- Titanic Centre succeeds Guinness Storehouse
- Goes to World final Titanic in Maldives on December 2.
Ireland has won Europe’s best attraction for the second year in a row at the World Travel Awards European leg with the success of the Titanic Centre in Belfast at Forte Village Resort in Sardinia.
Titanic now represents Europe at the world final in the Maldives on December 2.
Titanic Centre is Ireland’s ninth most popular attraction with 622,000 visitors last year. Last year’s winner was Guinness Storehouse, which is also Ireland’s most popular attraction with 1,498,124 visitors last year.
Portugal topped the award list with 24 awards, Italy had 12, Turkey nine, England and France seven each, Greece four, Austria three, Cyprus, Ireland, Russia, Spain and Switzerland had one each.
Lufthansa defended its title of Europe’s Leading Airline. Zurich was Europe’s airport of the year. Saint Petersburg won Europe’s Leading Destination for the second year in succession (Russia’s only away). VisitPortugal won Europe’s Leading Tourist Board. Lyon won Europe’s Leading City Break Destination while Rome Cavalieri, Waldorf Astoria won Europe’s Leading Luxury City Resort. Europcar won Europe’s Leading Car Rental Company, Monte Santo in Carvoeiro on the Algarve won Europe’s most romantic resort and Madeira won Europe’s Leading Island Destination. Winners from the World Travel Awards Europe Gala Ceremony can be seen here.
Talise by Jumeirah won World’s Best Hotel Spa Brand at the World Spa Awards Gala Ceremony 2016, which hosted in Europe for the first time after its launch in Vietnam last year. QMS MediCosmetics won World’s Best Spa Brand, and Sardinia won Europe’s Best Wellness Destination. The complete World Spa Awards winners are visible here.
The Powerscourt Hotel won the Irish national award for hotel of the year. Boutique Hotel was won by Dromoland Castle, Business Hotel but the Shelbourne, suite was won by Presidential Suite @ The Westbury Hotel, luxury hotel by Conrad Dublin and spa resort by Inchydoney. The north’s best hotel was the Hilton Belfast, Business Hotel was won by Hilton Templepatrick, Serviced Apartments by Stable Court and Spa Resort by Lough Erne Resort.
Picture show Titanic Belfast’s Vice-Chairman Conal Harvey and CEO Tim Husbands with Stormont First Minister Arlene Foster.
The 110 European winers were:
- Airline: Lufthansa
- Airline – Business Class: Swiss International Air Lines
- Airline – Economy Class: Lufthansa
- Airline – First Class: British Airways First
- Airline to Africa: TAP Portugal
- Airline to Asia: British Airways
- Airline to North America: Virgin Atlantic Airways
- Airline to South America: TAP Portugal
- Airport: Zurich Airport, Switzerland
- Airport Hotel: Hilton London Heathrow Airport, England
- Airport Lounge: Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse @ London Heathrow Airport
- All Suite Hotel: Hotel Les Ottomans, Turkey
- All-Inclusive Resort: Pestana Porto Santo All Inclusive & Spa Beach Resort, Portugal
- Beach Destination: The Algarve, Portugal
- Beach Hotel: Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, France
- Beach Resort: Hotel Quinta do Lago, Portugal
- Boutique Hotel: Vila Joya, Portugal
- Boutique Resort: Choupana Hills Resort & Spa, Portugal
- Business Car Rental Company: Hertz
- Business Hotel: Myriad by SANA Hotels, Portugal
- Car Rental Company: Europcar
- Casino Resort: Lopesan Costa Meloneras, Spain
- Charter Airline: Thomas Cook Airlines
- Chauffeur Company: Sixt Limousine Service
- City Break Destination: Lyon, France
- City Hotel: The Ritz Paris, France
- City Tourist Board: Visit London
- Conference Hotel: Hilton Molino Stucky Venice, Italy
- Cruise Destination: Lisbon, Portugal
- Cruise Line: Norwegian Cruise Line
- Cruise Port: Porto de Lisboa, Portugal
- Cruise Travel Agent: Cruise.co.uk
- Design Hotel: Altis Belém Hotel & Spa, Portugal
