The first line-up of shortlisted candidates for the International Travel & Tourism Awards (ITTAs), presented by WTM, is revealed today (Thursday 25 July).
More than 90 nominations have been shortlisted for the prestigious awards scheme, now in their second year, as the Awards will celebrate the very best of travel and tourism on a global scale. The ITTAs recognise the outstanding successes of destinations, tourist boards, private sector companies and individuals.
The winners will be announced to an audience of more than 500 leading industry figures – including Heads of Tourism and Government Ministers – during a prestigious awards ceremony at Magazine London. The brand new event space, which is located just a stone’s throw away from WTM London venue- ExCeL, offers a super modern experience with outstanding views of the City.
The ITTAs, presented by WTM and supported by the UNWTO, welcomed a selection of distinguished judges to assess the first tranche of categories, and the contenders have today been unveiled.
Expert judges were drawn from top industry organisations including, WTTC, International Airline Group (IAG), Adobe, Earth Changers, London & Partners, Euromonitor International, public relations body PRCA and the Global Wellness Institute.
The Best Destination category, introduced for 2019, saw an overwhelming response with more than 20 entries, so to enable the judges to compare the entries fairly, this category is now split into Country, City and Region, creating three separate categories.
Nicole Smart, International Travel & Tourism Awards Organiser, said: “We are amazed to see even more shortlisted entries for 2019, compared to the inaugural event last year. I feel this alone shows huge support from the industry.
“We have been delighted with both the volume and quality of the entries, with contenders entering from across the globe – from destinations as diverse as Dominca, Madhya Pradesh, Hong Kong, Brabant and Santa Monica – and they demonstrate how tourism is playing a vital role in the economies of different cities and regions.
“Our judges have been greatly impressed by the exceptional quality of entries, and those who are on the shortlist know they have reached a very high standard – they will be among the best in the world.
The first categories to have shortlists unveiled are listed below, with the second wave of remaining categories to be released soon.
Best Tourism Marketing Agency
o AM+A Marketing and Media Relations – Comms with a Cause: Connecting Communities & Transforming Perceptions
o Amadeus & German National Tourist Board – The power of German gastronomy to attract new tourists by AMADEUS
o Recovery for ReDiscovery – Resilience for Dominica by Brighter Group, a Finn Partners Company
o Digital Visitor – Best Tourism Marketing Agency by Digital Visitor
o iClick Interactive x Palazzo Versace Hotel: Expanding Brand Presence in Digital China by iClick Interactive Asia Limited
o The Postal Museum Tourism Marketing Campaign Jan 2018 – Dec 2018 by made Tourism Marketing by made
o 1841, A Creative Agency for Planet Earth by Thomas Cook Group
o VERB Interactive, Inc. by VERB Interactive
Best Destination Campaign – City
o Christmas Tree Wonderland by Bournemouth Coastal BID
o Vilnius – The g-spot of Europe. by Go Vilnius
o Liverpool 2018 by Marketing Liverpool
o Visit Dallas & Fort Worth – Activating Americanophiles by MDSG
o Only Vegas Moments by R&R Partners
Most Innovative Use of Technology Within a Destination
o Legends of Catalonia, the land of Barcelona. by Catalan Tourist Board
o Mare the Witch – Get to know Svetvincenat by Diversitas IT sustavi d.o.o.
