15/10/2026
Huge congratulations to Libby & the Hays Travel Teesside Park team on this amazing accolade. Well deserved! 🏆
A Teesside travel agent is celebrating after being crowned the best in the UK.
Libby Gray scooped an incredible two top accolades at the recent Travel Industry Awards (TIAs) in London.
Libby, who leads the team at Hays Travel Teesside Park, was named UK and Ireland Agent of the Year, and Manager of the Year, at the glitzy ceremony which is held annually to recognise excellence in the sector.
She said: “It still hasn’t sunk in as it came as a huge surprise when I saw my name come up on the board. I am absolutely over the moon to win.
“We have had customers phone to congratulate me and to book their next holiday. The response from people has been amazing.”
Libby, who has worked in the travel industry for the last 24 years, started her journey with Hays Travel when it acquired the license to operate the Thomas Cook estate in 2019.
She said: “I love working with the team at Teesside Park and these awards are for us all. We work very well together and complement each other. We are in a good location here and have a lovely environment for people to come in and book their holidays.
“Our team has a wealth of knowledge, with 275 years of experience between us, and we were also named Top Travel Agency in the North East at the TTG Top 50 awards this year.”
As well as being multi award winning, Libby can also provide first-hand insight on numerous destinations.
She added: “I was very lucky to go on a familiarisation trip on a river cruise along the Danube.
“I also recently visited India and got to see the Taj Mahal. I absolutely loved it and it really made me reconsider the holidays that I like going on.
“I think a lot of customers are looking for these types of bucket list trips now. Japan, Canada, Thailand – as well as cruising – are all popular.
“There is a lot of appetite for touring as I think people want memorable experiences.”
Dame Irene Hays, owner and director of Hays Travel, said: “Everyone across the Hays Travel group is incredibly proud of Libby.
“To win two top Travel Industry Awards is an amazing achievement and reflects her hard work and dedication to customer excellence."
