PHOTO: travAlliancemedia founder Mark Murphy talks with keynote speaker Andy Cohen during the 2015 Travvy Awards. (photo by Courtney Love)

The travel industry’s best and brightest were on hand Thursday night to celebrate the inaugural Travvy Awards at the Marriott Marquis Ballroom in New York City’s Time Square.

The idea behind the industry’s newest awards was simple: to honor the dedication and innovation of the top travel professionals leading the industry through an ever-changing marketplace.

“This is truly a celebration of the travel agents, the efforts in the trenches to innovate and excel and power a resurgence and awareness that travel agents are more vital than ever,” Murphy told the gathering of hundreds of travel industry stars. “It’s an honor to work with all of you, to have been part of this talented group of professionals for 25 years and we look forward to this being a great new annual tradition.”

Keynote speaker and host of Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live” Andy Cohen entertained the crowd with stories of his 25 years in the television industry. Cohen particularly captivated the crowd when he talked about his love for television and for travel and how the two industries have more parallels than he’d even realized.

Loving every minute of @BravoTV's @Andy Cohen taking the stage at the #travvy15 awards! pic.twitter.com/0JjPSk4iU4

— Avoya Travel (@avoyatravel) January 23, 2015

“Our industries are facing unprecedented changes and evolution as technology and consumer habits are changing at a pace like never before,” Cohen said. “Travel is one of my great passions in life, and I know the challenges you all face from an incredibly demanding customer base.”

Cohen said vacations are one of our most cherished rights as a workforce and marveled at the travel agents’ ability to make those dreams come true.

“You should all celebrate the work you do make lives so much fuller,” Cohen said.

The Travvys were chosen by a vote among more than 30,000 travel agents. Congrats to the winners honored at Thursday’s event.

 

CRUISING

Best Cruise Line, Contemporary

Royal Caribbean International

Best Cruise Line, Premium

Celebrity Cruises

Best Cruise Line, Luxury

Regent Seven Seas

Best Cruise Line Overall

Royal Caribbean International

Best River Cruise Line

AmaWaterways

Best Cruise Ship, Contemporary

Norwegian Getaway

Best Cruise Ship, Premium

Celebrity Reflection

Best Cruise Ship, Luxury

Seven Seas Mariner

Best Cruise Ship Overall

Allure of the Seas

Best River Cruise Ship

AmaSonata

 

TOUR OPERATORS & WHOLESALERS

Best Escorted Tour Operator, Africa & Middle East

Abercrombie & Kent USA

Best Escorted Tour Operator, Europe

Trafalgar

Best Escorted Tour Operator, Mexico & Latin America

Trafalgar

Best Escorted Tour Operator, Pacific Asia

SITA World Tours

Best Escorted Tour Operator, U.S. & Canada

Collette

We're so honored and thrilled to accept a #travvy15 award from our great friends @TravelPulse! So thankful for all our agent partners!

— Collette (@ColletteTravel) January 23, 2015

Best Tour Operator, Adventure Travel

G Adventures

Best Tour Operator, Caribbean

Delta Vacations

The #DeltaVacations team is ready to go for tonight's #Travvy15 Awards! pic.twitter.com/2gV50Z805L

— MLT Vacations PR (@MLTVacationsPR) January 23, 2015

Best Escorted Tour Operator Overall

Abercrombie & Kent USA

Best Vacation Packager, Caribbean

Travel Impressions

Best Vacation Packager, Europe

Europe Express

Best Vacation Packager, Mexico & Latin America

Apple Vacations

Best Vacation Packager, Pacific Asia

Down Under Answers

Best Vacation Packager, U.S. & Canada

Delta Vacations

Best Vacation Packager Overall

Travel Impressions

 

HOTELS & RESORTS

Best Hotel & Resort Chain Overall

Starwood Hotels & Resorts

Best Hotel Chain, Luxury

Starwood Hotels & Resorts

Best Hotel Chain, Mid-Market

Barcelo Hotels & Resorts

Best All-Inclusive Resort Chain

Sandals Resorts International

Best City Hotel, Africa & Middle East

Sun International-Table Bay Hotel

Best City Hotel, Asia

W Hong Kong

Best City Hotel, Europe

Hotel Plaza Athenee Paris

We're so honored to accept this award on behalf of @Plaza_Athenee - Best City Hotel in Europe! #Travvy15 #HIPRinNYC pic.twitter.com/ZlJQDyGtHV

— Hawkins Intl PR (@HIPR) January 23, 2015

Best City Hotel, Mexico & Latin America

St. Regis Mexico City

Best City Hotel, U.S. & Canada

St. Regis New York

Best Resort, Asia

Club Med Bali

Best Resort, Caribbean

Sandals La Source

Best Resort, Mexico & Latin America

Zoetry Paraiso

Best Resort, U.S. & Canada

Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel

 

CAR RENTALS

Best Car Rental Company, Domestic

Enterprise Holdings

Best Car Rental Company, International

Hertz

 

DESTINATIONS

Best Country Tourism Bureau, Africa & Middle East

South Africa Tourism

Best Country Tourism Bureau, Europe

Visit Britain

Best Country Tourism Bureau, Pacific Asia

Tahiti Tourisme

Best U.S. City CVB

Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority

Best U.S. State Tourism Bureau

Colorado Tourism

 

AIRLINES

Best Foreign Airline

Air Tahiti Nui

 

TRAVEL AGENCIES & TRAVEL AGENCY GROUPS

Best Travel Agency Group (Consortium, Coop or Network)

Vacation.com

Best Retail Travel Agency

Tzell Travel Group

Best Host Travel Agency

Avoya Travel

 

RAIL TRAVEL

Best Rail Travel Company

Rail Europe

Best Train Experience Worldwide

Rocky Mountaineer

 

TRAVEL INSURANCE

Best Travel Insurance Provider

AIG Travel Guard

 

TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY

Best Travel Technology Provider

VAX VacationAccess

 

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

Most Innovative Africa & Middle East Tourism Executive

Sthu Zungu, South African Tourism North America

Most Innovative All-Inclusive Resort Executive

Gordon "Butch" Stewart

Most Innovative Car Rental Executive

Greg Stubblefield, Enterprise Holdings

Most Innovative Consortia or Agency Group Leader

John Lovell, Vacation.com/Travel Leaders Group

Most Innovative Cruise Executive

Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian

Most Innovative Escorted Tour or FIT Executive

Kensington Tours Private Guided Tours Division

Most Innovative Europe Tourism Executive

Carl Walsh, Visit Britain

Most Innovative Host Agency Leader

Brad and Van Anderson, Avoya Travel

Most Innovative Hotels Executive

Chris Austin, Starwood

Most Innovative Rail Travel Executive

Randy Powell, Rocky Mountaineer

Most Innovative River Cruise Executive

Rudi Schreiner, AmaWaterways

Most Innovative Travel Agent

Tammy Levent, Elite Travel

Most Innovative Travel Insurance Executive

Ellison Scudder, AIG Travel Guard

Most Innovative Vacation Wholesale Executive

Jeff Adam, Down Under Answers

---

We'll have continued coverage and profiles of the 2015 Travvy Awards winners on TravelPulse throughout the coming weeks, all leading up to the launch of the voting for the 2016 Travvys!