THE World Travel Awards (WTA) is set to kick off its 2011 Grand Tour with the Middle East Gala Ceremony, taking place at Armani Hotel Dubai on May 2.
Hailed as the ‘Oscars of the travel industry’ by the Wall Street Journal, more than 400 senior industry figures from the region’s leading travel and tourism companies, as well as a host of international media, will be in attendance.
A total of 462 Middle Eastern hotels and travel companies have been nominated for the prestigious event in 2011, with a WTA trophy becoming an increasingly important accolade for those companies wanting to stand out from competitors.
World Travel Awards will show the strength of its support for the recovery of the regional tourism sector with its fifth consecutive annual gala in the region.
It is vital to remind travellers the situation in several key markets – including Tunisia and Egypt - has returned to normal, with major tourism sites open to the public, airlines running to schedule and tour operators in source markets selling trips.
According to UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organisation) figures, Egypt alone reported 14 million international tourist arrivals in 2010, an increase of 17 per cent on the previous year, while Tunisia saw seven million arrivals.
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Both destinations are expected to grow again in 2011.
Graham Cooke, president and founder of the World Travel Awards, said: “The region has shown remarkable resilience to overcome the challenges of recent times, with an exceptional focus on excellent customer service and facilities that are simply second to none.
“These are difficult times but tourism remains strong in some countries and it will continue to be important for the region. Our job is as always to highlight the positive impact of tourism and this year’s event will be even more important than ever for obvious reasons.”
Marc Dardenne, CEO Emaar Hospitality Group, said: “It is an honour to host the opening of the World Travel Awards 2011 Grand Tour in Armani Hotel Dubai, an iconic development which underscores the remarkable strides the Middle East region has made in the hospitality sector. The property has set new benchmarks in global luxury hospitality and will offer participants an unparalleled experience.”
The Middle East event kicks off the 2011 Grand Tour, with regional ceremonies following in Jamaica, Turkey, Egypt and Thailand. Winners from the regional events will then go on to battle it out to be crowned the world’s ‘best’ at the Grand Final ceremony at the end of the year.