World Travel Awards – the pre-eminent awards programme in the tourism and hospitality industry – has unveiled its Asia 2020 winners.

The news coincides with its inaugural Asia Winners Day.

Winners include India, which fended off stiff competition to emerge as ‘Asia’s Leading Destination’, while the Philippines was acknowledged with awards for ‘Asia’s Leading Beach Destination’ and ‘Asia’s Leading Dive Destination’.

Sri Lanka’s wealth of adrenaline offerings led it to the title of ‘Asia’s Leading Adventure Tourism Destination’.

In the hospitality sector, the iconic Raffles Singapore was voted ‘Asia’s Leading Hotel’, Bvlgari Resort Bali walked away with ‘Asia’s Leading Resort’, and the paradise escape Amanpulo, Philippines named ‘Asia’s Leading Private Island Resort’.

Vietnam’s palatial InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort was rewarded with titles for ‘Asia’s Leading Luxury Resort’ and ‘Asia’s Leading Green Resort’.

The enchanting mix of French Indochine haute couture in a mountain setting led Hotel de la Coupole, MGallery Sapa to be voted ‘Asia’s Leading Design Hotel’.

Bangkok’s landmark Tower Club at lebua picked up ‘Asia’s Leading Luxury All Suite Hotel’.

Sri Lanka’s Aarunya Nature Resort & Spa claimed ‘Asia’s Leading Boutique Resort’.

In the newcomer categories, Conrad Hangzhou, China was voted ‘Asia’s Leading New Hotel’ and Premier Village Ha Long Bay Resort, Vietnam was named ‘Asia’s Leading New Resort’.

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, said: “Our winners represent the very best of Asia’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 added: “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.”

In the aviation sector, Singapore Airlines was named ‘Asia’s Leading Airline’ while an unprecedented fleet upgrade helped Vietnam Airlines lift the title of ‘Asia’s Leading Airline – Economy Class’.

AirAsia collected ‘Asia’s Leading Low-Cost Airline’ and Hong Kong International Airport scooped ‘Asia’s Leading Airport’.

Other winners include Tokyo (‘Asia’s Leading City Break Destination’); Vietravel (‘Asia’s Leading Tour Operator’); InterContinental Hotels & Resorts (‘Asia’s Leading Business Hotel Brand’); Hertz (‘Asia’s Leading Car Rental Company’); Parkroyal Collection Pickering, Singapore (‘Asia’s Leading Green Hotel’); Seoul, South Korea (Asia’s Leading Meetings & Conference Destination’); Philippines, Department of Tourism (‘Asia’s Leading Tourist Board’); and Bali (‘Asia’s Most Romantic Destination’).

Winners

Breaking Travel News chatted with Bunaken Oasis Dive Resort & Spa, Royal Brunei Airlines, Hong Kong International Airport, Vietnam Airlines and Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, minister of tourism in the Philippines to find out how it feels to have won.

For a full list of winners take a look here.

More Information

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

Today, the World Travel Awards brand is recognised globally as the ultimate hallmark of quality, with winners setting the benchmark to which all others aspire.

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

For more information about World Travel Awards, visit the official website.

Image: Partha Sarkar/Xinhua News Agency/PA Images