The World Travel Awards has unveiled the programme for a much-anticipated Australian debut next month.World Travel Awards, described by the acclaimed Wall Street Journal as “the Oscars of the Travel Industry”, is coming to Australia for the first time… the most prestigious global travel and tourism honours ever.

World Travel Awards is ‘spreading its wings’ to Australasia as part of its Grand Tour, culminating with the final in December.

Well established and now in its 15th year, World Travel Awards has become globally recognised, bringing worldwide acclaim to some of the best of the best in the travel and tourism industry.

A total of 429 travel companies and businesses have been nominated for the World Travel Awards Australasia Ceremony on Tuesday 10 June at The Observatory Hotel, Sydney, Australia’s most awarded hotel.

It constitutes an important and prestigious night of the year for the Australasian travel and tourism industry in an exclusive networking business environment. Senior management from across the region are set to recognise supreme excellence in every sector of the travel industry across the region.

Many of the guests are taking the opportunity to travel to Sydney for the awards ceremony and then remaining to visit the Australian Tourism Exchange, Australia’s premier tourism trade event and the largest international travel trade show in the southern hemisphere.

Patrick Griffen, Regional Marketing Director, Orient-Express Hotels, Australia said he was delighted that the World Travel Awards was coming to Australia. He added: “It will be an honour for the Observatory Hotel Sydney to host the Australasian regional awards ceremony in June. Like the World Travel Awards, we are also commemorating our 15th year anniversary and we can’t think of a better way to celebrate!”

There are a total of 52 award categories including travel operators, airlines, hotels, spas, resorts and destinations in Australia, New Zealand, the Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Guam, Micronesia Federated State, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu.

“Australasia is an important market that often does not receive its deserved recognition from the international industry”, said Manon Han, World Travel Awards Executive Vice President. “The region turned in its greatest performance ever in 2007 and it is high time that the World Travel Awards focused more on Australasia.

“Undoubtedly, as competition from emerging countries escalates and aviation constraints begin to impact, there are many challenges ahead.

“We hope that by bringing the World Travel Awards to Australasia, we can, in some small way, help to encourage even greater quality, innovation and competition.”

She explained that winning one of the awards would not only bring a travel company or destination wholesale acknowledgment and respect from the global industry, but also offer valuable commercial and profiling benefits that can penetrate down to the bottom line.

“The World Travel Awards is celebrating its 15th birthday this year and has established itself worldwide as a trademark of supreme excellence”, said Han. “Winners demonstrate that they understand customer requirements and can rise above the competition with enterprise as well as a sound business performance.”

Gary Eck, one of Australia’s most popular and versatile comedians, who has participated at some of Australia’s largest corporate events including Qantas, is hosting the awards.

The Australasia Ceremony is part of a World Travel Awards Grand Tour with regional awards staged throughout the world, ending with a Winners Dinner in London on 9 November at World Travel Market and a Grand Final at Turks & Caicos in the Caribbean on 12 December 2008.
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