• TravelBizNews > News > Travel Conference /Marts / MICE News > Leading travel brands awarded at the World Travel Awards 2012

    Leading travel brands awarded at the World Travel Awards 2012

    September 21, 2012
    Travel Conference /Marts / MICE News
    Leading travel brands awarded at the World Travel Awards 2012

    Africa’s leading travel brands have been awarded at the World Travel Awards (WTA) 2012, recognising travel brands that have made the greatest contribution to the industry in quality, innovation and service, over the past year.Topping their field were South African Airways, Abercrombie & Kent, andBeyond, Avis, Travel with Flair and Mantis Collection.

    Morocco was acknowledged as a stronghold in the tourism industry with the the ancient medina of Marrakech beating tough competition from the likes of the Kalahari Desert (Namibia), Kruger National Park (South Africa), Mt. Kilimanjaro (Tanzania) and Cape Town (South Africa) to win the coveted title of “Africa’s Leading Destination”.

    Sharing in the awards were nations across the continent, with Hilton Cairo Zamalek Residences (Egypt) voted “Africa’s Leading New Hotel” and Magical Kenya was named “Africa’s Leading Tourist Board”.

    South Africa stacked up on accolades, with notable wins including Saxon Boutique Hotel, Villas & Spa (“Africa’s Leading Luxury Hotel”), The Blue Train (“Africa’s Leading Luxury Train”), Ellerman House & Villa (Africa’s Leading Luxury Villa), Fairmont Zimbali (“Africa’s Leading Tourism Development Project”) and Shamwari Game Reserve (“Africa’s Leading Safari Lodge”).

    WTA president and founder Graham E. Cooke said the winners are drawn from the breadth of Africa, reflecting how the outstanding natural attractions of the continent are being complimented with a growing portfolio of luxury facilities.

    Similarly,leading travel brands from across the region have shared top honours at the World Travel Awards (WTA) Caribbean & The Americas Gala Ceremony 2012 hosted at Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa .A packed delegation of VIPs, senior tourism figures and international media travelled from more than 30 nations to attend the event, which was supported by Turks & Caicos Tourist Board and Scotiabank.

    St Lucia won the coveted title of “Caribbean’s Leading Honeymoon Destination”, Coco Reef Resort (Tobago) picked up “Caribbean’s Leading Hotel”, while Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island (British Virgin Islands) was voted “Caribbean Leading Private Island”.

    Buccament Bay Spa & Resort (St Vincent) nudged ahead of The Hotel Chocolat (St Lucia), Hotel Riu Palace Bavaro (Dominican Republic), The Magdalena Grand Beach Resort (Tobago) and Cofresi Palm Beach & Spa Resort (Dominican Republic) to win “Caribbean’s Leading New Hotel”.Jamaica’s continuing rise up the global tourism order was acknowledged after it was named “Caribbean’s Leading Destination”.

    In North America, Las Vegas saw off competition from New York, Miami, San Francisco, Montreal and Vancouver to win the coveted title of “North America’s Leading Destination”.New York won the “North America’s Leading City Break Destination” title, while American Airlines was voted “North America’s Leading Airline”.

    Meanwhile, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) was voted “South America’s Leading Destination”, beating off stiff competition from the likes of Easter Island (Chile), Galapagos Islands (Ecuador) and Machu Picchu (Peru).

    The WTA awards programme, 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.WTA president Graham Cooke underlined the depth and quality of the travel and tourism sector across the region.

    Other WTA Grand Tour 2012 regional heats include Dubai (UAE), Algarve (Portugal), and Singapore.The winners of these legs will go head-to-head in WTA’s Grand Final, which takes place at The Oberoi, Gurgaon on December 12th 2012.

    WTA was launched in 1993 to acknowledge and recognise excellence in the global travel and tourism industry.Now celebrating its 19th anniversary, it is regarded as the very highest achievement that a travel product could hope to receive.

