Taking place at London’s highest viewing platform at the top of the tallest building in Western Europe, The View from The Shard, the awards revealed the results of the public and panel votes which saw over 26,000 recorded across the 18 categories.
Family Traveller magazine and familytraveller.com, the UK’s first and only media business dedicated to family holidays, tonight announced the winners for its inaugural Family Traveller Awards 2015, in association with Family and Friends Railcard and Efteling Theme Park, at a ceremony hosted at The View from The Shard.
Fronted by BAFTA award winning presenter Katy Hill, the awards recognised the very best in family travel including mould-breaking operators, providers and destinations from the UK and across the world.
Taking place at London’s highest viewing platform at the top of the tallest building in Western Europe, The View from The Shard, the awards revealed the results of the public and panel votes which saw over 26,000 recorded across the 18 categories.
The panel was made up of Family Traveller Columnists Simon Reeve and Mariella Frostrup, Family Traveller Editor Jane Anderson, The Times Travel Editor Jane Knight and Elle’s Travel and Lifestyle Director Sue Ward Davies.
Once the public and reader votes were cast (with one overall “vote” being awarded to most nominated business or place in each category), it was down to the expert panel to add their votes to the mix, with each of the five judges being given an additional vote. These scores were then tallied to create the final results.
The 18 award winners are:
- Best UK Day Out for Families: Warwick Castle
- Best Family Festival: Camp Bestival
- Awesome for Families Award: Trunki
- Best Family Ferry Operator: Brittany Ferries
- Best Family Cruise Line: P&O Cruises
- Best Family Airline: Virgin Atlantic
- Best Family Eco Holiday: Reef and Rainforest Tours
- Best Family Educational Holiday: Wilderness Safaris
- Best Family Ski Operator: Peak Retreats
- Best Family Tour Operator: Family Adventure Company
- Best UK Accommodation for Families: Bedruthan Steps Hotel, Cornwall
- Best Short-Haul Accommodation for Families: Martinhal, Algarve
- Best Long-Haul Accommodation for Families: Soneva Fushi, Maldives
- Best European City Break for Families: Rome
- Best City Break for Families – Outside of Europe: New York City
- Best Destination for Families – Domestic: Isles Of Scilly
- Best Destination for Families – Short Haul: Ibiza
- Best Destination for Families – Long Haul: Mauritius
Andrew Dent, Publisher of Family Traveller magazine, said: “We are thrilled with the response to our inaugural awards, both from the travel business and from the public. Over 2,200 family travel companies and brands were nominated in June and over 26,000 public votes were then made, showing just how engaged our readers are and how passionate people are about family holidays.
“The response emphasises the importance of the family travel sector and we hope that the winners, and those highly commended, are as proud of their awards as we are to have named them at our first ever Family Traveller Awards.”
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
