Entertainment line up confirmed for World Travel Awards ceremony in Obidos, Portugal
Senior management and decision makers from Europe’s travel and tourism industry will gather at the five-star Marriott Praia D’El Rey on October 17th for a weekend of high level networking and some spectacular corporate entertainment as this year’s World Travel Awards European regional winners are revealed.
The awards are described by the Wall Street Journal as the ‘Oscars’ of the global travel and tourism industry.
The focus firmly switches to this emerging resort as a star studded line-up celebrates excellence of the European industry. The awards are recognised as helping to raise levels of supreme customer service, innovation, creativity as well as encouraging high standards of overall business performance.
International comedian and actor Bobby Davro hosts the World Travel Awards, introducing a range of lively performances.
Disco legend George McCrae from the Miami Sound Machine will headline the evening, performing a selection of popular hits including his record breaking Rock Your Baby, which has sold 52 million copies worldwide.
The true stars of the night, however, will be those travel professionals and organisations collecting their World Travel Awards which will be presented throughout the evening.
Air France, BMI British Midland, British Airways, Iberia, KLM, Lufthansa, SAS Scandiinavian Airlines and Swiss International Airlines are all competing for the coveted title of Europe’s Leading Airline.
A total of thirteen of the very best hotels in the region are in the running for the title of Europe’s Leading Hotel. They are: Ciragan Palace Kempinski, Istanbul, Turkey; Donbass Palace Hotel, Ukraine; Dubrovnik Palace Hotel, Croatia; Grand Hotel Wien, Vienna, Austria; Hotel Arts, Barcelona, Spain; Hotel Cipriani, Venice, Italy; Hotel de Palais, Biarritz, France; Hotel Le Bristol, Paris, France; Kemer Resort Hotel, Kemer, Turkey; Mandarin Oriental Hotel du Rhone, Geneva, Switzerland; Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, and The Dorchester, both in London England.
Graham Cooke, President and Founder, World Travel Awards, commented: “We are excited to bring this year’s World Travel Awards European regional ceremony with such a lively line up of entertainment to Obidos, Portugal – a beautiful up and coming destination which has some inspiring developments in the pipeline for our guests to experience and discover”.
Portuguese travel companies have come together to pledge their support for this important event with sponsorship from Marriott Praia D’El Rey, TAP, Turismo Do Oeste Tourism and Bom Sucesso.
“We are delighted to have been chosen to host this prestigious event and we look forward to welcoming the travel industry’s key decision makers to Portugal’s Silver Coast later this month.” Commented Stuart Swycher, Chairman of the Beltico Group, which owns the Marriott Praia D’El Rey.
Log on to www.worldtravelawards.com for the complete list of nominations for the World Travel Awards European Ceremony 2009.
The spectacular event is followed by the World Travel Awards Grand Final which takes place at the five-star Grosvenor House, a JW Marriott hotel in London on 8 November, immediately before World Travel Market.
