World Travel Awards - Travel Weekly 2010 day 4

World Travel AwardsGrand Tours 2011-20145 Continents, 15 Countries, 18 Cities...

World Travel AwardsMiddle East Gala Ceremony 2 011Armani Hotel, Dubai, UAE2 May 2011

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World Travel AwardsGrand Tour 2011

Caribbean & Central America Gala CeremonyMontego Bay, Jamaica • 15 January 2011

Middle East Gala CeremonyArmani Hotel

Dubai, UAE • 2 May 2011

North America Gala CeremonySan Francisco, USA• 21 May 2011

Africa & Indian Ocean Gala CeremonySharm el Sheikh, Egypt • 23 June 2011

Europe Gala CeremonyCornelia Diamond Golf Resort & SpaAntalya, Turkey • 2 September 2011

Asia & Australasia Gala CeremonyBangkok, Thailand • 29 September 2011

South America Gala CeremonyRio de Janeiro, Brazil • 20 October 2011

Grand Final Gala CeremonyLondon, United Kingdom • 6 November 2011

email: [email protected]


WinnersThe Future of Travel

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HistoryWorld Travel AwardsHonouring excellence in travel & tourismworldwide since 1994

1994 Hollywood 1995 New York 1996 Las Vegas 1997 New York 1998 Bahamas

1999 London 2000 Jamaica 2001 Malaysia 2002 St Lucia 2003 New York

2004 Barbados 2005 London 2006 Turks and Caicos

2007Abu DhabiNew YorkNewcastleBangalore

Turks & Caicos

2008DurbanSydneyShanghaiOrlandoPoprad

Rio de JaneiroDubai

Turks & Caicos

2009DubaiDurban

Riviera MayaObidosLondon

2010Dubai

JohannesburgAntalyaDelhi

JamaicaLondon

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The World Travel Awards acknowledges and celebrates those organisationsthat have made the greatest contribution to the global tourism and travelindustry. It also recognises those brands that are driving the industry togreater heights and innovation in travel.

Celebrating its 17th anniversary this year, theawards has grown into a truly global search forthe very best travel and tourism brands, with thewinners from the five regional ceremoniesprogressing to the World Travel Awards GrandFinal in London on 7 November.

Last year, 183,000 travel professionals registeredto vote and participate in the prestigious WorldTravel Awards programme – a phenomenal 10%rise in registrations compared to the year before.

This record number is conclusive evidence thatWorld Travel Awards has become the “Oscars” ofthe global travel industry.

Graham E. Cooke, Founder and President, WorldTravel Awards, said: “World Travel Awards is aunique benchmark for industry quality andbusiness excellence in every region and sector.”

“The increase in registered voters, despite aglobal recession, demonstrates the vital role ofperformance delivery in a challenging and highlycompetitive marketplace,” he added.

This level of accountability makes the WorldTravel Awards one of the highest accolades in thetravel business and is why the award ceremony isbroadcast by BBC World News and othernetworks to over 254 million householdsworldwide and attended by the industry’s globaldecision makers.

For the tourism trade, winning a World TravelAward is more than an award – it is anendorsement from the thousands of professionalsfrom around the globe, as well as a gold seal tothe consumer of travel excellence guaranteed.

The World Travel Awards has continuously

evolved, expanding the number of awards as theindustry has grown. There are now over 1,000different categories – an understandable numberseeing how the industry has diversified and giventhe fact that there were over 3,600 differentnominees last year.

And as confidence returns to the global economy,the World Travel Awards will be there to rewardthose travel and tourism players that spearheadthe recovery.

The Oscars of theTravel Industry”

Wall Street Journal

“About UsWorld Travel Awards

Visit our VIP Lounge at WTM, South Gallery Level 2, Suite 33 • worldtravelawards.com

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Visit our VIP Lounge at WTM, South Gallery Level 2, Suite 33




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The Oberoi, Gurgaon, in Delhi’s National CapitalRegion, is an urban sanctuary set over nine lushacres of landscaped greens and soothing waterbodies. The resort also promises to offer theOberoi’s trademark service and the best of modernamenities that led the group to do so well at theWorld Travel Awards 2010 Asia & AustralasiaCeremony in Delhi on 14 October.

