Wanderlust World Guide Awards
Tour guides and tour leaders are the under-sung heroes of travel; the remarkable individuals who turn their clients’ trips into life-enhancing and life-changing adventures. We have been running the World Guide Awards since 2006, when we set them up in memory of Wanderlust's co-founder Paul Morrison, who was passionate about the importance of guides.
This time around, we asked the travel industry to nominate who they felt were the outstanding tour guides and tour leaders who really deserve an award in these surreal times. The tough decision of picking the final winners was then down to a panel of judges. The awards were presented by travel guru Simon Calder.
Best Tour Leader
Winner: Valerie Parkinson, Exodus Travels (Nepal/India)
Valerie leads treks in the Himalayas and is known for her brilliance as a leader, whether her clients are unfit, first-time trekkers, or super-fit people aiming for Everest Base Camp. She also cares deeply about the communities in the regions she works in. As one judge said, "Valerie is clearly compassionate, caring and inspirational. She makes a huge impression on her clients, and they will follow her anywhere."