French West Indies winners announced at the 2006 World Travel Awards
The best in Guadeloupe, Martinique, St Martin and St Barts announced
Turks & Caicos (September 2006) – The World Travel Awards (WTA) has announced the results of one of the world’s most comprehensive travel trade polls of its kind at a gala ceremony in Turks and Caicos. This year saw nearly 50 new elements enter the awards, boosting the number of categories for the tourism industry to 791.
The Turks and Caicos took the title of “World’s Leading Beach” and “World’s Leading Island Destination,” a fitting accolade since the Caribbean destination hosted the gala ceremony of the World Travel Awards.
“It’s a great location and the Turks and Caicos has visionary leadership, with Premier Michael Misick at the helm,” says Graham Cooke, president of the World Travel Awards. “In the 30 years I’ve been in this business, I’ve never met a leader so committed to investing in the travel industry. There are very few heads of state who lead their government and the ministry for tourism, yet Premier Misick is one of them.”
The awards have recently been hailed as the “travel industry’s equivalent to the Oscars,” by the Wall Street Journal newspaper. A number of media reports have also described it “as the most comprehensive and the most prestigious awards program in the global travel industry.”
A total of 165,000 travel agencies and professionals in more than 140 countries worldwide have been asked to vote for their leading travel destinations, airlines, hotels and companies around the world. The awards account for all sectors of the global travel industry.
Winners for the French West Indies include the following:
Guadeloupe’s Leading Hotel – La Cocoteraie
Martinique’s Leading Hotel – Hotel Cap Est Lagoon Resort & Spa
St Martin’s Leading Hotel – La Samanna
St Martin’s Leading Resort – La Samanna
St Martin’s Leading Spa Resort – La Samanna
St Barts’ Leading Hotel – Hotel Guanahani
Winners for the Caribbean region include the following:
Caribbean’s Leading Destination – Jamaica
Caribbean’s Leading Cruise Destination – Jamaica
Caribbean’s Leading Hotel – Coco Reef Resort, Tobago
Caribbean’s Leading Hotel Brand – Sandals Resorts International
Caribbean’s Leading Boutique Hotel – Point Grace, Turks & Caicos
Caribbean’s Leading Villa Hotel – Round Hill Hotel & Villas, Jamaica
Caribbean’s Leading Resort – Royal Plantation Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Caribbean’s Leading Spa Resort – Sandals Regency St Lucia Golf Resort & Spa at La Toc
Caribbean’s Leading Golf Resort – Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic
Caribbean’s Leading Casino Resort – Atlantis Paradise Island Resort, Nassau, The Bahamas
Caribbean’s Leading Family All Inclusive – Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort & Spa
Caribbean’s Leading Conference Centre – Sherbourne Conference Centre, Barbados
Caribbean’s Leading Conference Hotel – Half Moon, Montego Bay, Jamaica
Caribbean’s Leading Airline – Air Jamaica
Caribbean’s Leading Business Class Airline – Air Jamaica
Caribbean’s Leading Airport – Piarco International Airport, Trinidad
Caribbean’s Leading Car Hire – Europcar
Caribbean’s Leading Tourist & Convention Bureau – Jamaica Tourist Board
Additionally, Caribbean-related winners in the world category include the following:
World’s Leading Beach – Providenciales, Turks & Caicos
World’s Leading All-Inclusive Company – Sandals Resorts International
World’s Leading Ecotourism Destination – Tobago Main Ridge Rain Forest
World’s Leading Family All-Inclusive – Beaches Resorts
World’s Leading Honeymoon Destination – St. Lucia
World’s Most Romantic Resort – Sandals Grande Antigua Resort & Spa
World’s Leading Hotel Brand – InterContinental Hotels & Resorts
World’s Leading Sports Resort – Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic
World’s Leading Villas – Round Hill Hotel & Villas, Jamaica
World’s Leading Cruise Destination – Jamaica
World’s Leading Cruise Line – Royal Caribbean International
World’s Leading Luxury Cruise Line – Regent Seven Seas Cruises
World’s Leading Cruise Operator – Star Clippers
World’s Leading Cruise Ship – Cunard “QM2”
World’s Leading Airline – British Airways
Voting started in May of this year and ended in September. During this five-month period 3,600 different nominations competed, with more than two million individual voting decisions completed, returned and processed using the online voting form.
“Since founding the World Travel Awards in 1993, we have seen a growing sophistication in the travel and tourism trade and increased competition. Yet our winners have always been at the forefront of this process with their initiatives and products,” says Cooke.
“Voted for independently by travel professionals worldwide, our award winners are having a major impact and influence on the world’s travel and tourism industry. They are the true innovators and benchmarks for our trade, especially in the areas of customer service, technology, operational efficiency, product offering and style,” explains Cooke.
For more information on the lodgings listed above, see their accommodation listings under their respective countries at www.caribbean.com.
Disclaimer: The information in this article/release was accurate at
press time; however, we suggest you confirm all details and prices
directly with vendors.
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