Now in its sixteenth year, the World Travel Awards continues to acknowledge and celebrate excellence in the travel and tourism industry. As the world’s most comprehensive travel awards ceremony, votes are cast by travel professionals from more than 160 countries around the world.

"We are very proud that Amadeus has once again been named as the World’s leading CRS/GDS in 2009," said David Brett, President, Amadeus Asia Pacific. "This award recognises that our technology is second to none, and our commitment to the industry remains stronger than ever."

"Amadeus processes more bookings globally and in Asia Pacific than any other distribution system, and this award further acknowledges of our leadership position. We are proud to provide technology that drives the industry’s success, particularly as we emerge from a challenging year and focus on growth in 2010," said Brett.

Despite the slump in regional travel due to the depressed global economy, Amadeus has performed strongly in Asia Pacific in 2009. The number of APAC travel agencies using Amadeus to process their reservations increased to 19,500 and new content partnerships were formed with a number of APAC airlines including AirAsia, SEAir and Zest Airways. Amadeus also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Thai Airways, who is assessing the Amadeus Altea Customer Management System (CMS). This industry-leading technology enables airlines to streamline end-to-end processes, leading to shortened waiting times at the airport, more efficient baggage handling and offers more customer service options such as Web, kiosk and mobile check-ins.

Amadeus announced a milestone agreement with AirAsia in September to implement Amadeus Ticketless Access - a breakthrough solution that allows real-time fare and flight information from the Low Cost Carrier (LCC) to be displayed alongside that of full-service airlines, on a travel agent’s Amadeus screen. Amadeus also launched the Amadeus Affinity Shopper, an industry-first solution that enables travellers to shop by budget or their desired travel experience on an airline website.