Raeburn Place based Jimmy Martin Travel has been awarded the prestigious title of Best Small Agent in Scotland at a glittering ceremony in front of 1,000 industry professionals. Founder Jimmy Martin has more than 30 years’ experience as a travel agent and established the business in the Edinburgh neighbourhood of Stockbridge in 2001. The firm employs six staff most of whom have worked at the firm for at least eight years; some having been there since the day the agency opened its doors.
The Travel Weekly Agent Achievement Awards, which were held at the Park Plaza in London honour the travel industry’s best agents and agencies in the country. The awards are considered to be the absolute pinnacle of excellence for the UK travel trade, benchmarking winners as truly excellent. There were five finalists in the Best Small Agent category, with suppliers voting for the agency they felt best delivered excellence in all aspects of travel to their clients.
Jimmy Martin, a former president of the Scottish Passenger Agent’s Association, says of the award win, “This is a marvellous accolade for Jimmy Martin Travel. To be given the title of Best in Scotland gives such recognition to the great team we have. I’m proud to work with a fantastic, dedicated and very experienced team.
“We are not just bookers of holidays. In this day and age anybody with a phone can do that. We believe in finding out what our customers are looking for in a break and tailoring a package to meet their needs. Often, they end up travelling to places they would never have even thought of before – or imagined could be so affordable. Once clients see the eclectic range of brochures we have and hear our personal recommendations, a whole world of travel possibilities opens up to them.
“Our philosophy at Jimmy Martin Travel has been, and always will be, about attention to detail and personal service. We are not order takers at JMT, we are here to advise and to come back with affordable solutions and off-the-wall suggestions if required. We like to encapsulate all our client’s specifications, whilst offering value for money and a truly memorable holiday experience.
The award comes in Jimmy Martin Travel’s seventeenth year of operation. The shop opened just six weeks after the events of September 11th, when it was predicted that worldwide leisure travel would be severely curtailed as travellers feared for their safety. Use of the internet to book travel was just coming into its own and larger brands had the capability to offer heavy discounts. Others would have seen it as the perfect storm, but it was Jimmy’s vision that people need to travel and that most wold return, in time. to their favourite pastime and want to satisfy their wanderlust. He was proved right.
“Confidence in the local travel agent has returned significantly in recent years,” continues Jimmy. “Some people have a wariness of the internet in terms of service, security and choice, but most of all in value for money. The personal service which an independent travel agent can offer means we can find the right holiday at the right price for all clients.
The Agency Achievement awards are the biggest celebration of the travel trade recognising business excellence.
94 Raeburn Place EH4 1HH
enquiry@jimmymartintravel.com
+ 44 (0)131 343 1800
