Australian Enterprise Awards 2026 | 65 Boutique, family-owned luxury coach operator, Palmers Tours, is based on the Central Coast and Hunter regions of New South Wales. Specialising in all-inclusive travel, the company provides a wide range of experiences, from local day trips to extensive multi-day adventures across the Australian outback and coastline. We find out more as the firm triumphs in the Australian Enterprise Awards 2026. Palmers Tours is a family-owned and community-focused Australian travel company offering high-quality day tours, short breaks, and extended tours throughout regional New South Wales and beyond. With guests being predominantly mature travellers seeking comfortable, well-organised, and sociable travel experiences, the company offers a wide range of services including day excursions, multi-day coach tours, eventbased trips, and tailored group travel. At the heart of Palmers Tours are its core values of customer care, reliability, transparency, and community connection. Co-owner and Director, Lynne Essex, elaborates on why they are so important. “These values guide every aspect of our operations, from itinerary planning to communication with travellers,” she begins. “They have played a key role in building our long-standing reputation for personalised service and memorable experiences.” Palmers Tours’ unique selling point lies in its personal touch. All team members know their travellers, understand what matters to them, and can create bespoke itineraries that balance comfort, safety, value, and enjoyment. Because the firm operates at a boutique level, it can maintain strong relationships with all of its guests, suppliers, and local communities. “We uphold our reputation by being consistent, trustworthy, and detail-driven,” continues Lynne. “Clear communication, well-researched itineraries, and reliable tour operations help ensure customers feel confident travelling with us. “Our aim is simple: to provide our guests with stress-free, enjoyable travel experiences where they feel supported, included, and genuinely cared for.” The travel industry never stays still and is constantly evolving. To this end, Lynne has noticed current trends emerging and always tries to embrace them to offer something personal, as well as up-to-date, to her clients. Recently, she has seen an increased demand for domestic and regional travel with travellers, particularly seniors, choosing closer-to-home experiences with good value and minimal hassle. Therefore, Palmers Tours continues expanding its New South Wales and interstate offerings, highlighting unique regional attractions and local partnerships. There are also more cost pressures and supplier volatility, with things like fuel costs, accommodation availability, and seasonal demand creating challenges. Lynne, from her vast experience within the industry, has learned to turn challenges such as these into opportunities instead, by building strong supplier relationships for stable pricing structures, and diversifying itineraries to include emerging destinations and off-peak options, to maintain the flexibility to quickly adapt or re-route tours as needed. When it comes to internal culture, Palmers Tours fosters a warm, supportive, and collaborative environment. Although the team is small, every member plays an important role in shaping the overall guest experience, and when onboarding new candidates Lynne looks for people who are friendly and customer-focused, organised and reliable, adaptable in a fast-changing industry, and above all, passionate about travel and community connection. “When hiring, we prioritise people who genuinely care about customer wellbeing and can represent Palmers Tours with warmth, professionalism, and attention to detail,” she enthuses. “The most integral part of our working environment is teamwork, our success depends on a cooperative, respectful approach where everyone feels valued.” To ensure that staff feel valued within the workplace, the firm nurtures its employees by providing ongoing support, open communication, and opportunities to develop new skills across operations, customer service, and tour coordination. “Because our work is diverse, we encourage staff to take ownership of tasks, contribute ideas, and grow with the business,” Lynne adds. It is thanks to its highly knowledgeable team, and personalised offerings, that Palmers Tours recently gained notable recognition in the Australian Enterprise Awards 2026 and was presented with the title of Best Luxury Coach Tour Company 2026 - New South Wales for its endeavours. Looking to the future, Lynne assures us that 2026 is going to be yet another exciting year for the company, with a new range of bespoke tours released, including Edinburgh Military Tattoo Tour, Melbourne International Flower Show Tour, Moree - Artesian Spas & Country Charm, Channel Country Outback Tour, Jumpers & Jazz Festival, Cape York Adventure Tour, 19-Day Signature New Zealand Tour, Norfolk Island Escape, and the Melbourne Cup in Mudgee. Contact: Lynne Essex Company: Palmers Tours Web Address: www.palmerstours.com.au Best Luxury Coach Tour Company 2026 - New South Wales
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