The unique experience begins the moment youenter the property, up the winding driveway linedwith trees, giving you a sense of a quaint hill retreatin the middle of the city. The lobby or the mainreception area is set in a magnificent glass edifice,called the ‘jewel box’, which overlooks the vastreflecting pool in the centre of the hotel.

To the East lies the linear residential block,deliberately designed so that each of the 202rooms and suites enjoys panoramic views of thelandscaped greens, swimming pool and reflectingpool, enhancing the visual experience. The West isflanked by the 50,000 square foot retail arcade – ahaven for shopaholics.

The rooms at the Oberoi Gurgaon start at an

expansive 620 square feet, offering amongst thelargest accommodation in a city hotel. Each roomfeatures a walk-in closet, a fully-equippedworkstation and separate seating areas.Handpicked Indian paintings and traditional Indiansilver threadwork (Zardosi) add to thecontemporary elegance.

But the big surprise lies in the bathrooms. Each hasa large picture window offering views of the gardensor the water bodies, while letting in natural light.True to the Oberoi philosophy of luxury, theelements of space, height and light are key to thedesign and interiors of the rooms.

The Oberoi Gurgaon boasts three suites with 22-metre cantilevered private outdoor heated poolswith decks. A round-the-clock butler servicedelivered by professionals trained under RobertWatson from The Guild of Professional EnglishButlers, ensures a personalized experience.

The hotel has one of the largest world cuisinerestaurants in the country, more like a culinarytheatre, with live show kitchens offering Italian,Japanese, Chinese and Indian cuisine.

The hotel also has an exclusive indoor CigarLounge, the first in the country. The extensivemeeting and banqueting facilities canaccommodate up to 1,000 guests while thebusiness centre is an ideal place for smaller boardmeetings. And if the meetings and work leave youexhausted, the Olympic size outdoor heated pool orthe 24-hour spa will rejuvenate you in no time.However, if retail therapy is your thing, there are 13international boutiques in the vast retail arcade toindulge in.

Providing a magnificent setting, unrivalled facilitiesand gourmet dining combined with the distinctiveOberoi personalised service, The Oberoi, Gurgaon isthe perfect address for business and leisuretravellers who are only content with the best.

Hot on the heels of its victory at the World Travel Awards where it wasvoted “Asia’s Leading Hotel Brand”, India’s Oberoi Hotels and Resorts hasunveiled a new destination that will open in January 2011.

Oberoi unveils new destination


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Trident Gurgaon offers all the facilities you’d expectin a business hotel, plus many you wouldn’t. Sevenlush acres of gardens, domes, reflecting waterbodies, courtyards and walkways lend a resort-like,serene aura. But one look at the regular guest listwill throw up names like Dell’s Founder, MichaelDell, American Express Chairman, Ken Chenaultand Pepsi Head honcho, Indra Nooyi. The hotel hasalso hosted international global boards like Fidelityand Deutsche Bank.

The surprises of Trident start from the moment youenter its grand porch. The warm greeting of thewaiting staff makes you wonder if they have beenstanding there just for you. As you are escortedunder the first grand dome, a vast reflecting poolreveals itself. And if you come in the night, theserene pool turns into a dramatic theatre with waterand large fire torches shooting from within. Theinterplay of water and fire continues inside and is akey element in the design.

The well-appointed 136 rooms and suites of thehotel are set at the rear, away from the public areas,ensuring more privacy and quiet for the guests.Each room has large picture windows that look outto the reflecting pools or the gardens and let innatural light. The rooms are all equipped with thelatest amenities and elegantly furnished, keeping inmind the highest standards of comfort andconvenience for the guests.

