LONDON – WTM 2012 – REPORT: Reed Travel Exhibitions Chairman World Travel Market Fiona Jeffery presented the awards to the winners at yesterday 's WTM VIP Opening & Reception Ceremony.
LONDON – WTM 2012 – REPORT: Every year, World Travel Market Global Awards are presented. The 2012 winners are: Kuoni Travel, Lorca City, Gianluca Picone, R&D Manager of the Royal Continental Hotel Naples, Pousada do Toque, Abreu Travel Agency, UTS Group, Indigo Airlines, Priceline.com, Ctrip.com International Ltd, J. Stephen Perry, President and CEO of the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau, Surjit S Babra, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of SkyLink Travel Group and Mr Selim El Zyr, co-founder, president and CEO at Rotana Group of Hotels.
Luxury and tailor made holiday specialists Kuoni Travel
Kuoni Travel has won a prestigious World Travel Market Globe Award in recognition for its level of innovation over the past 12 months.
Kuoni Travel has launched a range of new products into the market including its adventure programme ‘Discover’ and environmentally-friendly programme ‘Ananea’. It has also expanded its retail stores to 21. This level of innovation has seen the business grow by 5% in what remains a difficult market.
Furthermore, it is also struck a deal with John Lewis to open four stores within its department stores.
Jeffery said: “Kuoni Travel has always been one of the leading organisations in the UK travel industry, but over the past 12 months its level of innovation and creativity in both product development and distribution has been commendable.
“It is great to see the positive impact this level of innovation has had on its trading figures, demonstrating that if you invest correctly you will be rewarded.”
New Orleans Convention and Visitor Bureau CEO J. Stephen Perry
New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau President and CEO, J. Stephen Perry has won a prestigious World Travel Market Globe Award in recognition for his instrumental role in restoring the city as a tourism destination following the devastating Hurricane Katrina.
Perry worked tirelessly to return New Orleans to its position as an iconic tourism city through planned events, safe guarding and creating thousands of travel and tourism jobs in the process.
The city has hosted Super Bowls and Mardi Gras and its restoration appears complete with the reopening of the iconic Grand Hyatt Hotel last year.
Jeffery said: “The saying ‘the greater the challenge the greater the resolve’ was created for J. Stephen Perry. He has led and driven a professional team from the front with a number of new initiatives key to the restoration of New Orleans.
“His commitment to his beloved city is demonstrated by the fact there are now more restaurants and tourism activities in city than before Katrina struck.”
No frills airline Indigo Airlines
Indian no frills carrier Indigo Airlines has won a prestigious World Travel Market Globe Award in recognition for its contribution to the country’s travel and tourism industry over the past 12 months.
Indigo Airlines has made the most significant contribution to the Indian travel and tourism industry over the past 12 months now holding a 26% share of the domestic market by pioneering cheap fares.
Its success has been based on its operational efficiency and its low cost fares, which can often be cheaper than government-subsidised train travel.
The airline also has a comprehensive corporate social responsible agenda which sees it help the children in the country’s slums.
Jeffery said: “Indigo Airlines has only been in operation for six years yet by pioneering reliable low cost travel it is competing with the state-funded train system.
“Its CSR policy which helps the children in the Indian Slums is also worthy of praise.”
Russian tour operator UTS Group
Leading Russian Tour Operator UTS Group has won a prestigious World Travel Market Globe Award in recognition for being the first to introduce a financial guarantee for their customers.
The organisation is at the heart of raising standards in the Russian travel and tourism industry. It has established a strong and well respected education and training programme for senior staff as well as setting up international standards.
The company is always lobbying the Russian government to improve the overall sector and, what really impressed the judges, was the introduction of financial guarantees for customers.
Jeffery said: “The UTS Group only started operating in 1994 but has to be applauded for the industry-leading position it has taken in the Russian Market. The company, led by Aleksey, is at the forefront of driving up standard for the country’s industry. The education programme for staff is a great initiative but what really won the company the award was being the first to introduce customer financial protection, which is a giant leap in driving up standards and increasing trust between the industry and its customers.”
Rotana founder Selim El Zyr
Mr Selim El Zyr, co-founder, President and CEO at Rotana Group of Hotels has secured a prestigious World Travel Market Globe Award in recognition for his role in the development of the Middle Eastern tourism industry.
He co-founded Rotana Group of Hotels in 1992 as the region’s first hotel management company. It now has a portfolio of 70 properties with plans to have a property located in every key city in the Middle East and North Africa alongside international expansion.
Over the past 20 years he has been behind key innovations in the sector and region including introducing the launch of alcohol-free hotel brand Rayhaan Hotels & Resorts, business hotel brand, Centre Hotels, as well as loyalty programme ‘Rotana Rewards’ and executive club ‘Club Rotana’.
Jeffery said: Selim has played a central role in the development of tourism in the Middle East over the past 20 years with Rotana. He has been at the cutting edge of the industry developing a number of key initiatives which has seen the company grow to 70 properties employing more than 10,000 staff.”
Royal Continental Hotel green pioneer
Responsible travel pioneer Gianluca Picone, Research and Development Manager at the Royal Continental Hotel Naples has won a prestigious World Travel Market Globe Award in recognition of a project to improve the sustainability of the hotel.
