APT Travel Group's Lou Tandy wins EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Consumer award

Lou Tandy, Family Principal & Director of The APT Travel Group, has been named Australia's EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2027 Consumer Category winner — in the same year the Melbourne-based touring and cruising group marks its centenary.

Tandy is the third-generation leader and the first woman to head The APT Travel Group. The award came at the 2027 Australian EY Entrepreneur Of The Year awards, a program now in its 26th year that recognises business leaders across Australia and ranks among the world's longest-running business leadership programs.

The company credits her with shaping its next chapter while balancing the family legacy against growth plans.

How did a single bus become a travel group?

The business began in 1927 as a family coach company. It now spans five brands: APT, Travelmarvel, Botanica World Discoveries, Captain's Choice and Antarctica Flights. Together they cover touring and cruising at both the premium and luxury ends of the market.

Tandy tied the award directly to those origins.

"This award is incredibly meaningful because it recognises something that has been part of our business from the very beginning," she said.

"When my grandfather started the company almost 100 years ago with a single bus, he saw an opportunity and had the courage to pursue it. That pioneering mindset has been passed from generation to generation and remains at the heart of everything we do today."

Her grandfather founded the company with one bus in 1927. Nearly a century later, it runs touring and cruising brands across two market tiers.

What does the win mean for the centenary year?

The group says it is pursuing opportunities in new markets and expanding its portfolio heading into its centenary year. Recent markers include a record haul of NTIA finalist places and the launch of a solo travel first in Tasmania.

Tandy said she hopes her path challenges the assumption that entrepreneurship ends with a founder.

"I hope my journey can be a positive example that entrepreneurship doesn't stop with the founder, or even the second generation," she said.

"Third-generation family businesses can be just as entrepreneurial. It takes courage to take risks, challenge convention, continually innovate and sometimes reinvent what's come before us, while staying true to the values that made the business successful in the first place."

She also credited the team behind the brands.

"I'm incredibly proud of the passionate and talented people across The APT Travel Group who bring that entrepreneurial spirit to life every day. This recognition is very much shared with them."

What did the CEO say?

APT Travel Group CEO David Cox said the award reflects Tandy's role in driving the business forward.

"This recognition reflects Lou's leadership and her commitment to ensuring The APT Travel Group continues to evolve while remaining true to the values that have guided the business for almost 100 years," Cox said.

"As we prepare to celebrate our centenary, we are entering a period of significant opportunity and growth. Lou's leadership and focus on the long-term success of the business will play an important role in shaping our next chapter."

Why does a family-led supplier matter to advisors?

A national business award for a travel leader is rare, and this one underlines a credentialed, long-term family legacy. With The APT Travel Group's centenary approaching and talk of new markets on the horizon, the recognition gives advisors a useful selling point when positioning the group's touring and cruising brands to clients.

Tandy's Consumer Category win, the company's record NTIA finalist count and the Tasmania solo-travel launch all point the same direction: a 100-year-old family business betting that its third generation can keep it entrepreneurial.