Singapore ready to roll out the red carpet for travel Oscars

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

The red-carpet event takes place at InterContinental Singapore on Thursday, October 18, 2012. Hundreds of senior travel decision-makers from across the region will be attending 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 program.

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 organizers highlight the significance of hosting its first ever ceremony in Singapore.

Graham E. Cooke, President & Founder, WTA, 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 maximize the tourism potential of the region. WTA will offer these senior decision-makers a unique opportunity to savor and celebrate their achievements of the past year with their industry peers. I look forward to finding out which organizations will make it on to the winner’s podium on October 18.”

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

Andrew Phua, Director, Exhibitions & Conferences, Singapore Tourism Board, said: “Singapore is honored to partner World Travel Awards to host the prestigious Asia, Australasia & Indian Ocean Ceremony 2012. In recognizing 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 includes regional heats in Dubai, Singapore, 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 12, 2012.