The gourmet experience at the hotel offers an all-day dining restaurant called ‘Cilantro’, which hasbeen described by leading food writers as servingthe best pizzas in town. ‘Saffron’, the Indianrestaurant, offers a large repertoire of culinarywonders from several regions of the country. TheJapanese restaurant, Konomi makes an idealsetting for power lunches with sushi, sashimis andcustom-made bento boxes, while the Bar is greatfor leisurely after dinner drinks.

The hotel’s spa by Angsana, with trained Indonesiantherapists, offers a menu that is bound torejuvenate your senses and well being.

It’s not just the design and décor, but the attentionto detail in the service by the well-trained staff thatmakes the experience truly unique. The magicalsurroundings may leave you mesmerized but it’sthe gracious and caring service that makes somany guests return to the Trident.

Imagine an out-of-this-world retreat, right in the middle ofone of the world’s busiest cities. Just voted “Asia’s LeadingLuxury Hotel” and “Asia’s Leading Hotel” for the secondsuccessive year by the World Travel Awards, Trident Gurgaonis located in the business district of Delhi’s National CapitalRegion, within easy distance of the new international airport.

Asia’s leader in luxury






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You launched in April 2009 – how has your firstyear and a half in operation been?I’m delighted to say we’ve made great strides in ourfirst year and a half. In March we launched the firstStrategic Framework for Tourism in England in tenyears. This was created from an intense period ofcollaboration with the industry and was launchedwith their endorsement. The key objectives of theframework are: to increase England’s share ofglobal markets; offer visitors compellingdestinations of distinction, improve visitorconnectivity and spread best practise. We arecurrently working on action plans to addressseaside resorts, rural tourism, sustainability,business tourism as well as a new nationalmarketing strategy and an Olympics strategy.

How do you work in partnership withVisitBritain to shape national tourismstrategy?VisitEngland promotes England to the domesticmarket and to mature international markets suchas Western Europe and North America. Theorganisation represents the various compellingdestinations of England and works hand in handwith the industry to maximize the industry’s bestprospects for sustained growth. We work closelywith VisitBritain to maximise marketingopportunities internationally especially in theemerging markets such as the BRIC countries. Wewill also be working with VisitBritain to maximisethe many potential benefits that the London 2012

Olympic & Paralympic Games offer the country.

How will the closure of regional developmentagencies change the way you operate?We are working with the Tourism Minister toprovide solutions that will ensure tourism issupported throughout the country once theregional development agencies close.

London has just played host to the World TravelAwards Grand Final for the second year in arow. What is the significance of hosting such aprestigious travel industry event in thecapital?London has long been recognised as a fantastichost to internationally-acclaimed events. The factthat the travel industry has been celebrated inLondon on the eve of World Travel Market has beenboth timely and significant in demonstrating theglobal importance of this industry.

London was voted “World’s LeadingDestination” at the World Travel Awards 2010Grand Final for the second year running. Whatdo you think the city has done to win suchpraise from both the travel trade and the travelconsumer? London is without a doubt one of the world’s mostvibrant, exciting and beautiful cities, adored byboth visitors and Londoners alike. Not only is thecapital a captivating destination in its own right, butit acts a vital gateway to the rest of England

allowing visitors to travel out of the citycentre and experience our villages, coastline,countryside and local traditions and events. It isfitting that the city to host the 2012 Olympic andParalympic Games should be praised in thisway and justly deserves the award.

Sport tourism is proving a big cash cow forEngland. Do you have any specific policy fordeveloping this sector?Sports tourism offers England a great opportunity.We obviously have the London 2012 Olympic &Paralympic Games coming up but in addition tothat we have a whole decade of sport ahead.England’s ability to host world-class sportingevents such as the Rugby Union and Rugby LeagueWorld Cups, key tennis, athletics and equestrianevents and, fingers crossed, the FIFA World Cup in2018 help to attract those visitors who will travelthe world for their sport. In addition we haverecently launched specific quality assessmentschemes for the Premier League football stadiaand racecourses around England which are touristattractions in their own right, as well as sportingvenues and provide visitors with a great day out.

