Contribution to Travel 2023

SANDRA MCALLISTER, MANAGING DIRECTOR, ALTHAMS TRAVEL

This special award, presented this year by sponsor Iberostar, is bestowed upon a member of the travel agency community who has made an outstanding and sustained contribution not only to their own business but also to the wider travel agent community. 

In previous years it has been awarded to Barrhead Travel president Jacqueline Dobson, and to The Travel Village Group’s chief executive Phil Nuttall. 

This year, the TTG team, along with Iberostar, wanted to recognise Althams Travel boss Sandra McAllister for her achievements within, and championing of, the travel agency sector. 

She received numerous nominations, from within Althams Travel and externally, with judges saying: “Through a sustained career in travel over the past 30 years, Sandra has become well known as 
a compassionate business leader, taking Althams Travel to success, recently implementing a four-day working week – and during Covid becoming the only travel agent to be granted an audience with Rishi Sunak.”

On winning the award, Sandra told TTG her secret to running a successful team was creating a workplace that was a “very friendly and happy place to be.”

“I’ve never asked anybody to do something that I wouldn’t do myself,” she said. “Even though I am the managing director, I still book holidays. 

I think that’s important because you know what all the staff further down the line are going through.”