World
Travel Market, the leading global event for the travel industry, and Amadeus
can now unveil the shortlist for the inaugural Amadeus & WTM Travel
Experience Awards, recognising those who are delivering the best in 21st Century Travel Experiences.
The Awards cover ten categories, rewarding tourist
boards and travel providers for their best and most innovative product
offerings.
The core judging panel included;
·
Micaela Juarez, Head of Marketing and Communications, WTM
·
Rob Sinclair-Barnes, Director of Marketing, Amadeus UK
& Ireland
·
Trevor Harding, President, Institute
of Travel
·
Lee Hayhurst, Editor, Travolution
The four core judges came up with their shortlist
for each category with the help of expert judges from the various fields.
The Best Destination for Accessible Travel has three shortlisted contenders including the German
National Tourist Office, Tenerife Tourism Corporation and Visit Flanders. The core judges and
expert judge, Brian Seaman from Access New Business, were looking for
destinations which offered disabled travellers the opportunity to take part in
an experience which they would never have thought possible.
Truly memorable and exciting locations Tongabezi
Lodge and Tenerife
Tourism Corporation made
the shortlist for their heart-racing challenges in the Adrenaline
Junkies category.
Those shortlisted for the best in Authentic
Travel are Khiri
Travel, Tongabezi Lodge and Wilderness Safaris for Desert
Rhino Camp, all offering a real insight into the community as
well as making a substantial contribution to a global problem as judged by the
core panel and expert judge Jeremy Smith, Responsible Travel Writer.
Three “once in a lifetime” experiences that have
been shortlisted by the panel and expert judge Simon Mayle, International
Luxury Travel Market, for the Blow the Budget category are Jamaica
Tourist Board, Quark Expeditions and The Sarojin.
The best three City Breaks on a Budget shortlisted with the help of
Jane Atkins from Superbreak are Liguria for Genoa, Turismo
di Lisboa and Visit
Gent . These cities offered the
traveller the key elements of a good choice of accommodation at affordable
prices as well as a variety of places to eat and plenty to see and do during a
long weekend.
The destinations most geared up for cruise
passengers have been whittled down to Liguria for Genoa, Visit
Guernsey and Jamaica
Tourist Board in
the Cruise Destination category.
Top three Honeymoon locations shortlisted, with the help
of expert judge Natalie Wingrove from Weddings Abroad Guide, are Beaches
Fort Myers and Sanibel for Casa Ybel, Maxx Royal
& Voyage Hotels for Maxx Royal Turkey
The locations that offered the most unique view in
the Room With A View category as shortlisted with the help
of Steve Dunlop, Travel Photographer are Liguria for Hotel Vis a Vis Sestri Levante, The
Aurora Zone for The Aurora Bubble Finland and Wilderness Safaris for DumaTau Camp and Tongabezi
Lodge.
Three Stress-Free Family Holiday holidays shortlisted by the core
judges and Julia Lo-Bue Said from Advantage Travel are Beaches
Fort Myers & Sanibel for Pink Shell Beach
Resort, Inside Asia Tours
for Inside Japan
The most memorable destinations, which business
travellers can enjoy with only two hours to spare, are Hong
Kong Tourist Board, Sports Events 365 and Visit Flanders in the Two
Hours to Spare on a Business trip category.
The categories and one overall winner will be
announced during the award ceremony in the Travel Tech Theatre - TT185 on
Wednesday 6 November at 4.30 pm and followed by a Reception. The awards are to
be presented by well-known TV presenter Jenny Powell, and in association with
Travel Channel.
Each winner of the ten categories will be promoted
extensively and will have the choice of hosting a press visit by the WTM
official video crew, who will create a vlog (video blog) for use on the WTM
website, social media and via WTM Official Media Partners.
Amadeus, who are partnering with the inaugural
Travel Tech Show at WTM and supporting the event’s VIP lounge, have
also co-hosted four round table discussions on travel technology-related
subjects with conjunction with WTM, with a White Paper produced for each event.
One concluding White Paper will be revealed at WTM, before the Amadeus &
WTM Travel Experience awards on Wednesday 6 November.
The Travel Tech Show at WTM Head of Marketing and
Communications Micaela Juarez said: “We were delighted with both the quality
and quantity of entries we have received for the Amadeus & WTM Travel
Experience Awards. It made the judging extremely difficult.
“I look forward to presenting these awards with
Amadeus during WTM and congratulating the winners on their top 21st Century
Travel Experience.”
Amadeus Director of Marketing, Rob
Sinclair-Barnes said: “These inaugural Amadeus and WTM Travel Experience Awards
aims to recognise the best in class travel supplier who is defining and
evolving the new standards for the travel industry to better service and
deliver the 21st Century Travel Experience”
“The Amadeus and WTM collaboration has worked
incredibly well throughout this year and I look forward to presenting the
comprehensive White Paper and Travel Experience Awards on the Wednesday of
WTM.”