Which source markets offer you the greatestpotential?From an international perspective, the BRICcountries offer exciting potential for us whichVisitBritain focuses on on our behalf. However, lastyear we had our best year in terms of leisure

JAMES BERRESFORD

Visit EnglandLaunched in April 2009, VisitEngland is responsible for steeringthe nation’s tourism strategy. Chief Executive, James Berresfordexplains his strategies to raise market share.


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tourism from the domestic market. I still believe thedomestic market offers huge potential for us. Lastyear certainly helped to showcase England as aholiday destination to many people who wouldn’thave usually taken a break at home, and this hasprovided us with an excellent foundation fromwhich to forge further growth.

How do you think David Cameron’s new stanceon tourism will help England? And which areasof policy need improvement?It was very encouraging to see the Prime Ministergive a speech on tourism within his first hundreddays in office. Tourism in this country will benefitfrom the support of government at this level. Acrucial development is that both the Prime Ministerand the Tourism Minister, John Penrose, clearlyunderstand that tourism crosses over manygovernment departments from transport tobusiness. The Minister is working on his tourismstrategy which amongst other things will tackleissues affecting tourism across Whitehall and willbe launched at the end of the year.

How do you see England as a destinationevolving over the next decade?I really believe that tourism in England has madegreat strides in terms of quality and value for

money over the past decade. We’ve seen arenaissance in domestic tourism and a renewedappreciation by Brits especially of England as aholiday destination.

Tourism is a hugely important economic driver andis one of but a few sectors that if properlysupported can offer real growth potential. Englandin particular is a remarkable destination and a realpowerhouse in UK tourism. It alone represents 84per cent of the total UK tourism value, is worth £97billion, and supports in excess of 2 million jobs.

VisitEngland launched the first StrategicFramework for Tourism in England in ten years inMarch. This strategy will support the industry inmeeting its potential to grow 5 percent annually,over ten years, creating an additional 225,000 jobsand increasing tourism spend by £50 billion.

As the tourist board for England we are committedto growing domestic and international tourism andto meeting the government’s goal to see thecountry rise up the league tables once again as oneof the most desirable destinations in the world.

Which areas of improvement does the countryneed to make to improve market share?We have some areas around the country that offeran outstanding product however we cannot standstill. There are clearly areas that need to beimproved. We’ve got to ensure that the welcomewe offer is of the highest standard and consistentacross the country.

Which of your plans, developments andinitiatives do you think have the most potentialand why?The basis for our future lies within the StrategicFramework for Tourism in England. This is ourblueprint for growing the industry. It has the buy-inand commitment from the industry, has beenrecently praised by the Tourism Minister and willensure that the industry can meet its potential togrow 5 percent year-on-year over the next ten years.








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At ITB Berlin in April, you wanted to educateyour travel partners about the continuingevolution of facilities at Half Moon. What areyou hoping to achieve at WTM in November?Half Moon is a unique and dynamic product, both inits layout and amenities. As a result, our effort isalways to educate and engage our partners so thatthey are better able to promote Half Moon to theirclients. It will continue to be our mission atNovember’s WTM. We hope to meet with newpartners and discuss with our existing partnersthose features and amenities we’ve added since wemet them last year.

How did the relaunch of your websiteprogress?Our new website was launched in August toexcellent reviews. Our new website features user-friendly interface with streaming specials andpromotions to attract user attention. Real timeupdate capability ensures that we are presenting

the most current information on Half Moon. Ourtravel agents now have a simplified travel agentportal that allows them to access the latest trainingmodules and travel agent-specific information. Wealso added a new booking engine with easy-to-viewpackages and room descriptions to streamline thebooking process. Additionally, the website carries asmart phone optimised version with quick links toresort information and mobile booking capabilities.

Airlift to Jamaica has improved considerablythis year. How is this reshaping your businessand how you operate?Limited airlift has always been a barrier to growthfor destinations such as Jamaica. With newscheduled and charter operations from the UK andEurope, the destination and resorts such as HalfMoon are better poised to reap the benefits thatsuch accessibility affords.

