THE pioneering spirit of Salisbury businesswoman Samantha Peters and her colleagues has been recognised by their company being awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise.
Ms Peters and her colleagues were awarded certificates when travel firm Travel Counsellors received the honour as part of the Queen's birthday celebrations.
Announcing that Travel Counsellors had won the Innovation award, the Queen's Awards Office said it honoured everyone who contributed to the business and recognised "the success and innovative delivery of a personalised consultancy service to travel customers".
It also noted the innovative way travel consultants like Ms Peters, who works from her home in Bishopdown Farm, use state-of-the-art technology to allow customers to book holidays from their own homes.
"This is a huge achievement for the whole company so we are absolutely delighted," said Ms Peters.
"Because as travel counsellors we are responsible for running our own local travel consultancies, I feel very much that this award recognises all our individual achievements as entrepreneurs and travel experts, rather than being just another business award for the boardroom table.
"There are 300 of us providing travel consultancy services from home I cover Salisbury and the surrounding area, but people ring me up from all over the place.
"I started in April last year so this is a wond-erful birthday present for me.
"It was always an aim of mine to work from home, not just for the convenience, but it seems the way forward.
"People do not like to be hassled about their travel arrangements when they are at work they would prefer to talk to you after work when they are in their own home.
"Most of my business is done by email or telephone."
Her comments were echoed by Travel Counsellors' managing director David Speakman, who said: "This is a magnificent honour, which recognises the entrepreneurial spirit which drives Samantha and all our Travel Counsellors.
"This is a people business, with the skills and experience of our travel consultants being our key asset."
The Queens Award is the UK's top award for business performance and is only bestowed upon a small number of UK companies.
Travel Counsellors is celebrating 10 years in the business towards the end of 2003.
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