America’s finest to reap rewards at “Travel Oscars” in Turks & Caicos
The most successful travel brands in North Americas are set to be acknowledged at a red-carpet ceremony hosted by World Travel Awards (WTA) at Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa on Friday 14th September 2012.
Key categories to watch for at WTA’s Caribbean & The Americas Ceremony include “North America’s Leading Hotel”, with Trump International Hotel & Tower (New York), Mandarin Oriental Miami (Florida), Parker Palm Springs (California) and Jumeirah Essex House (New York) among the hot contenders.
Meanwhile the likes of Las Vegas, Miami, Maui, San Francisco and New York go head-to-head for the coveted title of “North America’s Leading Destination”.
Hundreds of senior travel decision-makers from across the Caribbean and Americas are scheduled to attend the gala evening, which will include a gourmet dinner, top entertainment, as well as the presentation of the coveted awards.
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The evening will serve as a glittering spotlight for Turks & Caicos. The paradise nation is entering an exciting new chapter in its history, and tourism is poised to play an even greater role in its economic evolution.
The WTA awards programme, hailed as the ‘Oscars of the travel industry’ by the global media, highlights and rewards those travel brands that have made the greatest contribution to the industry over the past year.
After a fierce round of voting featuring more than 2,000 organisations, the nominees have been whittled down to the elite few.
Graham E. Cooke, President & Founder, WTA, underlined the strength and depth of the travel and tourism offerings across the Americas.
He says: “North America has shown remarkable resilience to overcome the challenges of the past twelve months, thanks to its exceptional focus on service and its attractions that bring in visitors come good times or bad.”
He adds: “Our nominees represent those organisations that have made the greatest contribution to the performance of North America in the face of adversity, and I look forward to finding out which ones will make it on to the winner’s podium on 14th September.”
Gordon “Butch” Stewart, Chairman of Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts, is pleased to host this year’s World Travel Awards Caribbean and Americas Gala ceremony at Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa.
“Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts strive to offer the best product and experience for our customers, and we are delighted to be in the company of those in the travel industry who share these values,” Stewart said. “We are thrilled to be in the Turks & Caicos Islands showcasing our first-class services and amenities, which are key in creating luxury vacations.”
Ralph Higgs, Director of Tourism, Turks & Caicos Tourist Board, says: “The Turks and Caicos Islands is an economy driven by tourism and as the host country of these prestigious awards, we are delighted that our country, our people and our culture will be on display for the world to see and enjoy. Our tourism product is one that is constantly evolving and we are cognizant of our place in the market which only makes us capable to soar to higher success. World Travel Awards honours excellence in the tourism industry around the world but what it also highlights is new, emerging markets for investment opportunities and the Turks and Caicos with its growing economy welcomes all of the nominees from around the world.”
The Caribbean & The Americas Ceremony 2012 marks the second leg of WTA’s Grand Tour, a global search for the world’s leading travel brands, which also includes regional heats in Dubai, Singapore and The Algarve. The winners of these legs will then go head-to-head at WTA’s Grand Final, which takes place at The Oberoi, Gurgaon, New Delhi, India on 12 December 2012.