Best Food Destination
o Position Taj 51 Buckingham Gate As The Ultimate Destination For Innovative Afternoon Teas in London by Taj 51 Buckingham Gate Suites and Residences
o Discover Hong Kong’s Food Scene Like a Local by Hong Kong Tourism Board
o Green Supply Chains by Ljubljana Tourism
o Indore – the city for foodies by Madhya Pradesh Tourism
o TastEmotion Costa Brava World Tour – The ultimate dining experience by Patronat de Turisme Girona – Costa Brava
o Santa Monica Restaurant Week 2018 by Santa Monica Travel & Tourism
Best Attraction
o Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience by Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience
o Dark Sky® Alqueva: A Star Destination by Dark Sky Association
o Les Villages Nature Paris by Groupe Pierre and Vacances
o Sengan-en, Shoko Shuseikan Museum, and Satsuma Kiriko Glassworks Renovation Project by Shimadzu Ltd
o Spike Island by Spike Island Development Company
o Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter by Warner Bros Studios
Best Destination Campaign – Region
o ‘Discover the Icehotel’ – Accord Marketing & Discover the World by Accord Marketing
o Legends of Catalonia, the land of Barcelona. by Catalan Tourist Board
o Not Winter Games by DEC BBDO
o What would you like your children to remember? by DEC BBDO
o U.S. Civil Rights Trail by LUCKIE
o Madhya Pradesh Tourism by Madhya Pradesh Tourism
o Brabant is Open by Scheepens / VisitBrabant
o “Tourism Center of Portugal – Preferred Destination” by Tourism Center of Portugal
Best in Wellness Tourism
o Navarino Challenge by Active Media
o In This Life Wellness Travel – World’s First Online Booking Site for the Independent Wellness Traveller by In This Life Wellness Travel
o Santani Resort and Spa – Best in the World by Santani Resort and Spa
o Vacayou Wellness & Active Travel by Vacayou Wellness & Active Travel
For more information on the International Travel & Tourism Awards 2019, Awards.wtm.com
– ENDS –
International Travel & Tourism Awards (ITTAs), presented by WTM London, celebrate the success of national, regional and city tourist boards and recognise outstanding private sector companies and individuals. Now in their second year, the awards will showcase the best in class of the global travel & tourism industry at the new venue, Magazine London on Tuesday 5 November 2019. https://awards.wtm.com/
About World Travel Market
World Travel Market (WTM) portfolio comprises seven leading B2B events across four continents, generating more than $7 billion of industry deals. The events are:
WTM London, the leading global event for the travel industry, is the must-attend three-day exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry. About 50,000 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international media visit ExCeL London every November, generating about £3.4 billion in travel industry contracts. http://london.wtm.com/.
Next event: Monday 4 – Wednesday 6 November 2019 – London #IdeasArriveHere
Travel Forward is the travel technology event co-located with WTM London and part of the WTM Portfolio of events. The second Travel Forward conference, exhibition and buyer programme will take place on 4–6 November 2019 at ExCeL London, showcasing next-generation technology for travel and hospitality. http://travelforward.wtm.com/.
BorderlessLive is the brand-new festival where content creators, brands and the community join each other to learn, collaborate, create, inspire and be inspired. This one-of-a-kind event is open to all who have a keen interest in social media, travel, lifestyle, hospitality and the future of influencer marketing. BorderlessLive will debut at London’s Tobacco Dock on Friday 6 and Saturday 7 September 2019. http://www.borderlesslive.com/
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Arabian Travel Market 2020 will take place in Dubai from Sunday 19 April to Wednesday 22 April 2020.
About Reed Exhibitions
Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading events business, enhancing the power of face-to-face through data and digital tools at more than 500 events a year, in more than 43 countries, attracting more than seven million participants. Reed’s events are held in the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific and Africa and organised by 41 fully staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions serves 43 industry sectors with trade and consumer events. It is part of RELX Group plc, a world-leading provider of information solutions for professional customers across industries.
About Reed Travel Exhibitions
Reed Travel Exhibitions is the world’s leading travel and tourism event’s organiser with a growing portfolio of more than 22 international travel and tourism trade events in Europe, the Americas, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Our events are market leaders in their sectors, whether they are global and regional leisure travel trade events, or specialist events for meetings, incentives, conference, events (MICE) industry, business travel, luxury travel, travel technology as well as golf, spa and ski travel. We have more than 35 years’ experience in organising world-leading travel exhibitions.
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Julia Newbound – WTM Portfolio PR Executive
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