Do you see air lift improvements leading to agrowth in multi-destination trips to theCaribbean?The charter services that offer multi-destinationstops in their itinerary can provide an opportunityfor growth with this type of travel. However, theconnections inter-island to Montego Bay are not asfrequent for us to see growth from scheduledcarriers in this type of multi-destination holiday.

You have been planning a new landmark luxuryvilla development, The Colony at Half Moon.When do you envisage breaking ground onthis?In light of the soft real estate market globally, theColony project will resume when the marketbecomes buoyant and interests ininvestment/vacation properties regains strength.

Despite its status as one of the world’s legendary paradisegetaways, Jamaica’s Half Moon remains determined to upgradeand develop its facilities, including constructing a new line of suitesand a 68,000 square foot spa. Half Moon’s Managing Director,Richard Whitfield, shares his up-coming plans.

RICHARD WHITFIELD

Jamaica’s paradisegetaway


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Have you noticed any pick up in the marketover the past 12 months?It is apparent that bookings windows remainshortened, even from long-haul destinations suchas the UK/Europe. Nevertheless, all indicatorspoint to improved performance for the comingyear.

What trends do you see emerging in Jamaica’stourism sector?With the new Montego Bay Convention Centreslated to open in January 2011 attracting meetingsand convention business to the destination will beof even greater importance. Supported by the well-established resorts in close proximity to theconvention centre, Jamaica will be well positionedto attract a greater share of this business.

You won World Travel Awards for “Caribbean’sLeading Conference Hotel”, “Jamaica’sLeading Resort” and “Jamaica’s Leading GolfResort” in 2009. How has this helped on a botha consumer and trade level?To be singled out as the leading conference hotel in

the Caribbean as well as Jamaica’s Leading Resortand Golf Resort is an achievement we hold in highregard. It demonstrates our commitment to delivernothing but the best service to all our guests andaffirms that our partners in the industry recogniseour efforts to remain the best.

You were voted “Jamaica’s Leading GolfResort” and “Jamaica’s Leading Spa Resort” atthe World Travel Awards The AmericasCeremony in October. What have you done overthe past year to merit these nominations?Our mission at Half Moon is to exceed our guests’expectations. This means continuously working toimprove our product and services. Winning anaward one year is not an indicator for us that wehave arrived at a destination. Rather, it signals to usthat we have to work even harder to demonstratewhy we have earned such a designation. This year,we added an exclusive teen-activity centre, anofficially licensed Spinning studio and a newauthentic English pub.

Which of your plans, developments andinitiatives do you think have the most potentialand why?Fern Tree, The Spa at Half Moon remains one of ourhallmark developments. The concept, design andattributes of Fern Tree, being a truly authenticJamaican spa created around the holistic healingtraditions and remedies of generations ofJamaicans, make Fern Tree a singular spaexperience. Spa continues to grow in importancewhen travellers are selecting a resort. The uniqueexperience that Fern Tree provides will help to setHalf Moon apart from the competition.






“We are fortunate that, in Jamaica, we have anisland with incredible natural beauty,convenient air access, superior hotel product,and a huge range of fantastic attractions thatholidaymakers want to continue to enjoy,” hesaid.

But just what can visitors to Jamaica expectover the coming year?

New Hotels in Jamaica

Among the most exciting developments in recentmonths has been The Palmyra - A Solís Resort &Spa. Located in the exclusive Jamaican enclave ofRose Hall in Montego Bay, the property hasannounced the Sabal Palm Tower, the first of itshotel and residential towers, is open and in fulloperation for unit owners - as well as select hotelguests.

“With the completion of this milestone, ThePalmyra is looking forward to sharing the Solísexperience with our first guests, weddings, eventsand corporate meetings,” said general managerLester Scott.

According to Scott, the second tower, Silver Palm,

will be open and fully operational by the end of2011, providing the resort with more than 200ocean view rooms and guest suites. As planned, allaccommodations have been designed with ultrahigh-end features and design touches – frommarble countertops in the bathrooms, to flatscreen televisions in the living areas, along withBosch appliances in the suite kitchens.

