The results are in!

The results are in and with the votes tallied earlier than expected, PAX is proud to announce the winners in the 2016 Awards of Excellence!

Once again, we asked readers of PAXnews.com and PAXnewsWest.com to nominate and vote for their peers in five categories. Here are this year’s winners, as chosen by their travel industry peers:

Flemming Friisdahl, founder of The Travel Agent Next Door, was named Personality of the Year for 2016. The honour was doubly exciting, Friisdahl said, as he was unware he had been nominated in this year's awards.

“It’s an amazing honour,” said Friisdahl. “I’m speechless!”

A business development manager with experience from across the industry, TravelBrands’ Tracy Poole was named Representative of the Year for 2016.

“I’m still kind of in shock,” Poole told PAX. “We’re doing our job and to have people thinking so highly of you, it’s incredible and exciting.”

Receiving the designation of Reservation Agent of the Year is Holly McCullough of Exotik Tours.

“It feels amazing to win!” said McCullough. “I have no idea who nominated me but it’s awesome!”

Travel Agent of the Year honours went to Julie Dort of Flight Centre in Calgary, who was busy with a client when PAX shared the good news.

“This is such an honour to first be nominated and now to win,” added Dort. “This award shows that when you do what you love, people love to work with you.”

And joining G Adventures just six months ago as one of the tour operator’s global purpose specialists, Gary Armstrong took home this year’s Rookie of the Year title.

“I’m surprised and humbled; it’s a great honour,” said Armstrong.

Congratulations to the winners and all who participated, and watch for an upcoming feature on the five winners in the April edition of PAX magazine!