A Maltese-owned travel firm has scooped six awards at a prestigious British award ceremony.

Mercury Holidays received four highly-prized gold medallions at the British Travel Awards in the medium-sized holiday company categories for Malta and the Italian Peninsula; East and Central Asia; Western Europe; and Central and South America; as well as a silver medal for southern Asia.

The company was also chosen by travellers as best overall all-inclusive tour operator – one of the most coveted prizes at the UK’s largest consumer voted awards, which attracts over 1.2 million votes across 75 categories.

“We are thrilled. These awards reflect our dedication to providing our valued customers with impeccable travel experiences. We thank our loyal clients and look forward to upholding our commitment to excellence in quality, service and affordability,” said Mercury managing director Geraldine Stimson.

The British Travel Awards are based on the opinions of roughly 360,000 registered users who provide feedback about their travel experiences.

Mercury Holidays operates as part of the Sunspot Tours group, founded in 1980 by its Maltese chairman Martin Bugeja.

“I’m delighted for the company to have been given this huge vote of confidence by the people that matter most, our customers. Quality and customer satisfaction are at the heart of everything we do and achieving this success will drive us to even greater heights in future,” Mr Bugeja said.

Originally set up as a tour operator offering package holidays to Malta, the company has expanded to provide a range of travel experiences to over 70,000 customers a year, spanning 42 destinations in 15 countries.