Oceania 2020 winners announced

World Travel Awards has unveiled its Oceania 2020 winners to coincide with its inaugural Oceania Winners Day.

The untamed wilderness, golden beaches and laid-back charms of New Zealand helped it lift the title of ‘Oceania’s Leading Destination’, with its adrenaline hub Queenstown voted ‘Oceania’s Leading City Destination’. French Polynesia, with its mesmerising atolls and marine life, was named ‘Oceania’s Leading Dive Destination’. Australia cemented its reputation as the definitive thrill-seekers paradise to secure ‘Oceania’s Leading Adventure Tourism Destination’. Melbourne won ‘Oceania’s Leading Meetings & Conference Destination’.

In the hospitality sector, Millbrook Resort, New Zealand fended off a tough field to emerge as ‘Oceania’s Leading Hotel’ whilst Pacific Resort Aitutaki, Cook Islands claimed ‘Oceania’s Leading Resort’. Sydney’s über-hip Ovolo Woolloomooloo took ‘Oceania’s Leading Boutique Hotel’, whilst Samoa’s Seabreeze Resort was acknowledged with the title for ‘Oceania’s Most Romantic Resort’.

New arrival on Oceania’s luxury hospitality scene, The Ritz-Carlton, Perth was named ‘Oceania’s Leading New Hotel’. Meanwhile InterContinental Hotels & Resorts claimed the title for ‘Oceania’s Leading Hotel Brand’, and the eco credentials of InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa, French Polynesia were recognised with ‘Oceania’s Leading Green Hotel’.

In the aviation sector, Air New Zealand lifted ‘Oceania’s Leading Airline’, whilst ‘Oceania’s Leading Airport’ went to Melbourne Airport.

The results follow a year-long search for the world’s top travel, tourism and hospitality brands. Votes were cast by travel industry professionals and the public, with the nominee gaining the most votes in a category named as the winner.

Graham Cooke, Founder, World Travel Awards, says: “Our winners represent the very best of Oceania’s travel and tourism sector and my congratulations to each of them. They have all demonstrated remarkable resilience in a year of unprecedented challenges.”

He adds: “The World Travel Awards 2020 programme received a record number of votes cast by the public. This shows that the appetite for travel and tourism has never been stronger and bodes well for the industry’s future as the global recovery begins.”

Other winners include Royal Caribbean International (‘Oceania’s Leading Cruise Line’); Hertz (‘Oceania’s Leading Car Rental Company’); Abercrombie & Kent (‘Oceania’s Leading Tour Operator’); Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (‘Oceania’s Leading Meetings & Conference Centre’); Eagles Nest, New Zealand (‘Oceania’s Leading Villa Resort’); Pacific Resort Rarotonga (‘Oceania’s Leading Family Resort’); and Laucala Island, Fiji (‘Oceania's Leading Private Island Resort’).

For a full list of winners visit here.

For more information about World Travel Awards, visit worldtravelawards.com.

Notes to Editors

About World Travel Awards

WTA was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the tourism industry.

Today, the WTA brand is recognized globally as the ultimate hallmark of quality, with winners setting the benchmark to which all others aspire.

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

WTA gala ceremonies are widely regarded as the best networking opportunities in the travel industry, attended by government and industry leaders, luminaries and international print and broadcast media.

For more information about WTA visit worldtravelawards.com.