The eyes of the travel industry will be firmly focused on events in Orlando, Florida this coming weekend when the World Travel Awards North American and Central American Ceremony honors the top achievers in travel. The prestigious ceremony is on Saturday, September 6 at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, immediately before ASTA’s THE TRADESHOW and Premium Member meeting. “North America is traditionally regarded by the rest of the world as a reliable industry barometer, spearheading latest developments, creating new products and improving customer experiences”, said Graham E. Cooke, President and Founder of the World Travel Awards. “It’s for this reason that the winners of these regional awards have a special significance, with long term international impact.” Cooke explained that it was particularly appropriate that Eurostar were the main sponsors the event because of an increasing focus on environmental issues. “This is the world's first train operator to make all journeys carbon neutral,” he added. A total of 160 North American organizations have been nominated in 23 overall categories, including airlines, airports, hotels, car hire, casino resorts, cruise lines, destinations, spas and tourist board. There are categories too for Arizona, California, Colorado, Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington. The event is part of World Travel Awards Grand Tour, culminating with the final in December, which this year is being held in Turks & Caicos. |