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Thursday 4 December 2008

Top of the World: World Travel Awards 2008


Leading travel brands and companies scooped the world’s highest global honours at the World Travel Awards final in Turks & Caicos on 2 December.

Qatar Airways took the World's Leading Business Class, Lufthansa was named as the World's Leading Economy Class Airline and Air Berlin was awarded World's Leading Budget/No Frills Airline.

Dubai was both the World's Leading Destination and the World's Leading Cruise Port.

Dubai's Burj Al Arab was the World's Leading Hotel

Singapore also did well with the Pan Pacific Hotel, Singapore talking the World's Leading Business Hotel.

Aitutaki, a secluded ultra-luxury Pacific hideaway in the Cook Islands has won the World’s Leading Boutique Island Resort for the third time.

Avis were the World's Leading Business Car Rental Company and Europcar, the World's Leading Leisure Car Rental Company.

UK operators swept the board with Kuoni taking the taking the title of World's Leading Operator, Abercrombie & Kent the World's Leading Luxury Tour Operator and Tribes Travel, the World's Leading Green Tour Operator. Eurostar won the title of the World's Leading Rail Service.

The award presentation was the culmination of the 2008 World Travel Awards Grand Tour of regional ceremonies which have taken place during the year in Australia, Africa, Central America, China, North America, Europe, China and Middle East.

"Nothing can compare with winning one of the World Travel Awards", said Graham E. Cooke, president and founder. "Its quite simply the highest accolade any location or travel company can ever hope to achieve and says more about them than any brochure can communicate, any picture can mirror, any personal testimonial can express."

"Many of the winners have enjoyed success before, demonstrating their total commitment to excellence in every aspect of their offering. They are a true example to the international travel industry, a leader on a world stage."

Cooke explained that winning a World Travel Award had direct commercial benefits for recipients. "Consumers are more sophisticated and well travelled than ever before", he said. “They are demanding, discerning and have high expectations.

"Growing numbers of vacationers around the world seeking good value and quality are now making a point of checking to see who has won the World Travel Awards before making their own holiday choice."

Voting came from 167,000 travel professionals worldwide. Aim of World Travel Awards, established 15 years ago, is to ensure that brands exceed expectations in many ways.

"There are a number of key factors that transform a well-run company into an excellent one and these are recognised, encouraged and underlined in the World Travel Awards", said Cooke.

Winners are judged on their ability, for example, to understand visitor needs and expectations; maximise business performance; value personnel; undertake enterprising product expansion and development; foster innovation and creativity as well as work together as a team externally and internally.

Log on to www.worldtravelawards.com for a full list of winners.

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