World Travel Awards postpones Caribbean & North America Gala Ceremony

World Travel Awards has been forced to postpone its annual Caribbean & North America Gala Ceremony until April 2015.

The event had been due to take place in Anguilla on October 24th. However, the recent impact of Hurricane Gonzalo on the island has disrupted preparations and made the hosting of the event impossible.

World Travel Awards President Graham Cooke said: “It is with great sadness that we have been forced to postpone one of the most popular events on our annual Grand Tour. Despite being one of the most highly anticipated events in the regional tourism calendar, the damage caused by the recent Hurricane Gonzalo has made hosting the event impossible at this time.

“We, however, will persevere. Arrangements are currently being put in place to ensure World Travel Awards can successfully visit the island in 2015. We will release details as soon as they become available."

World Travel Awards expects to reschedule the event for April 2015, with original host CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa in line to welcome the rearranged Gala Ceremony.

World Travel Awards winners in the Caribbean & North American region will, however, still be revealed on October 24th.

A full list of winners be available here at this time.

“Hurricane Gonzalo impacted Anguilla in a manner that was unexpected and hit us directly. It evolved from a Tropical Storm to a hurricane in a very short time and damaged our tourism, plants, including our vegetation, and electrical grid. We expect to have a full recovery by November 1st. Unfortunately, this will not be sufficient time to welcome the World Travel Awards,” said Hon. Haydn Hughes, Parliamentary Secretary and First Nominated Member with Responsibility for Tourism and Sports.

Anguilla Tourist Board Chairman, Bonnie Bloom, added: "We remain committed to ensuring that we will deliver the full Anguilla Experience as host of the World Travel Awards. We will continue to cement our promise to uphold the integrity of our beautiful island paradise, while also sharing Anguilla and its luminous treasures with the world."

The Caribbean & North America Gala Ceremony was the final planned stop on the World Travel Awards Grand Tour 2014.

World Travel Awards was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the tourism industry. Today, the WTA brand is recognised globally as the ultimate hallmark of quality, with winners setting the benchmark to which all others aspire.

In 2014, WTA will celebrate its historic 21st anniversary year.

The annual programme is renowned as the most prestigious and comprehensive in the travel and tourism industry. In 2013, over 500,000 individual votes were cast by travel professionals and high-end tourism consumers.

Each year WTA covers the globe with a series of regional gala ceremonies staged to recognise and celebrate individual and collective successes within each key geographical region.

The Grand Tour of WTA gala ceremonies are regarded as milestone events in the industry calendar, attended by the industry’s key decision makers, chief figure heads and the leading trade and consumer media.

Notes to Editors

About World Travel Awards

World Travel Awards celebrates its 21st anniversary this year and is acknowledged across the globe as the ultimate travel accolade.

The brand aims to celebrate those organisations that are pushing the boundaries of industry excellence.

WTA’s global media partner network includes International New York Times, TV5Monde, CNBC Arabiya, Newsweek, Outlook Traveller, Travel & Leisure, Khaleej Times, Trade Arabia, TTN, Trav Talk India, Publituris, ASTA Network, Breaking Travel News, Travel Daily News International and Focus on Travel News.

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

To download WTA logos visit: www.worldtravelawards.com/logo

About Anguilla

A hidden jewel piercing the seascape of the treasured northern Caribbean, the striking and peerless island of Anguilla is a British overseas territory tucked eight miles north of St. Martin, and 150 miles East of Puerto Rico.

Offering a world-class experience, upholding its coveted footprint as the leading destination for discerning travellers, the unspoiled paradise epitomises ‘Tranquillity Wrapped in Blue’: pristine shores that embrace the vast Atlantic Ocean, enveloped by the Caribbean Sea’s beckoning waters.

The island’s allure derives from the abundant warmth and hospitality of each Anguillan host, who have earned the global reputation as the ‘World’s Friendliest People’.

Boasting 33 immaculate beaches, Anguilla is laden with powder-soft vanilla sands and voluptuous swells of brilliant turquoise waters in hues that defy imagination. As the widely celebrated ‘Culinary Capital of the Caribbean’, Anguilla offers over 100 nostalgic and modern restaurants spanning a multitude of cuisines.

Luxurious accommodations range from beautifully appointed Charming Escapes and visually stunning villas, to quaint bed & breakfast outposts and award-winning, five-star resorts. Anguilla has become an exuberant memory vessel that holds an endearing place in the hearts of all who visit.