Porto Bay Hotels & Resorts, Portugal, has secured a prestigious World Travel Market Global Award for its dedication to unique design, commitments to the environment and working in harmony with the local surroundings.

Reed Travel Exhibitions Chairman World Travel Market Fiona Jeffery presented the award to António Trindade, Chief Executive Officer of Porto Bay Group, at today’s (Monday November 7) WTM VIP Opening and Reception Ceremony.

WTM’s Global Media Network, comprising key travel industry media around the world, put forward organisations and individuals which have contributed to their region’s travel and tourism industry. Porto Bay Hotels and Resorts was nominated by Portuguese trade media partner, Publituris.

Its director, Ruben Israel Obadia, jointly presented the award with Jeffery; the Rt. Hon. Jeremy Hunt, UK Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport; and double Olympic Gold medalist, James Cracknell OBE.

Porto Bay Hotels & Resorts has a portfolio of high quality hotels in Portugal, Madeira and Brazil. It was nominated by Publituris because of its “commitment to the principles of product, promotion and people”.

Since 2009, the hotels have chalked up more than 60 awards from well known and respected industry brands such as TUI, Thomas Cook, Thomson Holidays and Expedia.

The first hotel in the group – Suite Hotel Eden Mar – opened in 1988, introducing an innovative concept of spacious, self-catering suites. The Cliff Bay, the group’s five-star flagship hotel, was launched in 1994, following research to fulfill Madeira’s need for a different kind of five-star hospitality.

In 2000, the town centre hotel of Porto Santa Maria welcomed its first guests – a unique fusion of inner city design combined with a resort concept.

And in 2003, Porto Bay Hotels & Resorts unveiled its new resort concept, Vila Porto Mare, which integrates three different products under a shared space of services and facilities accessible to all guests. Other hotels followed since then, including two in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro.

“Porto Bay Hotels & Resorts has won several awards from the travel industry and we are thrilled to add a World Travel Market Global Award to the list,” Jeffery said.

“Winning the Global Award with World Travel Market’s Portuguese media partner Publituris adds to the hotel group’s reputation as a company of impressive stature and fresh ideas.

“The hotel group’s latest pledge is to protect the environment with a whole range of ideas that reduces carbon footprint, which is something that is very important to World Travel Market.”

Every year, World Travel Market Global Awards are presented. Seven other companies and two individuals were also 2011 winners. The other winning companies are: The Travel Corporation Canada; Sandals Foundation; L’Agenzia di Viaggi; Butlins; the Renaissance Moscow Hotel; WILD Guanabana and public railways service RENFE, which links the regions of the Iberian Pensinsula. The two individual winners are: Dr Mrs Jyotsna Suri, Chairperson, The Lalit Group, India and Caio Luis de Carvalho, president of Sao Paulo Tourism.