Further along the north coast of the island, TheJewel Dunn’s River Beach Resort & Spa opened itsdoors in September 2010 after completerenovation. New room designs, improvedtechnology and enhanced pool furniture have allbeen included in the work, allowing the property toregain its status as one of the leading resorts onthe tropical island.

Minutes from Dunn’s River Falls, The Jewel is theperfect romantic getaway for couples,honeymooners and weddings. Overlooking theCaribbean Sea, the resort is all-inclusive, andfeatures six restaurants, five bars, two swimmingpools, tennis courts, a nine-hole executive golfcourse, an updated fitness centre and a stunningEuropean spa. The 250 fully refurbished roomsalso offer a variety of views from mountain, togarden, to pool and sea.

The Jewel will also offer a pool concierge topamper and surprise guests throughout the daywith refreshing fruit skewers, eucalyptus-infusedfacial mist, and ice-cold face towels. The poolconcierges will greet the guests on lounge chairsaround the pools and even swim right up to guestson floats with the same refreshing service.

In a slightly different sector, but no less exciting, isthe Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort Montego Bay. Theproperty is looking better than ever after anextensive refurbishment for 2010, with the décorand interiors having been refreshed and theinviting front entrance and lobby completelyremodelled. The chic restaurants and bars offertasty new treats in luxurious and idyllicsurroundings just metres from the beach.

The new children’s nursery is a great addition forparents who want to relax during the day, while theguest rooms have been upgraded and enhanced tofeature brand new flat screen TVs.

Sandals Resorts has also been making wavesahead of the winter season – dropping its RoyalPlantation Collection in favour of a unified productoffering. Re-launched as Sandals Resorts, theRoyal Plantation properties will help the brand

Jamaica has been among the first Caribbean destinations to truly recover fromthe worldwide slowdown in the tourism sector. Visitor numbers are steadilyincreasing, with optimism returning to the market alongside the holidaymakers.With a number of high profile projects scheduled to open ahead of the 2011holiday season, tourism minister Ed Bartlett is also in buoyant mood.

Blossoming Jamaicareturns to world stage

Sandals Royal PlantationSandals Royal Plantation

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Goldeneye The Palmyra - A Solis Resort & Spa

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achieve its overall strategic plan to elevate theSandals Resorts ‘Luxury Included’ experience.

As founder Gordon “Butch” Stewart explained:“When we introduced the Royal Plantation brand in2000, it allowed us to acquire properties, talentand practices that have now become part of theSandals Resorts Luxury Included experience.

“Our reasons for a second brand no longer exist.Sandals Resorts defines luxury within ourcompany. We are confident in our product and feelnow is the time to bring the family together,” headded.

Sandals has also been celebrating recently, havingbeen recognised by the World Travel Awards as aleading operator in Jamaica. Following a galaceremony in October, the brand walked off with thetitle of Jamaica's Leading Resort – for SandalsWhitehouse European Village & Spa – and theprestigious prize for Caribbean's Leading HotelBrand.

Around the Island

But it is not just hotels which have been investingin Jamaica, with the cruise sector also witnessing aresurgence.

At the forefront of developments is a new portterminal under construction on Jamaica’s NorthCoast in the historic port of Falmouth, which is duefor completion at the end of 2010. The port –which has been designed to feel like an old styleCaribbean town - is expecting to host the RoyalCaribbean Navigator of the Seas early in 2011,while the 5,400-passenger Oasis of the Seas andAllure of the Seas will begin calling in March 2011.

For the business traveller, the Montego BayConvention Centre is set to open in January. Firston the agenda is the Caribbean Marketplace,which will to attract industry experts andjournalists from across the world. Hosted by the Caribbean Hotel & TourismAssociation, the event will welcome top ranking

executives from a host of sectors – includinghotels, attractions, destination managementcompanies, restaurants and tourist boards – to dobusiness in what is set to become a leading MICEdestination in the Caribbean.

