Weston-super-Mare based coach operator has scooped not one but two prestigious awards at the industry’s ‘Oscars’.

The 2012 Coach Tourism Awards saw Bakers Dolphin awarded Coach Holiday Programme of the Year for its innovative and creative programme with a good mix of holiday destinations.

Sales and Marketing Director Amanda Harrington also came home with the esteemed Special Award in recognition of her outstanding services to coach tourism.

Amanda said: “It’s absolutely fantastic to be awarded the Coach Holiday Programme of the Year award. We put so much work into creating a varied and inspiring programme of coach holidays for our customers, so it’s great to be recognised.

“The whole team pull together and help to create our programme. As well as our marketing team we listen to our drivers who offer suggestions and observations on how we can improve our tours. The work and thought we put into it obviously shows and we’re so pleased to be able to offer South West customers the best holiday programme around!”

Bakers Dolphin which offers day trips, short breaks and holidays in the UK and abroad attended the ceremony, organised by Coach Monthly Magazine, which took place in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Bakers Dolphin Managing Director Max Fletcher said: “It is such an honour for Amanda to win the Special Award; the list of previous winners read like a who’s who of the coach industry so she is definitely in illustrious company.

“The award was given based on her work as a board member of the Coach Tourism Council and also for her work transforming Bakers Dolphin tours to the success it is today. The announcement got a huge cheer from the 360 coach professionals at the event and is a great accolade for the company.”

And the accolades do not end there for Bakers Dolphin. It was also short listed for a further three awards – Coach Tour Operator of the Year for large fleets, Brochure of the Year and Website of the Year which is more than any other operator in the country.

Max continued: “The fact that we were short listed for more awards than any other operator speaks volumes about our professionalism, expertise and commitment to providing the best for our customers.”

A group of 80 bus enthusiasts from across the country have paid a special visit to the North Somerset bus operator Bakers Dolphin for the first time in 24 years.

The PSV Circle visited the Weston-super-Mare-based operators as part of a tour of the South West and viewed the fleet of 77 buses and coaches the firm has to offer.

One of the main attractions was the new 66 Hopper bus which was launched by Bakers Dolphin at the beginning of the month to service a new route across North Somerset.

Bakers Dolphin Operations Manager Chris Rubery said: “It was great to meet the group from the PSV Circle and welcome them back after so many years.

“We presented every visitor with an up-to-date fleet list and answered the many questions the group had about our services.”

Established in 1889 Bakers Dolphin provides coach holidays and public service routes across the South West.

North Somerset’s top coach company has reported record bookings for Easter breaks this year as people switch to coach travel for their holiday break.

Bakers Dolphin, based in Weston-super-Mare, say its top-of-the-range Gold Coach packages to Lake Garda and the Black Forest have seen a surge of bookings as people look for comfortable but more cost-effective ways to travel abroad.

Amanda Harrington, Sales and Marketing Director at Bakers Dolphin said: “Bookings for Easter are very good and I think the fact that travellers can just hop on the coach and not worry about anything from that moment is appealing. Coach travelling allows all the adventure of a holiday without the high prices of air fares, and the Gold Coach in particular, means people are still travelling in style.”

Gold Coach breaks give travellers added luxury with more leg-room and free home pick-ups. With interesting excursions and top hotels included these breaks appeal to those who want a coach holiday with a difference.

For more information, or to book call 01934 415 000 or visit the website www.bakersdolphin.com.

One of the West Country’s oldest holiday businesses is expanding into Cornwall for the first time offering UK and continental coach holidays for local people.

Bakers Dolphin, which was started in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset in 1889 is offering a door to door service with free home pick-ups for anyone who lives within 10 miles of Truro, Falmouth, Liskeard or St Austell.

Sales and Marketing Director Amanda Harrington said: “We have a well-established business serving people from Gloucester in the North to Plymouth in the south and we believe it makes sense to offer that same service to people in Cornwall.

“Around 8,000 people a year in Cornwall go on coach tours, mostly to other parts of the UK but many to continental Europe and we want to provide them with a level of service they have not had in the county before.

“We have our Gold Coach travel, which is a luxury service with 50 per cent more legroom than in a conventional coach. We also have the Home Link service picking people up from their homes to take them to coaches, which takes the hassle out of getting to the pick up point and avoids coaches going on long detours to pick extra passengers up.”

Most importantly with the continuing financial failures among travel companies is the fact that Bakers Dolphin is a fully-bonded tour operator and can point to 123 years of business success.

Said Amanda Harrington: “Because we have a loyal customer base that come back again and again we have been able to cope with the economic pressures of rising fuel bills and a tough economy.

“We had a good year last year as we found many people were re-discovering how cost-effective coach tour holidays can be as a way of taking a well-earned break without breaking the bank.”

Bakers Dolphin tours from Cornwall include a 3-day Valentine’s Day trip to Paris, leaving on February 13 for £179; five-day tours of Scotland for as little as £299 and Easter tours to major UK destinations.

Holiday-makers turned out in force to attend the 20th annual Bakers Dolphin customer reunion, this year held in North London.

Over 500 travellers from across the South West joined the coach company for its get-together which, this year, had a medieval theme.

The reunion is held by the Weston-super-Mare based company every year, to bring its regular customers together and have one last knees-up before Christmas.

Bakers Dolphin Sales and Marketing Director Amanda Harrington said: “The reunion is always great fun but this year we had a record turn-out with over 500 people joining us in Elstree.

“We like to hold a reunion to get the chance to see our regular customers and spend some time with them, while doing what we do best – holidays! This is the 20th reunion we have held and the customers said it was the best one yet!

“We visited several local landmarks and stayed in a lovely hotel but the highlight was definitely the medieval banquet where we all dressed up in traditional medieval costumes.

“This year we welcomed people who had travelled with us for the first time as well as people who use us a dozen times a year.

“The whole weekend is about having fun and visiting some nice places, it’s a great way to make new friends and join up with old friends and we’re already planning next year’s reunion in North Wales!”

The four-day trip included a visit to Woburn Safari Park and Abbey, a day at the RAF museum at Hendon and an evening at the Hatfield House Banquet.

Bakers Dolphin has been in business since 1889, providing pick-up points across the South West and offering holidays, short-breaks and day-trips to locations in the UK, on the continent and further-afield.

The latest brochure for Summer 2012 can be ordered by calling 01934 415000 or visiting www.bakersdolphin.com