past 13 years, Hayes has overseen all aspects of the trade channel, nurturing relationships with partners across the country and helping them grow their tour and river cruise business.

Hayes has been recognized as a passionate advocate for the agency community, most recently with the Female Leaders in Travel Luminary Award and by TravelAge West for Outstanding Service to the Travel Industry in the West.

Lifetime Achievement Award recipients Dolores Lopez Lira and Jose Luis Martinez Alday, co-founders of Grupo Lomas, flanked by colleagues.

Sandals’ Garth Laird, holding award, with colleagues and travel trade and tourism partners.

Travel Weekly’s Arnie Weissmann with Jay Pope of Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Paula Hayes of the Globus family of brands, second from left, with William Hayes, Royal Caribbean International’s Vicki Freed, Celebrity Cruises’ Dondra Ritzenthaler and previous award winner Valerie Wilson.

2021 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT Award

DOLORES LOPEZ LIRA &
JOSE LUIS MARTINEZ ALDAY
Owners and Co-Founders, Grupo Lomas

Dolores Lopez Lira and Jose Luis Martinez Alday founded Grupo Lomas in 1981. Together they created and built a successful travel business in Mexico, earning the trust and loyalty of thousands of visitors and travel advisors from around the world thanks to the personalized attention from the company’s team of professionals and its extensive catalog of services.

Working closely with the travel agency and tourism communities in Mexico, they provide destination management, hotels, transportation, weddings and experiences for visitors. A dream of theirs came true when, inspired by their love of Mexico, its land and its wine, they became proprietors of El Cielo Valle de Guadalupe and now produce wine from the best grapes of Valle de Guadalupe in Baja California.

This year, Grupo Lomas celebrates its 40th anniversary. Its investment in Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Riviera Maya will add nearly 2,000 luxury suites to its portfolio under the operation of Karisma Hotels & Resorts, as part of an ongoing commitment to Mexico.

In 2019, Lira received the Luminary Award at the first Female Leaders in Travel Conclave.