84 of the Travel Trade’s best players honoured at TTG Travel Awards 2016

Amidst the intense competition, nine of the winning organisations have surpassed themselves, making their remarkable comebacks into the awards.

BANGKOK – The 27th annual TTG Travel Awards 2016 presented 84 of the year’s best and brightest in the Asia-Pacific travel industry.

14 new winners emerged across various categories, taking home the signature Hermes trophy for the first time. Notable inaugural honoraries include Sebastien Bazin, CEO of AccorHotels, Brett Tollman, CEO of The Travel Corporation and YAANA Ventures. They are among TTG’s editorial’s distinguished handpicked recipients of the Travel Personality of the Year, Travel Entrepreneur of the Year and Most Sustainable Travel Company title respectively in the Outstanding Achievement Awards category.

Bangkok Airways (Best Regional Airline), POP! Hotel Kemang Jakarta (Best Budget Hotel), The Leela Palace New Delhi (Best City Hotel – Delhi), Park Hyatt Saigon (Best City Hotel – Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City), Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel – Cotai Central (Best City Hotel – Macau), One Farrer Hotel & Spa (Best New City Hotel), Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan (Best Resort Hotel (Non-Beach)), Korea MICE Bureau (Best Convention & Exhibition Bureau), Philippine Department of Tourism (Best NTO), Abercrombie & Kent Vacations (Best Travel Agency – India) and Khiri Travel (Best Travel Agency – Indochina) are also among the debuting winners in the voting categories.

Amidst the intense competition, nine of the winning organisations have surpassed themselves, making their remarkable comebacks into the awards. Airlines Lufthansa German Airlines, Emirates and AirAsia reclaimed their respective Best European Airline, Best Middle Eastern Airline, and Best Asian Low-Cost Carrier titles. The 2016 awards also welcomed the return of past recipients Worldhotels (Best Hotel Rep Company), Pacto Ltd. Indonesia (Best Travel Agency – Indonesia), Dynasty Travel (Best Travel Agency – Singapore), Vietravel (Best Travel Agency – Vietnam), Thailand (Destination of the Year), and Brand USA (Best Travel Marketing Effort).

Six Senses Spa (Best Spa Operator) and Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong (Best City Hotel – Hong Kong) returned to add new titles to their list of accolades, having respectively won Best Spa Group and Best Business Hotel previously.

While first-time and returning winners make their way into TTG Travel Awards, veteran organisations such as Cathay Pacific Airways (Best North Asian Airline), Park Hotel Group (Best Regional Hotel Chain), Harbour Plaza Hotels & Resorts (Best Local Hotel Chain), Royal Plaza on Scotts (Best Independent Hotel), Resorts World at Sentosa (Best Integrated Resort) and Singapore (Best BT-MICE City) have successfully defended their titles with consecutive wins, receiving the acclaim of being the best in their class.

The Awards also ushered in three new TTG Travel Hall of Fame inductees – Qatar Airways, Thai Airways International and Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau into the elite ranks of the travel trade industry. The TTG Travel of Fame represents the highest honour bestowed only on exceptional organisations that have achieved the feat of staying the best in their class for 10 consecutive years. These new illuminaries were the respective undefeated winners of the Best Middle Eastern Airline, Best South-East Asian Airline and Best Convention & Exhibition Bureau titles.

The 27th Annual TTG Travel Awards 2016 Ceremony and Gala Dinner was held in Centara Grand at CentralWorld, our official venue sponsor for the event. This annual event coincides with Incentive Travel & Conventions, Meetings Asia (IT&CMA) and Corporate Travel World (CTW) Asia-Pacific – The World’s Only Doublebill Event in MICE and Corporate Travel.

S/N	Award Title	Winner
AIRLINE AWARDS
1	Best North American Airline	Air Canada
2	Best European Airline	Lufthansa German Airlines ^{NEW VS. 2015}
3	Best Middle Eastern Airline	Emirates ^{NEW VS. 2015}
4	Best North Asian Airline	Cathay Pacific Airways
5	Best China Airline	China Southern Airlines
6	Best Pacific Airline	Qantas Airways Ltd
7	Best Regional Airline	Bangkok Airways ^{FIRST TIME}
8	Best Asian Low-Cost Carrier	AirAsia ^{NEW VS. 2015}
HOTEL CHAIN AWARDS
9	Best Global Hotel Chain	AccorHotels
10	Best Regional Hotel Chain	Park Hotel Group
11	Best Local Hotel Chain	Harbour Plaza Hotels & Resorts
12	Best Hotel Rep Company	Worldhotels ^{NEW VS. 2015}
13	Best Luxury Hotel Brand	Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts
14	Best Mid-Range Hotel Brand	Best Western International
15	Best Budget Hotel Brand	Holiday Inn Express
HOTEL – INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY AWARDS
16	Best Luxury Hotel	The Peninsula Hong Kong
17	Best Budget Hotel	POP! Hotel Kemang Jakarta ^{FIRST TIME}
18	Best Independent Hotel	Royal Plaza on Scotts
19	Best Boutique Hotel	Mira Moon Hong Kong
20	Best City Hotel – Bangkok	Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok
21	Best City Hotel – Delhi	The Leela Palace New Delhi ^{FIRST TIME}
22	Best City Hotel – Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City	Park Hyatt Saigon ^{FIRST TIME}
23	Best City Hotel – Hong Kong	Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong ^{NEW TO TITLE}
24	Best City Hotel – Jakarta	Gran Meliá Jakarta
25	Best City Hotel – Kuala Lumpur	Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur
26	Best City Hotel – Macau	Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel, Cotai Central ^{FIRST TIME}
27	Best City Hotel – Manila	Fairmont Makati
28	Best City Hotel – Seoul	The Shilla Seoul
29	Best City Hotel – Singapore	Mandarin Orchard Singapore
30	Best City Hotel – Taipei	W Taipei
31	Best City Hotel – Tokyo	Conrad Tokyo
32	Best New City Hotel	One Farrer Hotel & Spa ^{FIRST TIME}
33	Best Airport Hotel	Crowne Plaza® Changi Airport

