Finest in Caribbean and the Americas to reap rewards in Turks & Caicos

28 August 2012 - London, England

The most successful travel brands in the Caribbean and the Americas are set to be acknowledged at a red-carpet ceremony hosted by World Travel Awards (WTA) at Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa on Friday 14 September 2012.

Key categories to watch at WTA’s Caribbean & The Americas Ceremony include “Caribbean’s Leading Hotel”, with Eden Rock (St Barts), Jumby Bay (Antigua), Half Moon (Jamaica), Parrot Cay (Turks & Caicos) and Sandy Lane (Barbados) among the hot contenders.

Meanwhile the likes of Las Vegas, Miami, Maui, San Francisco and New York go head-to-head for the coveted title of “North America’s Leading Destination”, whilst Bahia (Brazil), Easter Island (Chile), Galapagos Islands (Ecuador), Machu Picchu (Peru) and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) are among the hot contenders for “South America’s Leading Destination”.

Hundreds of senior travel decision-makers from across the Caribbean and Americas are scheduled to attend the gala evening, which will include a gourmet dinner, top entertainment, as well as the presentation of the prestigious awards.

The evening will serve as a glittering spotlight for Turks & Caicos. The paradise nation is entering an exciting new chapter in its history, with tourism poised to play an even greater role in its economic evolution.

The WTA awards programme, hailed as the ‘Oscars of the travel industry’ by the global media, highlights and rewards those travel brands that have made the greatest contribution to the industry over the past year.

After a fierce round of voting featuring more than 1,000 organisations, the nominees have been whittled down to the elite few.

Graham E. Cooke, President & Founder, WTA, says: “Travel and tourism is the lifeblood of the Caribbean economy, and the sector has demonstrated remarkable resilience, given the challenges faced by the key source markets. Our nominees represent those organisations that have made the greatest contribution to the performance of the region in the face of adversity, and I look forward to finding out which ones will make it on to the winner’s podium on 14th September.”

Gordon “Butch” Stewart, Chairman of Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts, is pleased to host this year’s World Travel Awards Caribbean and Americas Gala ceremony at Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa.

“Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts strive to offer the best product and experience for our customers, and we are delighted to be in the company of those in the travel industry who share these values,” Stewart said. “We are thrilled to be in the Turks & Caicos Islands showcasing our first-class services and amenities, which are key in creating luxury vacations.”

Ralph Higgs, Director of Tourism, Turks & Caicos Tourist Board, says: “The Turks and Caicos Islands is an economy driven by tourism and as the host country of these prestigious awards, we are delighted that our country, our people and our culture will be on display for the world to see and enjoy. Our tourism product is one that is constantly evolving and we are cognizant of our place in the market which only makes us capable to soar to higher success. World Travel Awards honours excellence in the tourism industry around the world but what it also highlights is new, emerging markets for investment opportunities and the Turks and Caicos with its growing economy welcomes all of the nominees from around the world.”

The Caribbean & The Americas Ceremony 2012 marks the second leg of WTA’s Grand Tour, a global search for the world’s leading travel brands, which also includes regional heats in Dubai, Singapore and The Algarve. The winners of these legs will then go head-to-head at WTA’s Grand Final, which takes place at The Oberoi, Gurgaon, New Delhi, India on 12 December 2012.

Notes to Editors

About World Travel Awards
WTA was launched in 1993 to acknowledge and recognise excellence in the global travel and tourism industry. Now celebrating its 19th anniversary, it is regarded as the very highest achievement that a travel product could hope to receive.

WTA’s global media partner network includes International Herald Tribune, CNBC Arabiya, Newsweek, ASTA Network, National Geographic Traveller, Access New York, Travel & Leisure China, Khaleej Times, Trade Arabia, TTN, Trav Talk India, Publituris, ABTA Magazine, Outlook Traveller, Breaking Travel News and Travel Daily News International.

This global media partner network has a monthly readership of 1.7 million and a TV audience reach of 90 million.

For more info about WTA's Caribbean & The Americas Ceremony 2012 & bookings visit: www.worldtravelawards.com/caribamericas2012

To download WTA logos visit: www.worldtravelawards.com/logo and for images go to: www.worldtravelawards.com/downloads/zip/caribamericas2012.zip

For further WTA press info contact Anton Santos:
t: +44 (0)20 7925 0000;
e: [email protected];
w: www.worldtravelawards.com

About Beaches Resorts
With four spectacular locations in Turks & Caicos and Jamaica, Beaches Resorts is the ultimate getaway for every member of the family. With outrageous waterparks, XBOX® 360 Game Garages, the Scratch DJ Academy, exclusive Kids Camps, teen nightclubs, Certified Nannies, Butler service, and Red Lane® Spas, Beaches Resorts provides an unrivaled experience in the Caribbean. As a proud sponsor of Sesame Street, Beaches Resorts also offers the Caribbean Adventure with Sesame Street®, where kids can spend their vacation with their favorite friends from the Sesame Street gang with daily activities and weekly stage shows. Beaches Resorts are also the perfect destination wedding and vow renewal venue, offering unrivaled choices for your most special day and the opportunity for the whole family to celebrate together with FamilyMoons®. For more information, please visit www.beaches.com.

About Turks & Caicos
The 40 islands of the Turks & Caicos, of which eight are inhabited, are renowned for their award-winning beaches, diving and array of world-class resorts. Additional activities include tennis, golf and horseback riding. The islands feature a variety of spas and wellness treatments and are home to the world’s only conch farm. There are daily 90-minute direct flights from Miami, a US Airways direct flight from Charlotte, direct flights from New York, New Jersey, Atlanta and Toronto, with in season flights from Boston, Philadelphia, Dallas, Montreal and Halifax. For more information on travel, visit the Turks & Caicos Islands Tourist Board website at www.turksandcaicostourism.com or call (800) 241-0824.

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