Group Travel Organiser of the Year Award®

Olivia Goodfellow of the Enfield Over 50s Forum was crowned the 20th Group Travel Organiser of the Year at the Group Leisure & Travel Awards ceremony on Wednesday 10th October, 2018.

Nominated by members of her group, and interviewed by a judging panel made up of group travel industry experts, Olivia was recognised for her dedication and passion for organising trips to a range of destinations.

She has been organising trips for several years and some of the places she has organised trips to are the Isle of Man, the Cotswolds, Norway and the Amalfi Coast. Further afield there have been tours to India and Africa to name just a few.

She said the most rewarding aspect of her role as a GTO is: “Seeing the joy on people’s faces when they achieve what is often a lifetime dream such as seeing the Taj Mahal or spotting a leopard in the Savannah.

“Also witnessing new friendships being formed as a direct result of the social activity, no matter how diverse the group make-up is.”

About the Award

The annual Group Travel Organiser of the Year Award® was first launched back in 1998 and presented to its inaugural winner in 1999.

It was created to recognise and reward special people and continues to be the biggest accolade for GTOs.

The award puts great organisers on a pedestal and was presented at the Group Leisure & Travel Awards held at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole on Wednesday 10th October, 2018.

The 2018 GTO of the Year® finalists were:

• Joan Hanks, St Andrew’s Ladies Luncheon Club
• Olivia Goodfellow, Enfield Over 50s Forum (winner)
• Sue Goodwin, Fun Days & Tours Club
• Tracey Sutton Lambert, Waitrose Head Office

The 2018 finalists were chosen because of their organisational skills, travel knowledge and the positive imapct they have on the lives of others.The winner was selected during an official judging day, which took place in Kensington, London.