London, UK – World Ski Awards has unveiled the elite resorts and hospitality providers that have been elected as finalists in its inaugural programme.

World Ski Awards is the first ever programme to acknowledge and reward the finest brands in the global ski hospitality industry.

The exclusive awards programme features four “blue riband” categories: best ski resort, best hotel, best boutique hotel and best chalet in the top 20 ski nations. The worldwide voting process will begin at 08:00 (GMT) on Monday 26th August. The winners will be announced at the inaugural World Ski Awards Ceremony in Kitzbühel, Austria on 16th November 2013.

Sion Rapson, Director, World Ski Awards, highlights the role that the programme will play: “Ski tourism constitutes a vital segment of the global travel and tourism marketplace with 2,000 ski resorts which are home to more than six million hotel beds. World Ski Awards will serve as the definitive awards programme to reward and celebrate the elite within our industry, thereby raising the guest experience and stimulating new demand.”

World Ski Awards is the sister event of World Travel Awards, which is heralded as “the Oscars of the travel industry”.

For more information visit worldskiawards.com