World travel awards: Portugal, Hainan Airlines are the big winners
Hanoi: Portugal won the “Best Destination of the World” award at the 24th edition of The World Travel Awards – known as the “Tourism Oscars”. Hainan Airlines lead winners with five awards including World’s Leading Airline – Business Class. The grand finale of a yearlong online voting campaign was held at the JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay hotel in Vietnam.
Portugal defeated competitors such as Brazil, Greece, Maldives, USA, Morocco, Vietnam and Spain, to become world’s leading destination 2017. Lisbon – capital city of Portugal – was voted the World’s Leading City Break Destination. Portugal also bagged awards for leading Tourist Board (Turismo de Portugal) and Leading Tourism Authority website (Visit Portugal).
Bolivia took the title of leading cultural destination for hosting colourful parades and festivals nearly every month. Meanwhile the Maldives bagged the prizes for World’s Leading Dive Destination and World’s Leading Honeymoon Destination. The Madeira Islands picked up the award for World’s Leading Island Destination.
While Machu Picchu was named the world’s leading tourist attraction, the Galapagos Islands voted leading beach destination. Besides World’s Leading Airline – Business Class award, Hainan Airlines of China managed to win titles of World’s Leading Airline Inflight Entertainment, World’s Leading Cabin Crew and World’s Leading Excellence Inflight Service, while Hainan Airlines’ International Lounge at Beijing Capital International Airport was hailed World’s Leading Airport Lounge – Business Class.
Established in 1993, the World Travel Awards (WTA) serves to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry. The winners were selected through online voting by the general public and tourism professionals from 160 countries.
Other major winners are:-
- World’s Leading Business Travel Destination 2017 – Hong Kong
- World’s Leading City Destination 2017 – Saint-Petersburg, Russia
- World’s Leading Cruise Destination 2017 – Jamaica
- World’s Leading Culinary Destination 2017 – Peru
- World’s Leading Cultural Airline 2017 – Vietnam Airlines
- World’s Leading Cultural City Destination 2017 – Saint Petersburg, Russia
- World’s Leading Green Destination 2017 – Ecuador
- World’s Leading Hotel 2017 – The Oberoi Udaivilas, India
- World’s Leading Low-Cost Airline 2017 – AirAsia
world travel award
- World’s Leading Luxury Hotel Brand 2017 – Oberoi Hotels & Resorts
- World’s Leading Luxury Train 2017 – Maharajas’ Express
- World’s Leading Safari Destination 2017 – Kenya
- World’s Leading Shopping Mall 2017 – The Dubai Mall, Dubai
- World’s Leading Sports Tourism Destination 2017 – Abu Dhabi, UAE
- World’s Leading Sustainable Tourism Destination 2017 – Sir Bani Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE
- World’s Leading Wedding Destination 2017 – Jamaica