The World’s Best!

We’ve recently taken to digging up some of George Butterfield’s words of wisdom from over the years, and one of our favourite quotes is, “We never wanted to be the biggest travel company in the world, just the best.”

Well, good news George: mission accomplished.

Butterfield & Robinson is the World’s Best Tour Operator, according to readers of Travel + Leisure magazine!!

Travel + Leisure‘s discerning readers cast their votes in the annual World’s Best Awards survey, selecting the hotels, destinations and companies that define the very best in travel. B&R has been named to the list 16 times in the past 20 years – a record among all tour operators – and this year, we were voted #1!

“We’ve always put more emphasis on experience than on accolades,” says B&R President Norman Howe. “But it’s impossible to deny how good it feels to be told you’re the best in the world at what you do. It’s a testament to our inexhaustible staff and guides, the incredible experience they provide and the passionate response it elicits from our travellers.”

In addition to being named the World’s Best Tour Operator overall, B&R was also thrilled to be named the World’s Best Tour Operator for Families. As a family-owned and operated business, we love few things more than introducing other families to our shared passion for travel, so topping the list of family tour operators truly means the world to us.

Tour operators were rated on six characteristics: staff/guides, itineraries/destinations, activities, accommodations, food and value. Voters gave B&R an impressive 97.76 out of 100.

But the most amazing thing about being named the World’s Best is knowing that the honour was awarded by the very people who we work so hard to serve. For 50 years we’ve had the pleasure of introducing some of the most engaging, curious, worldly and unbelievably fun travellers to our favourite corners of the globe, and along the way we’ve made more friends than we can count. And now thanks to you, one of the most rewarding jobs in the world has become a graciously awarded job, too.

Which really only leaves one thing left to say:

From Travel+Leisure Magazine, August 2015 ©2015 Time Inc. Affluent Media Group. “Travel+Leisure and Travel+Leisure World’s Best Awards” are registered trademarks of Time Inc. Affluent Media Group and are used under license.