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The winners in this year's World Travel Awards are due to be announced as the voting process draws to a close on 8 October 2010. Since its inception 17 years ago the awards have become an accolade to be reckoned with.

It is especially inspiring that South Africa, having just hosted a successful World Cup tournament and bracing itself for the rolling tourism effects thereof, has nominees in over 30 categories. Some of these include the World's Leading Hotel, Leading Airline as well as Leading Romantic Destination. But this shouldn't come as too much of a surprise as the Southern Tip of the Mother Continent cleaned up good and solid in the African leg of the awards - which was announced in July 2010.

Being selected as a nominee for a World Travel Award is a process involving some travel tourism and hospitality professional across the globe. The voting process, however, is a little different.

Executives working within travel and tourism industry, notably the majority being travel agents, vote online to select the winners. Since 2009 the voting has been open to the travelling public.

Yes, your opinion matters.

We've chosen to detail a few of the local World Travel Awards finalists, take a look and then make your way to the World Travel Awards website to vote for your favourite. Votes cast by travel agent voters count as two votes while the votes cast by non-industry voters, in other word YOU, count as one vote. All votes are internally audited to ensure its validity.

* World's Leading Airport

Abu Dhabi Airport, United Arab Emirates , Auckland International Airport, New Zealand , Beijing Capital Airport, Beijing, China and Zurich Airport, Switzerland are a few of the contenders OR Tambo International is up against (although they have it listed as Johannesburg International on the site).

* World's Leading Boutique Hotel

South African top contender is the Saxon Boutique Hotel & Spa, since it has won this award six times in a row. The Saxon is also in the running for the World's Leading Hotel Suite with its Nelson Mandela Platinum Suite and World's Leading Hotel. Other nominees for leading Boutique Hotel include Le Paradise Cove & Spa, Mauritius and Shamwari Town House in the Eastern Cape.

* World's Leading Destination

After clinching the title in the African leg of the World Travel Awards, Cape Town is a strong contender against the likes of Dubai, Mauritius (also in the running for World's Leading Honeymoon Destination, World's Most Romantic Resort with Le Touessrok and World's most romantic destination), Miami, New York and Sydney, Australia.

* World's Leading Family Resort

Just one of the many awards Shamwari Game Reserve (Riverdene Lodge) is in the running for. Others include World's Leading Family Resort all-inclusive, World's leading green resort and World's leading resort design. Sun City Resort, also in the running for World's Leading Meetings & Conference Hotel Emirates, is stacked up against international contenders such as Hayman Island Resort, Great Barrier Reef, Australia and Llao Llao Hotel & Resort, Argentina in this category.

* World's Leading Hotel

South Africa's grand dame the Mount Nelson Hotel (also in the running for the World's Leading Luxury Hotel along with Arabella Western Cape Hotel & Spa) faces some stiff competition from the likes of Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi, Grand Hotel Beijing and New York Palace Hotel.

* World's Leading Low-Cost Airline

After having won the African leg of this awards category 1time, along with SAA's Mango, is now taking on global low-cost heavy weights such as Easyjet, JetBlue Airways.

* World's Leading Safari & Game Reserve

It really isn't any surprise that out of the ten nominees South Africa has seven reserves in the running. These include Legend Lodges, Entabeni Private Game Reserve, Lion Sands Private Game Reserve, Londolozi Private Game Reserve, Shamwari Game Reserve , Singita Private Game Reserve and Makalali Private Game Reserve to name a few.

* World's Leading Boutique Golf Resort

If you've ever been to this neck of the Garden Route - you'll understand why spectacular falls gravely short in its description of the Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa, which is also in the running for the World's Leading Spa Resort.

* World's Leading Cruise Port

Cape Town, South Africa's second biggest port to Durban and certainly Africa's most famous is in the running along with Copenhagen, Denmark, Dubai, United Arab Emirates and
Shanghai, China to mention a few.

* World's Leading Tourist Board

South Africa Tourism (also in the running for the World's Leading Travel Destination Website) along with Johannesburg Tourism Company (in the running for the World's Leading Marketing Campaign) has to face off with Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing Government of Dubai, Las Vegas CVB, New York - NYC & Company and Tourism Australia, now world-famous for its quirky tourism campaigns.

* World's Leading Travel Experience by Train

Luxury South African rail services Rovos Rail and The Blue Train are in the running against Eastern & Oriental Express, Rocky Mountaineer - GoldLeaf Service and The Royal Scotsman Venice-Simplon Orient Express.

Head to the World Travel Awards website for the full list of categories and then cast your vote for your favourite.