Big Night for Local Travel and Tourism at British Travel Awards

Belfast-based Mahlatini Luxury Travel beat some of the biggest names in global travel to be named overall winner of Best Safari, Wildlife & Nature Holiday Company at the awards ceremony, while the Giants Causeway picked up the award for Best UK Heritage Attraction on the evening

The British Travel Awards ‘Winter Wonderland’ themed gala dinner was held to celebrate the crème de la crème of travel, from the best of UK tourism to the top airlines, cruise lines and holiday companies of 2017.

Mahlatini Luxury Travel operates as a global provider of specialist luxury holidays to Africa and the Indian Ocean with a network of agency and destination partners all over the world.  The luxury travel specialist services clients from North America, the Far East and Australasia as well as throughout the UK and Europe.

Chris Goldring from Mahlatini said: “For an independent company like Mahlatini to beat such travel bastions as Virgin Holidays, Hayes and Jarvis, Titan and Saga is fantastic. We are absolutely thrilled to be named overall winner of the Best Safari, Wildlife and Nature Holiday category. It proves that companies from Northern Ireland can operate and compete on a global scale.

“Mahlatini is a Zulu word meaning bushman or “lover of the African wilderness”. It is a sign of respect given to all travellers who believe Africa to be one of the most mesmerising places on earth.”

British Travel Awards’ Chief Executive Lorraine Barnes Burton said: “Mahlatini is to be congratulated on being named overall winner in the Best Safari, Wildlife & Nature Holiday category. The British Travel Awards is the largest awards programme in the UK and this year 722,473 votes were cast by the travelling public to determine the winners and to win is truly an accolade.”

Other top travel names who won big on the night were Kuoni, Crystal Ski, Titan, Riviera Travel, TUI, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, P&O Ferries, Royal Caribbean International, British Airways, Emirates Holidays, Virgin Atlantic and Etihad to name but a few. The full list of winners can be found HERE.

Pictured are Greg Fox, Mahlatini, model Carys Magill and Christopher Goldring, Director, Mahlatini

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