- Destination: Saint-Petersburg, Russia
- Destination Management Company: Kuoni Destination Management
- Entertainment Hotel: Rixos Sungate, Turkey
- Family Resort: Pine Cliffs Resort, a Luxury Collection Resort, Portugal
- Ferry Operator: DFDS Seaways
- Ferry Website: The Travel Gateway Ltd (aferry.com)
- Fully Integrated Resort: Cornelia Diamond Golf Resort & Spa, Turkey
- Green Hotel: Leitlhof Dolomiten, Italy
- Green Resort: Gradonna Mountain Resort Châlets & Hotel, Austria
- Group Tour Operator: H&H Touristik
- Hotel: Ciragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul, Turkey
- Hotel & Spa: Pullman Timi Ama Sardegna, Italy
- Hotel Booking Solutions Provider: Roiback – Backhotel
- Hotel Brand: Hilton Hotels & Resorts
- Hotel Management Company: HotelBrain
- Hotel Residences: Grosvenor House Suites by Jumeirah Living, England
- Hotel Suite: The Katara Suite @ Excelsior Hotel Gallia, Italy
- Hotel Villas: Private Villas at Vila Vita Parc, Portugal
- Incentive & Incoming Agency: DE&HA Tourism
- Inflight Magazine: Up Magazine (TAP Portugal)
- Island Destination: Madeira Islands
- Island Hotel & Spa: The Vine Hotel, Portugal
- Island Resort: Pullman Timi Ama Sardegna, Italy
- Landmark Hotel: Bairro Alto Hotel, Portugal
- Leisure Resort: Mriya Resort & Spa
- Lifestyle Hotel: Rixos Premium Göcek Suites & Villas, Turkey
- Lifestyle Resort: Geinberg5 Private Spa Villas, Austria
- Low-Cost Airline: Norwegian
- Luxury All Suite Resort: Columbia Beach Resort Pissouri, Cyprus
- Luxury All-Inclusive Resort: Concorde De Luxe Resort, Turkey
- Luxury Beach Resort: Forte Village Resort, Italy
- Luxury Business Hotel: Jumeirah Carlton Tower, England
- Luxury Car Rental Company: Sixt Luxury Cars
- Luxury City Resort: Rome Cavalieri, Waldorf Astoria Italy
- Luxury Family Resort: Forte Village Resort, Italy
- Luxury Hotel: The Peninsula Paris, France
- Luxury Hotel Villa: Villa Aurora @ Forte Village Resort, Italy
- Luxury Island Resort: JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa, Italy
- Luxury Resort: Cornelia Diamond Golf Resort & Spa, Turkey
- Luxury Resort & Spa: Conrad Algarve, Portugal
- Luxury Train: Venice Simplon Orient-Express
- Luxury Wedding Resort: Grand Resort Lagonissi, Greece
- Meetings & Conference Centre: ExCeL London, England
- Meetings & Conference Destination: Paris, France
- MICE Hotel: EPIC SANA Algarve Hotel, Portugal
- New Hotel: InterContinental London – The O2, England
- New Resort: Pine Cliffs Ocean Suites, a Luxury Collection Resort
- Online Travel Agency: Booking.com
- Passenger Rail Operator: Eurostar
- Private Jet Charter: NetJets Europe
- Regional Airline: Aegean Airlines
- Resort: Forte Village Resort, Italy
- Resort Villas: Elounda Beach Hotel & Villas, Greece
- River Cruise Company: DouroAzul
- Safari Tour Operator: Yellow Zebra Safaris
- Seafront Resort: Elounda Bay Palace, Greece
- Serviced Apartment Brand: Citadines Apart’hotel
- Serviced Apartments: Fraser Suites Kensington, England
- Spa & Wellness Resort: Sianji Wellbeing Resort,Turkey
- Spa Resort: Evian Resort, France
- Sports Resort: Forte Village Resort, Italy
- Theme Park Hotel: The Land of Legends Theme Park, Turkey
- Themed Resort: Disneyland Paris, France
- Tour Operator: Thomas Cook
- Tourism Development Project: Passadiços do Paiva (Arouca UNESCO Global Geopark)
- Tourist Attraction: Titanic Belfast, Northern Ireland
- Tourist Board: Turismo de Portugal
- Travel Agency: Carlson Wagonlit Travel
- Travel Club: DreamTrips
- Travel Management Company: FCM Travel Solutions
- Travel Merchandising Solution Provider: Amadeus
- Travel Technology Provider: BookLogic
- Villa Resort: Porto Zante Villas & Spa, Greece
- Wellness Hotel: Grand Hotel Lienz, Austria
- Wholesale Tour Operator: H&H Touristik
- Europe’s Most Romantic Resort: Monte Santo Resort, Portugal
- Europe’s Responsible Tourism Award: Norwegian Cruise Line
