A MALVERN company has received high commendation from the Queen's Awards office.

Select World Travel recently submitted an application for the Queen's Award for Enterprise and Sustainable Development and, although it narrowly missed out on the award, the Church Street-based company received a letter of high commendation for its application.

The Queen's office said Select World Travel could be commended for working with its local community, particularly in raising money for charity.

The Awards panel also singled out the company's Christmas around the World Scheme initiative, saying it had benefited other local traders by encouraging customers to visit other shops.

They went on to say that SWT's commitment to promoting tourism in countries hit by natural disasters was extremely important and praised the company under the heading of 'leadership and management innovation'.

It has already been awarded the UK Travel Agent of the Year, Agent Achievement Award, and the Malvern Hills District Council Platinum Award.

"Select World Travel can be commended for building up specialist knowledge based on personal experience and customer questionnaire, as well as personal portfolios on countries, destinations and hotels," the panel said.

"Their Travel Trust Association Director's Award is continuing testament to their outstanding professional practice."

Company managing director Lee Harrison said he was very "encouraged".

"We opened five years ago in a time of uncertainty in the travel industry and a lot has changed in those five years".

"A holiday is a major investment and we try to make sure our clients have the best selection of choice of tour operators and destinations to choose from.

"The Queen's Awards office reflect our commitment to continue to improve our standards of service and care."

He said it was important that clients understood that, simply because a country has a natural disaster, it did not meant that it was unsafe or off-limit.

"Foot-and-mouth disease in the UK has now highlighted this area a lot closer to home and shows the negative effect on tourism that can occur through misleading statements.

"It would be disastrous for the economy of Malvern and the surrounding areas if overseas visitors and people from other parts of the UK didn't visit our local areas because of the ill-informed statements going round at present."