JULIE HARRISON NAMED ON ‘THE CARRIER 30 | THE MOST INSPIRING AND INFLUENTIAL IN LUXURY TRAVEL 2021′

Luxury tour operator Carrier has revealed the names on The Carrier 30 | The most inspiring and influential in luxury travel 2021, naming luxury travel agent, Julie Harrison of Bespoke Luxury Travel, as a ‘Rising Star’. The launch of The Carrier 30 comes after one of the most challenging times the travel industry has seen with a year of cancellations, amendments, refunds and suppressed sales. In lieu of Carrier’s glitzy award ceremony that usually takes place at this time of the year, recognising their top trade agent partners based on sales performance, the list will acknowledge the people and businesses in the sector that they believe should be recognised for their achievements.
Carrier Head of Sales, Rick Milne commented “Our annual awards ceremony is one of our most anticipated events, and of course this year it won’t be going ahead in the usual way. Whilst the past year has been extremely difficult, it has shown the importance of exceptional service and trusted partnerships. It has shown value in businesses who take a human approach and put their customers and staff first, and for us, it is vital that we celebrate these people and businesses, who despite the challenges of 2020, have continued to deliver outstanding levels of service and support to their clients.”
For Julie, supporting her clients in any way she can has been crucial over the last 12 months. She said “First and foremost, it was my main priority to ensure all my customers were refunded for any cancelled holidays in a timely manner – in fact, I made it my mission as retaining customer trust was key.” She cites customer engagement as another important element and sent email campaigns to her database, as well as arranging Zoom appointments with some clients. The personal touch didn’t stop there though and clients that live local to Julie were lucky enough to have cakes delivered weekly, and enjoy chats at a safe distance to fulfil that all important human interaction. She even delivered a Christmas dinner to a client who was unable to travel to his family over the festive period due to the Tier 4 restrictions.
The Carrier 30 is comprised of five categories: The Luminaries, The Connoisseurs, The Innovators, The Future Retailers, and The Rising Stars. Chosen by a panel at Carrier using set criteria, Harrison is named in The Rising Stars category which Carrier describe as ‘the business owners that have raised their profile in the luxury travel industry last year, further enhancing their reputation in the sector through their personal service, proactive marketing and social media presence.’
Carrier National Partnerships Manager, Raj Mistry comments “Julie’s business is all about service and attention to detail, and she expects the same from her preferred tour operator partners. Julie is very personable, wanting to understand her clients expectations and requirements which allows her to tailor holidays to the highest of expectations.”

Harrison said “I am absolutely thrilled to be included in these prestigious awards, especially through a pandemic where new sales were thin on the ground and consumer confidence was at an all-time low. Carrier has been committed to doing the right thing from the start by adhering to the package travel regulations, so to be associated with, and recognised by a company with such a commendable ethos, is paramount for me.”