.jpg)
THE resilience of Egypt’s travel and tourism industry was acknowledged during the African & Indian Ocean ceremony of the World Travel Awards (WTA).
Winners included the Pyramids of Giza, which beat off stiff competition from Victoria Falls, Serengeti National Park and Mount Kilimanjaro to win Africa’s Leading Attraction. Meanwhile Egypt Air collected Africa’s Leading Business Class Airline and Sierra Resort Sharm el Sheikh was voted Egypt’s Leading All-inclusive Resort.
Sonesta Nile Cruises, which operates six ships, took the award for Leading River Cruise Company for the second consecutive year.
Other blue riband winners included Cape Town, voted Africa’s Leading Destination, Abercrombie & Kent, winning Africa’s Leading Luxury Tour Operator, and Saxon Boutique Hotel & Spa, South Africa named Africa’s Leading Boutique Hotel.
Meanwhile Sonava Gili was the Indian Ocean’s Leading Luxury Resort and the Maldives picked up Indian Ocean’s Leading Honeymoon Destination.
WTA president and founder Graham Cooke highlighted travel and tourism’s crucial role in Egypt’s new era of democracy and opportunity saying: “Egypt is proving a textbook example of world-class destinations demonstrating an incredible ability to bounce back. Its phenomenal array of attractions – from the Pyramids of Giza and the temples of Luxor to the diving and beaches of Sharm El Sheikh – will ensure that tourism remains integral to the evolution of the new Egypt.”
The WTA ceremony was followed by Egypt hosting the United Nations World Tourism Organisation’s World Tourism Day, which was to celebrated in the city of Aswan on September 27.
And at the Europe WTA ceremony, at the Cornelia Diamond Golf Resort & Spa in Antalya, Turkey, the travel brands that have demonstrated greatest strength amid global economic uncertainty emerged victorious.
More than 500 organisations across Europe, spanning more than 125 categories, entered the competition for the most influential accolade in travel.
Lufthansa was one of the big stars on the night, walking off with the blue riband category Europe’s Leading Airline, while Le Bristol Paris was voted Europe’s Leading Hotel, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts won Europe’s Leading Hotel Brand, Cornelia Diamond Golf Resort & Spa was named Europe’s Leading Luxury Resort and Dubrovnik Palace Hotel, Conference Centre and Spa picked up Europe’s Leading Resort.
Turkey in particular enjoyed a large share of the evening’s honours, reflecting its role as one of the few tourism success stories of the global downturn. Home-grown winners included Istanbul for Europe’s Leading City Break Destination and the Turkish Ministry of Culture & Tourism for Europe’s Leading Tourist Board.
The industry’s elite including CEOs of leading travel companies, government ministers and tourist board chiefs attended the gala event, which was headlined by Turkish pop sensation Aydan Kaya and violin rock supremos, Fuse.