LONDON, England – The travel brands that have shown the greatest strength amid the global economic uncertainty are to be acknowledged at the Grand Final of World Travel Awards (WTA), which is being hosted in Doha in partnership with Qatar Tourism Authority on January 11, 2012.
The likes of The Ritz-Carlton, Lufthansa, Starwood Hotels, Jumeirah, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Abercrombie & Kent, Mandarin Oriental, and Four Seasons are among those in the running for top honors.
The most important decision-makers in global travel and tourism are set to attend the glittering gala ceremony, which is being staged at Katara Cultural Village, Dohaโs ground-breaking new arts and exhibitions complex.
Categories to watch include โWorldโs Leading Airline,โ which features a heavy Asian and Middle Eastern contingent, reflecting how the two regions are leading aviation out of recession. Nominees include Cathay Pacific, Etihad Airways, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, and Malaysia Airlines.
Another key category is โWorldโs Leading Hotel,โ with Copacabana Palace (Rio), Le Bristol (Paris), St. Regis (Singapore), The Dorchester (London), Burj Al Arab (Dubai), and W Hotel (Barcelona) among the hot contenders. This yearโs new categories include โWorldโs Leading Dive Destinationโ with Great Barrier Reef (Australia), Zanzibar (Tanzania), Sharm el Sheikh (Egypt), and Sulawesi (Indonesia) all nominated.
Qatarโs travel and hospitality industry has also been recognized with nominations for Doha as โWorldโs Leading Business Travel Destination,โ โWorldโs Leading Sports Tourism Destination,โ as well as other nominations for Qatar Airways, Qatari Diar, the Qatar Tourism Authority, and Regency Travel & Tours.
The evening marks the culmination of a year-long search for the very best travel and tourism brands in the world, and will feature the winners from WTAโs regional heats competing head to head.
The regional ceremonies included Middle East (Dubai, UAE), Europe (Antalya, Turkey), Africa & Indian Ocean (Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt), Asia & Australasia (Bangkok, Thailand), and Caribbean & The Americas (Montego Bay, Jamaica).
Qatar Tourism Authority Chairman, Mr. Ahmed Al Nuaimi, said: โThe staging of this ceremony in Doha is an illustration of the confidence the travel and tourism industry has in Qatar, as well as the potential it has to develop further. Qatarโs strong presence in the list of finalists for the awards is showing the world that we are a country with a lot to offer travelers, as well as one that operates at the highest international standards.โ
Graham E. Cooke, President and Founder, World Travel Awards, underlined the core strengths of the Grand Final nominees. He said: โDuring times of economic uncertainty, world-class brands come into their own, continuing to grow market share whilst competitors flounder, traits demonstrated by all those travel brands that have made it to our Grand Final in Doha.
โAs one of the most progressive nations in the world, Qatar will prove a fitting host, and our ceremony will provide an excellent opportunity for the captains of travel and tourism to experience first-hand the incredible array of projects happening there.โ
WTA has partnered with tourism marketing firm Phenomena to bring the ceremony to Qatar.