World’s best travel, tourism and hospitality leaders named

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 25/01/2020 (2089 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The annual World Travel Awards are a big and important event for the travel industry. The winners are chosen by travellers who visit the resorts, take airline flights, rent cars or take tours.

Along with trophies and bragging rights, every winner knows the publicity from the awards leads to increased business and promotional opportunities. To become a finalist entrants must first win regional competitions.

While Air Canada did well as the North American winner — it was Etihad Airways who again walked away with gold as the world’s top airline.

For those of us who do not have the luxury of purchasing the spacious seats at the front of the aircraft — this year’s winner for best economy class was Emirates.

IN the past few years, Oman Air won this category.

There have been no holes in the success of Sandals Resorts — who for several years in a row now have won the best all-inclusive company category, as has its all-inclusive family brand Beaches — winning best again in that segment as well.

Away from the all-inclusive category, Chia Laguna in Sardinia won the title of best family beach resort. Well known finalists closer to us were the Banyan Tree in Mayakoba, Mexico, near Playa Del Carmen, the Four Seasons Resort in Los Cabos, and the JW Marriot Beach Resort on Marco Island, Florida.

The battle for the best wedding destination has gone back and forth between the Bahamas and Jamaica — with the Bahamas taking the crown this year.

While many Manitobans continue to plan weddings in both the Bahamas and Jamaica, because of the number of nonstop flights from Winnipeg, most Manitoba destination weddings tend to be held in one of the many Mexican resort locations.

The best ice hotel was awarded to Sweden’s Icehotel. Winnipegger’s Chris and Jennie Panko won the contract to design and build one of the award-winning rooms, using a Manitoba landmark, Spruce Woods for its name. The Hotel de Glace, near Quebec City was one of the finalists.

The best cruise brand in 2019 was Royal Caribbean International with Cunard, Silversea and Celebrity among the finalists.

Airports recognize how much time travellers spend in there properties, and have created virtual shopping and culinary centres in many of them. The leading airport award was presented to Singapore’s Changi Airport. They have been consistent winners for the past nine years.

Dubai International won the award for the four years before that, and prior to 2001 Heathrow Airport in London which was a consistent winner, this year it wasn’t even a finalist.

Canada’s Thomson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) had plenty to celebrate in winning the top responsible tourism award.

Glen Mandziuk, president and chief operating officer with TOTA said, “We don’t want to sell our soul to tourism for the sake of tourism, but to develop tourism in a way that keeps our social, cultural, and economic ecosystems alive for this generation and beyond.”

Perhaps the ultimate success story of the awards was Glasgow winning the leading festival and event category. My first trip to Glasgow was a few decades ago. It was a port city with all of the roughest edges to it. It easily could have be judged as dirty and dingy, and decidedly not a prime destination city. Today, it is a British cultural centre with much to see and do. Its festivals are only a part of what has transformed it into an exceptional city to visit.

While Lisbon Portugal is the deserving recipient of the leading city break destination for 2019, both Orlando, Florida and Las Vegas, Nevada were also finalists. If you are planning a European holiday you will be glad you included Lisbon in your itinerary.

MGM Resorts International received the award for the world’s leading entertainment resort brand, but presumably they did not see it as a continuing opportunity. Just last week they announced the sale of two of their prestigious properties — MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay — to the giant Blackstone Group.

People often ask what my favourite place to travel is. I have many favourites — but I always describe my visit to Machu Picchu in Peru as one of my most powerful experiences. On the hillside overlooking this mountaintop archeological city, with mountain peaks in the distance, was for me, and many others, a spiritual experience.

Therefore it came as no surprise Machu Picchu was named the world’s leading tourist attraction for 2019. It beat the Great Wall of China, Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and the Acropolis in Athens, Greece to win.

Pradinukr@shaw.ca