Finally, back with hotels, Goldeneye - the exclusiveresort where Ian Fleming penned 13 of his JamesBond novels - is reopening after extensiverefurbishment. Operated by Island Outpost, theproperty reopened on 10/10/10 with guestsoffered a new range of villas — including the three-bedroom Fleming Villa. Also on offer are four othervillas, specifically designed for indoor-outdoorliving, and a selection of one and two-bedroombeach cottages.

Dedicated fans of the destination might also like toknow the villas at Goldeneye are also for sale..






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Whilst the burning question Europe’s tourismindustry was asking last year was when we wouldsee the green shoots of recovery, this year it hasturned to which nations are emerging fastest.

In the United Nation’s World Tourist Barometer,international tourist arrivals in Europe grew theslowest globally in the first half of 2010 – just 2percent higher compared with 14 percent in Asiaand the Pacific, 20 percent in the Middle East, 7percent in Africa and 7 percent in the Americas.But within the European Union positive signs of arecovery are emerging, led by Germany, theregion’s economic engine and its largest travelconsumer.

Germany spluttered badly during the slump inworld trade. And when the Germans startedreigning in their travel expenditure, popularoutbound markets such as the Spanish costasand the Greek islands rapidly felt the squeeze.

But the country is once again firing on allcylinders. GDP grew by 2.2 percent (anannualised rate of close to 9 percent) in the threemonths to the end of June, well above even the

most optimistic of forecasts and representing itsstrongest since reunification almost two decadesago.

The German revival is being felt across thecontinent. Spain, Germany’s largest outboundmarket, has finally turned a corner after being oneof the tourism economy’s hardest hit by theglobal downturn.

Overnight stays by international arrivals rose by 11percent in July this year, compared to the sametime in 2009, according to official figures fromSpain’s National Statistics Institute. The Spanishrevival was also helped by renewed confidence inthe UK, its second largest source market.

The country has also been seeking an unlikely allyin China. At a recent meeting between SpanishPrime Minister José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero andhis Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao, the twonations agreed to collaborate on a number ofeconomic fronts, including tourism.

Initiatives will include policies that make it easierfor Chinese to obtain travel visas for travel to

Spain and other European countries. The headsnoted that events such as Spain’s victory in theFIFA World Cup and the Shanghai World Expo2010 – where the Spanish pavilion is one of themost visited – have piqued Chinese citizens’interest in visiting.

Madrid’s goal in the short term is to triple thenumber of 90,000 Chinese tourists who visitSpain each year. Zapatero said he was working ona new plan that promotes Spanish cultural andecotourism destinations rather than thetraditional model of sun, sea and sand.

For now, Spain ranks behind France, Germany andBritain as a favoured destination for Chinesetravellers heading to Europe, though the Iberiannation is the world’s number two touristdestination overall.

Meanwhile, Spain’s great European tourism rival,France, has been attempting to woo the Arabiantourism dollar and encourage strengtheningpolitical, economic and cultural ties. This summerthe French police deployed officers with foreign-language skills – including Arabic – to key tourist

It’s a been a tough year for tourism across Europe, but with Germany,the economic powerhouse of the continent, firing on all cylindersagain, the outlook for the likes of Spain and Greece is lookingconsiderably rosier than 12 months ago.

FOCUS ON

Europe



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locations during busy holiday periods.

But it remains to be seen what impact the Frenchgovernment’s ban on face-covering garments inpublic will have on the willingness of Muslims tovisit the country.

The UK too is pushing hard to lure the Arabiantraveller. In May VisitBritain launched a business-to-business travel trade event, Destination Britain& Ireland, in Dubai, with more than 200 keycompanies and travel industry specialistsattending.

And its efforts seem to be working. Inboundtourists from Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and theUnited Arab Emirates rose 9 percent year-on-yearin 2009, and accounted for 1.7 percent of allvisitors to the UK.

VisitBritain said Gulf tourists were particularlyattracted to the UK by the opportunity to shop forfashion and luxury goods not available at home,and to watch Premier League football. Britain’sreputation as a safe, well-organised country, withpolite, approachable people and low levels of theftwere also key pulling factors.

