Winner: SuperBreak

Finalists: National Railway Museum Events Team, Now & Then Events

A SHORT break holiday specialist which has been based in York for nearly 25 years and now employs 150 people in the city has won the Tourism and Hospitality Business of the Year award.

Judges said the impressive feature of SuperBreak’s entry was that it was based on the results of a three-year strategic change to the business.

The organisation, which is based in Eboracum Way, has shifted from entirely business to business to incorporate significant business to customer sales.

The judges said this strategy would appear to have met a market demand that has allowed sales to continue to grow during the recession and rise at a faster rate now.

SuperBreak’s website attracts more than five million users annually, and the company has seen a five per cent increase in turnover in the last year. The York-based contact centre is open 364 days a year and handles in excess of 10,000 calls a week. The business prints and distributes 1.3 million brochures to 4,000 travel agents every year.

Last year, the company took the decision to do a full brand analysis, reviewing perceptions and how SuperBreak can ensure the future success of the company. As a result, a new brand proposition was launched in March this year with the company recently launching its first television advertising campaign.