    WTA’s global media partner network includes International Herald Tribune, CNBC Arabiya, Newsweek, ASTA Network, National Geographic Traveller, Access New York, Travel & Leisure China, Khaleej Times, Trade Arabia, TTN, Trav Talk India, Publituris, ABTA Magazine, Outlook Traveller, Breaking Travel News, eTurboNews and Travel Daily News International.This global media partner network has a monthly readership of 1.7 million and a TV audience reach of 90 million. Source: World Travel Awards

    Other News

    • Connecting you with the world of travel and tourism

      Theme Park Expo Vietnam 2025

      Asia Pool & Spa Expo , May 10 – 12, 2025 , Guangzhou , China

      KAZAKHSTAN International Exhibition “Tourism & Travel” Almaty, Kazakhstan

      CHINA- Beyond your imagination

      Gulf Cooperation Council Tourism 

      Dubai – As tourism destinations in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) continue to grow, involving local communities in destination development has become increasingly vital for long-term success.

      Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Strategy 2030 aims for 39.3 million visitors per year, while Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 targets 150 million domestic and international visits, emphasising how tourism is being established as a key element of economic diversification throughout the region.

      At Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2025, industry leaders emphasised that sustainable revitalisation of destinations must align tourism investments with community partnerships, cultural authenticity, and immersive guest experiences to provide lasting value for both residents and visitors.

      During the session on “Considerations and Implications of Involving Communities in Destination Revitalisation” on the ATM 2025 Global Stage, experts shared insights into building resilience, enhancing local prosperity, and ensuring tourism growth is both inclusive and enduring.

      Arabian Travel Market 2025, held under the theme “Global Travel: Developing Tomorrow’s Tourism Through Enhanced Connectivity”,  featured more than 200 speakers across three content stages and welcomes over 55,000 travel professionals from 166 countries.

      Messe Berlin India launched 

      to drive growth of ITB India 

      Messe Berlin announces the official launch of Messe Berlin India, a newly incorporated subsidiary that underscores the company’s long-term commitment to one of Asia’s fastest-growing markets. Headquartered in Delhi , the new entity will serve as a strategic base for expanding ITB India and launching future projects tailored to the Indian market. With this establishment, Messe Berlin is reinforcing its vision of India as a regional hub for innovation, collaboration, and sustainable business growth within the exhibition and events industry.

      “Messe Berlin’s presence in India reflects our strategic intent to strengthen our international reach by being where the growth is. India is a key market for us — vibrant, diverse, and full of opportunities. With Messe Berlin India, we are laying down long-term foundations to build strong partnerships, support local industries, and elevate our global platforms,” said Dr. Mario Tobias, CEO, Messe Berlin.

      ITB India, inaugurated in 2023, continues as the flagship event under the new subsidiary. Held annually, ITB India is a three-day B2B travel trade show and convention that connects the global travel and tourism industry with the Indian market. Alongside MICE Show India, Travel Tech India, and the ITB India Conference, ITB India serves as a unique platform to forge new partnerships, strengthen existing ties, and capitalize on the fast-growing potential of the Indian and South Asian travel economies. The show hosts key players from the MICE, Leisure, Corporate Travel, and Travel Technology sectors. The upcoming edition, ITB India 2025, will take place from 2 – 4 September 2025  in Mumbai.

      FACTS —

      Tourism helps in:

      👉Reducing poverty

      👉Reducing Inequalities

      👉Promoting gender equality

      👉Fostering decent work and economic growth

      World Tourism Day 2021: ‘Tourism for Inclusive Growth’

      In 2019, Travel & Tourism’s direct, indirect and induced impact accounted for:
      -US$8.9 trillion contribution to the world’s GDP
      -10.3% of global GDP
      -330 million jobs, 1 in 10 jobs around the world
      -US$1.7 trillion visitor exports (6.8% of total exports,
      28.3% of global services exports)
      -US$948 billion capital investment (4.3% of total
      investment)

      Best Tourism Villages 2024

      ” Nihao ! China ” Silk Road Tourism