The votes have been counted, the trophies polished and the VIP guests are starting to arrive in Singapore as the destination steps up to host one of the most important evenings of the year for the tourism industry - World Travel Awards Asia, Australasia & Indian Ocean Ceremony 2012.

The red-carpet event takes place at InterContinental Singapore on Thursday, with hundreds of senior travel decision-makers from across the region expected to be in attendance at the ceremony.

The likes of Mandarin Oriental, Banyan Tree, Cathay Pacific Airways, The Ritz-Carlton, Le Touessrok Mauritius and Tourism New Zealand are among the brands nominated for the prestigious awards programme.

The must-attend ceremony is being held in partnership with TravelRave, Asia’s most influential travel trade festival, and will include a gala dinner, top entertainment, as well as the presentation of the coveted awards.

WTA, 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.

The WTA organisers highlight the significance of hosting its first ever ceremony in Singapore.

WTA president Graham Cooke said: “We are delighted to host our first ceremony in Singapore, a decision which reflects its standing as one of the most dynamic destinations in the world.”

He added: “Our partnership with TravelRave is a perfect match. Since its debut in 2010, TravelRave has quickly established itself as the definitive platform for Asia’s travel leaders to maximise the tourism potential of the region.

“WTA will offer these senior decision-makers a unique opportunity to savour and celebrate their achievements of the past year with their industry peers. I look forward to finding out which organisations will make it on to the winner’s podium on October 18th.”

Singapore Tourism Board notes the added dimension this prestigious awards programme will bring to TravelRave’s mix.

Andrew Phua, director, exhibitions & conferences, Singapore Tourism Board, said: “Singapore is honoured to partner World Travel Awards to host the prestigious Asia, Australasia & Indian Ocean Ceremony 2012.

“In recognising excellence in the travel and tourism industry, the awards ceremony sets off the spirit of TravelRave in sharing best practices, celebrating our successes, and motivating our travel partners to collaborate for the future.”

Other key events taking place under the TravelRave umbrella include ITB Asia, Asia Travel Leaders Summit, Web In Travel, Tourism Destination Investment Conference Asia, Hotel Technology Conference, and Aviation Outlook Asia.

WTA’s Asia, Australasia & Indian Ocean Ceremony 2012 marks the final regional leg of WTA’s Grand Tour, a global search for the world’s leading travel brands, which also included regional heats in Dubai, Turks & Caicos and Portugal.

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 December 12th 2012.

For more information, head over to the World Travel Awards website.