As the XIX Commonwealth Games drew to a close, India also stole the show at this year’s World Travel Awards Asia & Australasia Ceremony in Delhi.

The industry’s elite – including CEOs and directors of leading travel companies, government ministers and tourist board chiefs – all gathered to see who would be crowned the best of the best during the most important evening of the year in the Asian tourism calendar.

Despite the controversy surrounding the build-up to the Commonwealth Games, India has proven its credentials as a top travel destination, taking away the title of “Asia’s Leading Destination”.

Other big wins for the region include “Asia’s Leading Hotel” and “Asia’s Leading Luxury Hotel” for the Trident Gurgaon; “Asia’s Leading Resort” for The Leela Kempinski Kovalam Beach Kerala, Oberoi Hotels & Resorts won the award for “Asia’s Leading Hotel Brand”; while Incredible India picked up “Asia’s Leading Tourist Board”.

(India’s Sadhya Dance Troupe open the World Travel Awards 2010 Asia & Australasia Ceremony)

With Asia leading the world out of recession, several key brands were rewarded for their extraordinary efforts, including Malaysia Airlines, which was voted “Asia’s Leading Airline” and “Asia’s Leading Airline Business Class”.

Shanghai won the award for “Asia’s Leading Meetings & Conference Destination”, Avis received the trophy for “Asia’s Leading Car Hire”, Cox & Kings were awarded “India’s Leading Destination Management Company”.

The Pan Pacific Singapore won the trophy for “Asia’s Leading Business Hotel”, while Swissôtel was crowned “Asia’s Leading Business Hotel Brand”.

The arrival of several new properties over the past years has raised the Asian hospitality bar even higher. Of these, Sheraton Incheon Hotel, South Korea received the award for “Asia’s Leading New Hotel” while Resorts World Sentosa picked up “Asia’s Leading New Resort”.

The luxury market also revealed some strong contenders, with China’s Fuchun Resort winning “Asia’s Leading Luxury Golf Resort”, while Raffles Group picked up “Asia’s Leading Luxury Hotel Brand”.

Read full article at Source: BreakingTravelNews

India on Friday won three prestigious awards at the international travel mart in Macau for its rural and eco-tourism projects, an official said here. At a glittering function organised by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Travel Mart, the tourism ministry bagged the PATA Grand Award and two PATA Gold Awards, the official said.

PATA, founded in 1951, is a non-profit membership association and works for building responsible development of the Asia Pacific travel and tourism industry.

While the PATA Grand Award was given under the heritage category for the Rural Tourism Project at Hodka village in Gujarat's Kutch district, the two other awards were given to the ministry for marketing its products in an innovative manner.

About the Gujarat project, the organisers said: "The scale of this project is very welcome and could have major positive impacts on the community." 

The rural tourism project is owned and operated by the Village Tourism Committee of the people of Hodka village. A rural resort, which boasts of totally modernised facilities, it is surrounded by the natural beauty of Kutch.

Art, craft and textiles made by the villagers is sold to customers, thus providing a livelihood to the villagers.

While the first marketing award was for promoting various destinations in India, the other was for creating a buzz about eco-tourism products.

Every year, the PATA Travel Mart gathers tourism stakeholders from around the world to network and seek business opportunities.

PATA's membership boasts more than 100 government, state and city tourism bodies, over 50 airlines and cruise lines, and hundreds of travel industry companies.

Around 1,000 delegates from across the world congregated for the three-day event. The Indian delegation was led by Tourism Secretary R.H. Khwaja.

The PATA Travel Mart 2011 will be held in Delhi in September, the official added.

Source: HindustanTimes

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