NEW YORK - Budget Travel announced the winners of the first annual Budget Travel Awards. The experts behind the 21-year-old travel publisher have curated an exceptional list of travel brands and destinations that deliver excellent value for travelers.
"The winners list includes some well-known brand juggernauts renowned for customer service," says Budget Travel Editor in Chief Robert Firpo-Cappiello. "For instance, our Best Value Airline is Southwest for its fare transparency, free two-bag check, and exceptional customer experience from booking through the flight itself; our Best Value Car Rental Agency is Enterprise Rent-a-Car for its great rates and customer experience." Firpo-Cappiello also notes that the Budget Travel Awards include some surprises that U.S. travelers are sure to be buzzing about. "In the category of Best Value Hotel Chain, for instance, the winner is not a hotel chain at all but the vacation rental brand Airbnb, acknowledging the industry paradigm shift that Airbnb's user experience and savings have helped to bring about. Other surprises include such unexpected gems as the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, Colorado, in the category of Best Value Resort, and Detroit taking the prize for Best Value Foodie City."
Here are the 2018 Budget Travel 'Best Value in Travel' Award winners for 2018:
- Best Value Budget Airline: Southwest Airlines
- Best Value Tour Company: Contiki Tours
- Best Value National Park: Arches National Park, Moab UT
- Best Value Island Getaway: Puerto Rico
- Best Value Foodie City: Detroit, MI
- Best Value Theme Park: Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, TN
- Best Value Volunteer Vacation: Bonnaroo Music Festival
- Best Value Romantic Getaway: Door County, WI
- Best Value Beach: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, MI
- Best Value Travel App: Lonely Planet Guides
- Best Value Credit Card: Chase Sapphire Preferred
- Best Value Rental Car Agency: Enterprise
- Best Value Hotel Chain: Airbnb
- Best Value Cruise Line: Avalon Waterways
- Best Value State Park: Hocking Hills, OH
- Best Value Historical Site: Independence Hall, Philadelphia, PA
- Best Value Resort: YMCA of the Rockies, Estes Park, CO
