Walt Disney World named leading theme park resort in world
Walt Disney World, the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Carnival Corp. and Royal Caribbean International were among scores of winners of World Travel Awards announced recently.
Based on thousands of votes online from 167,000 travel agents and tourism professionals eligible to vote, Disney World emerged as the world’s leading theme-park resort; the Orlando CVB, the leading convention bureau; Carnival, the leading cruise brand; and Royal Caribbean, the leading cruise line.
The 14th annual awards were presented by World Travel Awards, an independent company, at a gala last week at The Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort and Spa in the Caribbean.
Among other winners, British Airways was chosen world’s leading airline; Grace Bay Beach in Turks and Caicos, the leading beach; Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic, the leading golf resort; Singapore Changi Airport, the leading airport; and London, the leading destination (an award won in 2006 by Orlando).
Regional awards also were presented. Among them, Orlando was chosen North America’s leading tourism destination. The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin was named both the leading convention hotel and the leading resort hotel. The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau beat out the Orlando bureau as North America’s leading tourist-and-convention bureau.
New York JFK Airport was picked as the continent’s leading airport. JetBlue Airways was voted the leading budget airline, Delta Air Lines the leading business-class airline, and American Airlines the leading overall airline. The Phoenician in Scottsdale, Ariz., was chosen the continent’s leading golf resort.
