Thorne Travel's John Ferguson wins Cruise Consultant of Year

John joined Thorne Travel in 2016 as a travel consultant <i>(Image: Thorne Travel)</i>
John joined Thorne Travel in 2016 as a travel consultant (Image: Thorne Travel)
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AN Ayrshire travel expert is celebrating after winning a top honour at awards recognising Scotland's travel industry.

John Ferguson, cruise director at Thorne Travel, was named Cruise Consultant of the Year 2026 at the SPAA Sparkle Awards.

John is based at the company's Prestwick branch and also works across its Kilwinning and Largs locations.

His victory comes after he was previously announced as a finalist in the cruise category ahead of the awards ceremony in Edinburgh.

Thorne Travel said: "Our very own Cruise King has only gone and won Cruise Consultant of the Year 2026 at the SPAA Sparkle Awards!

"We are absolutely delighted to see him get this recognition.

"A massive congratulations John, we're all so proud of you!"

John joined the company as a travel consultant in 2016 after previously working in the hospitality industry managing bars and hotels.

He has since built up a string of industry accolades, including being named Regional Travel Agent for Scotland and Overall Travel Agent Star of the Year in 2018.

He also won the New to Cruise Champion title that year and received the Silversea Advocate Award in 2019.

Thorne Travel said cruising is a major passion for John, from booking trips for customers to travelling on ships himself.

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