Picone has overhauled the culture of the four-star hotel since launching his project in 2008. He has communicated the need to be more eco-friendly to both staff and customers through an innovative comic strip.
Naples has a major problem with waste, the innovative project introduced rules on reducing, reusing and recycling waste that have helped show the city what can be done. While the project has been such a success, it has the potential to be rolled out to the group’s other hotels.
Jeffery said: “In a challenging environment has championed the development of sustainability in hotels in one of the main hotels in Naples, and he has done so by not only promoting green efficiency to hotel staff but also to consumers through the use of a comic strip.”
Spanish city of Lorca
The Spanish city of Lorca has won a prestigious World Travel Market Globe Award in recognition for its response to an earthquake in May 2011 which took nine people’s lives and had a disastrous impact on the city’s tourism.
The city suffered a devastating 75% dropped in tourism arrivals for the summer of 2011 following the earthquake. However, the Murcia regional Government alongside the national Spanish Government are committed to restoring the city to former tourism glories and are using the earthquake as a focal tourism point with a ‘Lorca, open for restoration works’ tour of the city.
Jeffery said: “The judges were impressed with the interesting way the city is using the earthquake and its recovery as a tourism focal point. Furthermore, by rescuing and preserving the city’s cultural heritage it is able to position it in the niche sector of architecture tourism.”
Brazilian hotel accommodation resort Pousada do Toque
Brazilian accommodation resort Pousada do Toque has won a prestigious World Travel Market Globe Award in recognition for its commitment to customer service and positive impact on the local community.
Italian chef Burgarelli fell in love with the Sao Miguel Dos Milagres in the north east of Brazil and built the rustic bungalow accommodation in perfect keeping with the beautiful beach it sits in front. The accommodation has generated jobs for the local community, and is committed to preserving the environment.
He has won many awards including the title of Cond Nast Best Beach Hotel in South America.
Jeffery said: “Nilo’s commitment to building an environmental-friendly accommodation complex which complements and looks after the local environment deserves to be rewarded.
“The Pousada do Toque is also committed to training and developing its local people, traditionally farmers and fisherman, how to work in a luxury accommodation complex.”
Chinese online agency Ctrip.com
The Chinese online agency Ctrip.com has won a prestigious World Travel Market Globe Award in recognition for its contribution to the country’s travel and tourism industry over the past 12 months.
Ctrip has made the most significant contribution to the Chinese travel and tourism industry over the past 12 months and has experienced substantial growth since being launched in 1999. It aims to provide customers with the most comprehensive travel service available; initiatives include one-hour express ticketing and natural disaster insurance. It is this commitment to the customer that has established a higher standard of travel service in China.
Jeffery said: “The Chinese travel and tourism industry has boomed over recent years and Ctip.com has been at the heart of this. It commitment to the customer has been central in raising the overall standards and practices of the country’s industry.”
SkyLink Travel Group founder Surjit Babra
Skylink Travel Group Founder, Chairman and CEO Surjit Babra has won a prestigious World Travel Market Globe Award in recognition for his charity work in his adopted Canada and around the world.
The impact of Babra’s work and philanthropy can be felt around the world specifically in Canada, his adopted homeland, where he regularly supports children’s charities and hospital and youth organizations.
He also helps some of the world’s most vulnerable or developing areas. For example, SkyLink continually provides funds to oneprosper.org for drip irrigation farming in India as well as contributes to and supports charities that rescue young women from street life in India. Internationally, SkyLink has made donations of medicines, equipment, relief funds, food, supplies and more to the following countries after war, natural disaster, political strife, and times of great need: Georgia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Maldives, India, Palestine, Iraq, Mauritius, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Chad, Sudan, North Korea, Afghanistan, Ivory Coast, Italy, Samoa, Vietnam, Haiti, Moldova and Uganda, Kyrgyzstan.
Jeffery said: “Surjit has dedicated his business and life to humanitarian efforts since the early 1990s, this commitment to those people around the world less fortunate than himself deserves recognition.
“His charitable giving and philanthropic efforts is a life-long venture, not a one time project.”
Abreu Travel Agency
Abreu Travel Agency has won a prestigious World Travel Market Globe Award in recognition of its organisation of World Abreu, an annual consumer fair of travel and tourism, now in its tenth year.
The two day World Abreu Fair attracted more than 117,500 visitors, with 85 international destinations represented by 450 exhibitors. This business-to-consumer event has shown strong growth year-on-year, and is regarded as one of the most important travel exhibitions in Portugal. Sales generated from the fair are responsible for around 40% of the yearly income of Abreu due to early bookings, and many of the charter operations to international destinations have been made possible by contacts made at the event.
Abreu Travel Agency, established in 1840, is one of the oldest travel agencies in the world, and has been in the same family since the beginning. The company has consistently reinvented itself with new ideas and product offerings, becoming a leading player for long haul destinations, especially within the Latin American market.
Jeffery said: “Even though they are one of the oldest family owned companies in the world, they show a youthful determination to come up with new ideas and products.”
“They reinvent themselves through new marketing and communications, and are the leading players in long haul markets, not only in Portugal, but in Europe as well.”
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