THIRTY years' experience as a travel agent has paid off for a Meltham woman.
She has just been named as the Kuoni Long Haul Academy winner for 2003.
Mrs Diane Wood, 49, began work as a travel agent at the Huddersfield branch of Althams when she was 18.
And she proved unbeatable in a competition run by Kuoni to find the most knowledgeable saleswoman.
Mrs Wood studied for the diploma from April to August last year.
The top 20 highest-scoring students were invited to Hong Kong for the final.
Contestants stayed in a five-star hotel for four days.
But the final was no picnic, with entrants sitting a three-hour exam on the flight, then undertaking a treasure hunt in Hong Kong, and a further two-hour exam.
Finalists were then whittled down to three, for a role-play assessment and then down to two, for a Mastermind-style competition on world geography.
Mrs Wood, who is married to Steve, said: "It was nice to be able to say that all my work was worthwhile.
It still amazes me that I can sit in my office and get people to the back of beyond on one little piece of paper."
Mrs Wood received a plaque from Kuoni, the chance to attend a worldwide Kuoni seminar, two tickets for a BA flight to a destination in Europe and £500 spending money from Althams in Huddersfield.