Other positive factors included Britain’stemperate climate, in contrast with the average45ºC summers in, say, Saudi Arabia.In Greece, tourism receipts have dropped bynearly a quarter in the past two years, with strikesand civil unrest denting a sector already hit by the

global crisis. The strength of the Euro has alsoproved counterproductive, with Greece losingshare to non-Eurozone neighbouring destinationsTurkey and Croatia.

Greece relies on its sun-drenched beaches andhistoric monuments for nearly a fifth of itseconomy and a recovery in tourism is crucial asthe country struggles to recover from a debt crisisand its worst recession in 36 years. Spending byinternational tourists fell to €2.8 billion in the sixmonths to June, down 11.9 percent year-on-yearand 23.3 percent over two years, according toGreek Central Bank.

Revenues were hit particularly hard in Junefollowing the death of three bank employeesduring anti-government protests in May, at a timewhen almost daily strikes were leaving touristsstranded at airports and harbours.

It has upped value-added tax to 23 percent this year as part of an austerity driveaimed at pulling the country out of its debt crisis.

But Greece appears to have turned a corner overthe summer. In July tourist arrivals narrowed to1.3 percent from a 6 percent drop in May. Augustarrivals came in marginally higher than last year.

Whilst Greece has been one of the highest profilevictims of the downturn, its neighbour Turkey hasemerged as one of the stars.

As our travel patterns have shifted to moreadventurous pastures, mid-haul has become thenew short-haul. The likes of Istanbul offer anentirely different experience yet are only an houror two further than traditional city breakEuropean destinations.

The shift to mid-haul has also sparked a boom intourism across the country. Take Antalya – asleepy ancient city that has been transformedinto the country’s main holiday resort, completewith palm-lined boulevards, glitzy marina andsummer home to affluent Germans and British.

This city also epitomises what Turkey does best –by combining a rich, welcoming local culture withsuperb hospitality facilities, sun-kissed beachesand value for money, it has created a winningformula that now attracts visitors from the worldover, come boom or bust.





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worldtravelawards.comemail: [email protected]

2012Caribbean & Central America Gala CeremonyNassau, Bahamas • 14 January 2012

Europe Gala CeremonyBerlin, Germany • 6 March 2012

North America Gala CeremonyLos Angeles, USA• 21 April 2012

Middle East Gala CeremonyDubai, UAE • 30 April 2012

Africa & Indian Ocean Gala CeremonyDurban, South Africa • 8 May 2012


Asia & Australasia Gala CeremonyNew Delhi, India • 28 October 2012

Grand Final Gala CeremonyLondon, United Kingdom • 4 November 2012

2013 (20th Anniversary Year)

Caribbean & Central America Gala CeremonyMontego Bay, Jamaica • 15 January 2013

Europe Gala CeremonyBerlin, Germany •March 2013

Middle East Gala CeremonyDubai, UAE •May 2013

Africa & Indian Ocean Gala CeremonySharm el Sheikh, Egypt •May 2013

North America Gala CeremonyLas Vegas, USA• 8 June 2013

Asia & Australasia Gala CeremonyShanghai, China • 13 June 2013


Grand Final Gala CeremonyLondon, United Kingdom •November 2013

2014Caribbean & Central America Gala CeremonySan Juan, Puerto Rico • January 2014

Europe Gala CeremonyBerlin, Germany •March 2014

Middle East Gala CeremonyDubai, UAE •May 2014

North America Gala CeremonyOrlando, USA •May 2014

Africa & Indian Ocean Gala CeremonyDurban, South Africa •May 2014

Asia & Australasia Gala CeremonySingapore • October 2014

South America Gala CeremonyRio de Janeiro, Brazil • October 2014

Grand Final Gala CeremonyLondon, United Kingdom • November 2014

World Travel AwardsGrand Tours 2012-2014



Documents

World Travel Awards - Travel Weekly 2010 day 4