A TRAVEL agency in Newport has been named as the best in Wales.

La Vida Travel was selected for the title as part of a power-list of the nation’s best agents compiled by industry bible Travel Trade Gazette.

More than 400 travel agencies and branches put themselves forward for consideration for TTG’s Top 50 Travel Agencies 2021, from which a shortlist of 100 finalists across 20 categories was devised.

Each regional finalist was interviewed by a TTG journalist at the start of the year, to assess their customer service, expertise, business performance, and efforts to give back to the local community, with particular attention paid this year to their handling of the Covid-19 crisis.

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La Vida Travel, Newport was named Wales’s Top Agency from a shortlist of five in the region.

TTG editor Sophie Griffiths said: “Now in its sixth year, our TTG Top 50 Travel Agencies initiative sees us scour the UK and Ireland to find the hardest-working, most committed and most successful travel agency businesses in the land.

"Against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, travel agents have been tested to their limits over the past 12 months. But the nation’s best agencies have shone particularly brightly, working tirelessly – often for little or no reward – to prioritise the safety and wellbeing of their customers. From repatriating huge volumes of travellers from around the world at the start of the crisis to battling for refunds on their behalf for months on end, their worth really has been proven.

"The team at La Vida Travel, Newport impressed our judges with their dedication to caring for customers, innovative marketing ideas and personal touches to help them keep in contact with customers during the pandemic. Huge congratulations to Karen and her team for this fantastic achievement."

Karen Marin Reyes, director of La Vida Travel, said: "The team and I are absolutely delighted to win Top Travel Agency in Wales.

"The past 12 months have been incredibly tough for everyone, however we made it our priority to remain contactable seven days a week to ensure our clients could always pick up the phone and speak to someone throughout our multiple lockdowns."