World Travel Awards (WTA), the “Oscars of the travel industry”, will kick start its 2014 Grand Tour at the world’s tallest hotel, the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai, on May 4th 2014.
The who’s who of Arabian travel will attend WTA’s Middle East Gala Ceremony 2014 to celebrate and acknowledge their achievements of the past twelve months.
The five-star property, which is owned by Emirates Group, will serve as a fitting venue to host the world’s most celebrated travel accolades programme. Soaring 355 meters high, it comes in just 26 metres shorter than New York City’s Empire State Building, and holds the Guinness World Record title as the “World’s Tallest Hotel”. The hotel enjoys an elevated position above Dubai’s business district, and is spread across two iconic towers.
The ceremony will mark the opening leg of WTA’s 2014 Grand Tour, a year-long global search for the world’s finest travel tourism and hospitality organisations, covering seven continents.
Voting is now open for the Middle East. Travel industry professionals and the general public can vote for their favourite travel organisations at www.worldtravelawards.com/vote. Voting for Africa and Indian Ocean opens on March 10th, with Asia, Australasia, Caribbean, Europe and North, South & Central America beginning on April 14th.
Bill Keffer, Hotel Manager, JW Marriott Marquis Dubai, commented: “We are delighted to be hosting World Travel Awards in 2014. As the 2013 winner of ‘World’s Leading New Hotel’, this is a great opportunity for us to showcase why we were chosen and why Dubai really is a remarkable city and forward thinking hub for the hospitality and travel business. It’s wonderful to be associated with such prestigious awards, and to be part of constantly evolving and competitive industry and destination.”
WTA’s 2014 Grand Tour will include regional legs in Athens (Greece), Dubai (UAE), Quito (Ecuador) and Caribbean throughout the year. The winners of these regional heats will progress to the Grand Final, which will take place at the end of 2014.