RESORTS – INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY, SERVICED RESIDENCES AND SPA AWARDS
34	Best Beach Resort	Amari Phuket
35	Best Resort Hotel (Non-Beach)	Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan ^{FIRST TIME}
36	Best Integrated Resort	Resorts World at Sentosa
37	Best Serviced Residence Operator	Frasers Hospitality
38	Best Spa Operator	Six Senses Spa ^{NEW TO TITLE}
BT-MICE AWARDS
39	Best Airline – Business Class	Etihad Airways
40	Best Business Hotel	Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok
41	Best Meetings & Conventions Hotel	Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld
42	Best BT-MICE City	Singapore
43	Best Convention & Exhibition Centre	Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre
44	Best Convention & Exhibition Bureau	Korea MICE Bureau ^{FIRST TIME}
TRAVEL SERVICES AWARDS
45	Best Airport	Incheon International Airport Corporation
46	Best GDS	Travelport
47	Best Cruise Operator	Royal Caribbean International
48	Best NTO	Philippine Department of Tourism ^{FIRST TIME}
49	Best Theme Attraction	Gardens by the Bay
TRAVEL AGENCY AWARDS
50	Best Travel Agency – China	China International Travel Service
51	Best Travel Agency – Chinese Taipei	Phoenix Tours International Inc
52	Best Travel Agency – Hong Kong	Westminster Travel Limited
53	Best Travel Agency – India	Abercrombie & Kent Vacations ^{FIRST TIME}
54	Best Travel Agency – Indochina	Khiri Travel ^{FIRST TIME}
55	Best Travel Agency – Indonesia	Pacto Ltd. Indonesia ^{NEW VS. 2015}
56	Best Travel Agency – Japan	H.I.S.Co., Ltd
57	Best Travel Agency – Malaysia	Mitra Tours & Travel
58	Best Travel Agency – Singapore	Dynasty Travel ^{NEW VS. 2015}
59	Best Travel Agency – South Korea	Hanatour
60	Best Travel Agency – Thailand	Asian Trails
61	Best Travel Agency – The Philippines	Rajah Travel Corporation
62	Best Travel Agency – Vietnam	Vietravel ^{NEW VS. 2015}
63	Best Corporate Travel Agency	Carlson Wagonlit Travel
64	Best Online Travel Agency	Asiatravel.com
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS (NON-VOTING)
65	Travel Personality of the Year	Sebastien Bazin, CEO, AccorHotels ^{FIRST TIME}
66	Destination of the Year	Thailand ^{NEW VS. 2015}
67	Travel Entrepreneur of the Year	Brett Tollman, CEO, The Travel Corporation ^{FIRST TIME}
68	Best Travel Marketing Effort	Brand USA ^{NEW VS. 2015}
69	Most Sustainable Travel Company	YAANA Ventures ^{FIRST TIME}
TRAVEL HALL OF FAME
70	Hall of Fame	Singapore Airlines
71	Hall of Fame	Singapore Changi Airport
72	Hall of Fame	Hertz Asia Pacific
73	Hall of Fame	Royal Cliff Hotels Group – The State of Exclusivity & Fascination
74	Hall of Fame	Star Cruises
75	Hall of Fame	Sabre Travel Network Asia Pacific
76	Hall of Fame	SilkAir
77	Hall of Fame	Lotte Tour
78	Hall of Fame	Hong Kong International Airport
79	Hall of Fame	Raffles Hotel Singapore
80	Hall of Fame	Regal Airport Hotel
81	Hall of Fame	Banyan Tree Spa
82	Hall of Fame	Qatar Airways ^{INDUCTED IN 2016}
83	Hall of Fame	Thai Airways International ^{INDUCTED IN 2016}
84	Hall of Fame	Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau ^{INDUCTED IN 2016}

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Vicky Karantzavelou

Co-Founder & Chief Editor - TravelDailyNews Media Network | + Articles

Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales. She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.