The iconic Gulf Hotel Bahrain has won a prestigious World Travel Market 2014 World Travel Leaders Award in recognition of its consistently excellent service over the last 45 years.
The coveted accolade was presented today by Travel & Tourism News Middle East Publishing Director, Ms Kim Thomson to Gulf Hotels Group Chairman Farouk Almoayyed and Chief Executive Officer and Board Member Aqeel Raees at the WTM World Travel Leaders Award ceremony.
The Awards give WTM’s Official Media Partners – which represent key travel industry media around the world – an excellent platform to congratulate and recognise those companies and individuals that have made the greatest contributions to travel and tourism in their region or sector.
Three nominations from each of WTM’s media partners were judged in September by a panel of three, consisting of an independent body, a representative of WTM and the relevant media partner.
The Gulf Hotel Bahrain opened in 1969 as Bahrain’s first five-star hotel with 130 bedrooms and a couple of food and beverage outlets.
The hotel has moved with the times and has changed beyond all recognition. Today, the property consists of 359 bedrooms, 97 luxury apartments, nine award-winning, fine dining restaurants and 29 conference and meeting venues, including the 2,200 seat Gulf Convention Centre.
The continued evolution of the hotel has enabled it to maintain its leading position in the five-star market and despite intensive competition from numerous chain hotels, the Gulf Hotel continues to remain popular and competitive.
Over its 45 years in operation, the hotel has greeted an estimated 16 million guests and has been at the forefront of promoting the employment of Bahraini nationals in the hotel industry. It was the first five-star property to appoint a Bahraini general manager back in 1980.
Reed Travel Exhibitions, Senior Director, World Travel Market, Simon Press said: “The Gulf Hotel and Gulf Convention Centre established itself as Bahrain’s original five-star hotel when it opened its doors in October 1969. Today, the hotel has secured its presence as the Kingdom’s first and most luxurious property, providing exceptional service and outstanding quality standards for over 40 years.”
Every year, World Travel Leaders Awards are presented at WTM. The full list of 2014 winners is:
Brazil: Eduardo Nascimento, President of Nascimento Turismo Operadora
China: James Liang, Chairman and CEO of Ctrip.com
India: Jehangir Katgara, Chairman & Managing Director of TBI Trail Blazer Tours India Private Limited
Italy: Venetian Villas
Portugal: André Jordan, Founder of the André Jordan Group
Russia: Association of Tour Operators
Spain: Turespaña
Travolution/technology: David Speakman, Chairman, Travel Counsellors
UK: EasyJet
Middle East: The Gulf Hotel Bahrain
USA: Roger Dow, CEO, US Travel
Canada: Air Canada
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About World Travel Market
World Travel Market, the leading global event for the travel industry, is the must-attend four-day business-to-business exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry.
More than 50,000 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international press, embark on ExCeL – London every November to network, negotiate and discover the latest industry opinion and trends at WTM.
WTM, now in its 35th year, is the event where the travel industry conducts and concludes its deals.
WTM 2013 generated more than £2 billion of travel industry contracts, revealed independent research by Fusion Communications.
WTM is owned by the world’s leading events organiser Reed Exhibitions (RE), which organises a other portfolio’s of travel industry events including IBTM Events, the world’s leading showcases for the meetings and events industry and International Luxury Travel Market events.
In 2013, RE held more than 500 events in 40 countries bringing together more than six million people from around the world generating billions of dollars in business.
Reed Exhibitions
Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE) is the world’s leading provider of exhibitions in the travel and tourism industry, with a wide-ranging portfolio of 21 international events in 14 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa.
Its market-leading, business-to-business events cover all elements of travel and tourism, including leisure travel, luxury travel, meetings, events, incentives and business travel, as well as golf, ski and spa travel.
RTE is part of Reed Exhibitions.
www.reedtravelexhibitions.com