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SA tops World Travel Awards
30 December 2005
South Africa is the best holiday destination in Africa - and it's official. At the 2005 World Travel Awards ceremony in London in November, the country's airline, hotels, airports and more walked off with 16 of the 17 prize categories for the continent of Africa.
And the Saxon Hotel in Johannesburg, Shamwari and Bushman Sands game reserves in the Eastern Cape and Rovos Rail were voted the best in the world in their categories.
To determine the awards, some 156 000 travel agencies and professionals in over 140 countries vote over the internet for their leading travel destinations, airlines, hotels, personalities and companies around the world.
For the second year in a row the Saxon was voted World's Leading Boutique Hotel, beating Le Soleil Hotel and Suites in
Vancouver, the Sunset Marquis Hotel and Villas in California, Australia's Royce Hotel, the Metropolitan of London and the Delano in Miami.
Shamwari Game Reserve came out tops in the awards for the eighth consecutive year, winning two global awards: the world's leading conservation company and the world's leading safari and game reserve. The reserve was also voted Africa's leading safari.
The world's leading responsible tourism project went to Bushman Sands in the Eastern Cape, while South Africa's Rovos Rail company was voted the world's leading luxury train and Africa's leading safari train.
Best in Africa
In the Africa section, both South African Airways and the Sun City complex in North West province won three awards. Other African winners were the Mount Nelson Hotel, Protea Hotels, and Fancourt Hotel and Country Club.
The full list of World Travel Awards for Africa:
Leading airline - South African Airways
Leading first class airline - South African Airways
Leading business class airline - SA Airways
Leading airport - Johannesburg International
Leading car hire - Avis South Africa
Leading casino resort - Palace of the Lost City at Sun City, South Africa
Leading conference centre - International Convention Centre, Durban
Leading conference hotel - Sun City Resort, SA
Leading destination - Cape Town
Leading golf resort - Fancourt
Hotel and Country Club, South Africa
Leading hotel - Mount Nelson Hotel, South Africa
Leading hotel brand - Protea Hotels, South Africa
Leading resort - Sun City, South Africa
Leading safari - Shamwari Game Reserve, SA
Leading safari train - Rovos Rail, South Africa
Leading spa resort - Pezula Resort Hotel and Spa, South Africa
Leading tourist & convention bureau - Egyptian State Tourist Office, Egypt
The awards
The World Travel Awards - known as "the Oscars of tourism" - were started in 1993 to acknowledge and celebrate excellence in international
travel. Now in its 12th year, tourism professionals and discerning travellers regard the awards as the best endorsement a tourism product could hope to receive.
Thousands of travel agents and industry members from around the globe vote for the winners from a selection of nominations.
Voting started in May 2005 and ended in September. During this five-month period 3 500 nominations were made, with more than 2-million individual voting decisions completed, returned and processed via the online voting form.
"The survey is truly global in scale, independent and accountable," says Graham Cooke, president of the World Travel Awards.
"With a growing number of travel award ceremonies in the marketplace, we are still the most comprehensive travel survey out there, with global coverage."
For the full awards list, visit the World Travel Awards website.
SouthAfrica.info reporter
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The entrance hall of the Saxon Hotel in Johannesburg, two-time winner of the World's Leading Boutique Hotel award |
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