Tell us your favourite tour operators — and you could win a holiday The Times Andrew Eames, Tours expert TRAVEL AWARDS 2026 Tell us your favourite tour operators — and you could win a holiday The Times and Sunday Times Travel Awards are back, and you have until Sunday to vote for the expert-led travel companies that have made your dream trip a reality this year Boudhanath stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal Alamy Andrew Eames , Tours expert Saturday October 17 2026, 5.00am BST , The Times Listen 0:00 / · 4:43 min Share Share this article Email Twitter Facebook Link Save T he annual Times & Sunday Times Travel Awards is here again, meaning now is your chance to vote for the travel companies, cities, countries and more that you loved this year. Whether that's a new destination you adored, a brilliant airline that went above and beyond or a tour operator that tailor-made your trip to perfection, now is the time to make your voice heard. More than 910,000 votes were cast in our Travel Awards in 2025, twice as many as in 2024, so clearly you have plenty to say — and we want to hear it. What's in it for you? Well, as well as recognising a travel company or place that deserves it, by voting in all 18 categories you'll be entered into a draw to win one of five irresistible prizes — among them a seven-night all-inclusive holiday to Sandals Ochi in Jamaica, a ten-night, once-in-a-lifetime cruise to Greenland with HX Expeditions and a three-night country manor stay in Devon for up to 12 lucky guests. Most commented 1 Sonay Kartal defeats Elina Svitolina to reach Wuhan Open semi-finals Tennis 16 comments Among the award categories this year are three dedicated to tour operators — those excellent companies that help to plan your holiday then ensure it all runs smoothly. That might be the luxury tour operator that pulls together epic, tailor-made holidays with five-star stays woven in, the company that arranges your all-inclusive week on the Mediterranean or the guided adventure operator that puts together your ten-day cycling trip around the Himalayas. Top stories 1 US inflation hotter than expected as Iran war stokes fuel costs Economics Booking with an experienced tour operator means putting the logistics in the hands of the experts who have tried and tested the best hotels, restaurants and attractions, all woven into a brilliant trip itinerary. All us travellers need to do is book, pack and turn up, knowing we're in safe hands. In destinations that present logistical challenges — for example, when a three-hour road transfer is your only way of getting from the jungle to the beach — booking a tailor-made or group tour guarantees that all the fiddly practical details have already been taken care of behind the scenes. And if you fancy an after-hours museum tour led by a curator or a bespoke cocktail-making workshop, well, these are the companies that can arrange that for you. Advertisement So it's only right that we recognise the operators that have made your most memorable getaways happen this year, from seamlessly executed island-hopping trips to multicountry South America adventures. Top stories 1 Theo Paphitis: I bought a ￡100m business for ￡1 and two packs of Benson & Hedges Family Finances 2 Premium Bonds are fun – until you realise what they are costing you Saving & Investing 3 Will Lyons: my vintage wine tour of South Australia Inspiration To be in with a chance of winning one of the five prizes, simply let us know the tour operators you've loved this year. Visit thetimes.com/travelawards and vote in all 18 categories before voting closes on October 18, 2026. This year's prizes A seven-night full-board European river cruise with AmaWaterways A ten-night full-board expedition cruise to Greenland with HX Expeditions A seven-night all-inclusive holiday to Sandals Ochi in Jamaica with Sandals Resorts A five-night all-inclusive stay at The Ixian Grand & All Suites in Rhodes with easyJet holidays A three-night stay for up to 12 guests at Colleton Hall in Devon with Oliver's Travels Voting is open for the 2026 awards. But first, a look back at who you chose as your winners in 2025. The 2025 winners — and the ascent and descent Luxury tour operator Abercrombie & Kent takes travellers to Baines Lodge in the Okavango Delta, Botswana Abercrombie & Kent/Damian Russell We are asking for your vote in three tour operator categories: Best Tour Operator or Travel Agent; Best Luxury Tour Operator; and Best Guided Adventure Operator. The Best Tour Operator winner last year was Trailfinders, followed closely by Jet2 Holidays and Hays Travel. In fact that made it three years in a row for Trailfinders and Jet2, respectively, with Tui, Virgin and Hays Travel taking third place. Advertisement With its smorgasbord of holiday ideas and its convenient high street locations, it's clear why Trailfinders does well. Its personable staff simply love travel, so their advice comes from experience. Jet2 is more focused on popular summer family destinations, garnering a very loyal clientele through providing good value, plus reliable and friendly customer service — having its own airline also helps. In the Luxury Tour Operator category, a much loved triumvirate have dominated the top positions for the past three years: Kuoni, Audley and Abercrombie & Kent (A&K), in that order. Every itinerary is tailor-made and they really know their stuff, with Kuoni specialising in dream holidays, Audley particularly expert in luxury Asian adventures and A&K good at making special things happen in special places. And, finally, the Best Guided Adventure category has been consistently dominated by Great Rail Journeys, with Riviera Travel and Jules Verne taking silver and bronze. Great Rail's success reflects the increasing desire among you sustainably minded readers to use rail transport, especially when joining great European river cruises. Riviera and Jules Verne have a raft of escorted tours to honeypot destinations from Rajasthan to the Amalfi coast and everywhere in between. Best rail journeys in Europe for 2026 and beyond Advertisement Why they won The village of Sakrisoya on Moskenesoya Island in the Lofoten Islands, Norway Getty Images Travel plans occasionally go wrong. This year, on a trip around the Arctic Circle arranged by the tour operator Best Served Scandinavia, our bus broke down on the remote Lofoten Islands. Not a big deal, you may say, but given that it was late and I was flying home from the mainland the next day, I had visions of complications. Then my phone buzzed: the replacement bus was on its way. And this is what tour operators do. First they keep coming up with new ideas — not easy for this well-travelled generation, but my Best Served Scandinavia trip in northern Norway proved to be magnificent. Then they assemble the ways and means to make it work. And once you're on the road they monitor from a distance, so at the slightest hiccup they're there, like a fairy godmother, to scoop you up and put you back on your feet. It is not only bus breakdowns that keep them busy. This year the turbulence in the Middle East has had a dramatic impact on flights across Dubai, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, and tour operators with customers heading for final destinations such as the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand have had their knowledge, contacts and insurance coverage rigorously tested. If you are one of the travellers headed that way who booked your flights independently, I suspect you'll be using a tour operator next time. Your voice matters: vote in the 2026 awards So how was it for you this year? Any bumps on the road? Any operators that took the stress of holiday planning out of your hands? Give us your feedback on those you have used — let us know whether they have dug you out of a hole or left you in a deeper one. Advertisement If everything went smoothly then please indicate that with your vote. There's a good chance that for much of your holiday your operator was quietly working hard behind the scenes to make sure that nothing went wrong. Overall, these are people who love the business they're in and are keen to show you something new that they have discovered. They are on your side, and they need to be, because they want you to come back again and again. So now it's your turn to do them a small service by letting them know what you think of them and casting your vote here — brickbats or bouquets, please. Have your say — and be in with a chance of winning a great prize. 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