Goa Wins an Award for Favourite Indian Leisure Destination at Conde Nast Traveller Readers Travel Awards 2014

Conde Nast Traveller India, the Last Word in Travel, announced the winners of the fourth edition of its Readers’ Travel Awards at a glittering ceremony at JW Marriott New Delhi Aerocity recently. Some of the most sought after names in travel, tourism and hospitality graced the gathering with their presence, which included Chief Guest Dr. Lalit K Panwar, Honorable Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India ; His Excellency,
Ioannis E Raptakis, Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic of Greece to India; His Excellency, Lim Thuan Kuan, High Commissioner, Republic of Singapore to India; His Excellency, Grahame Morton, High Commissioner of New Zealand to India; Shri Dilip Parulekar, Honorable Minister of Tourism, Government of Goa; Shri Amitabh Kant, Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Government of India; Maharaja of Jodhpur His Highness Gaj Singh II; Valsa Nair Singh, Secretary Tourism & Cultural Affairs & Managing Director of MTDC; Mr. Nicholas Coleridge, President, Condé Nast International; Mr. Sanjay Reddy, Vice Chairman of GVK Power and Infrastructure Limited and Managing Director of Mumbai International Airport Pvt. Ltd.;
Chef Manish Mehrotra; designer Rahul Mishra; Mr. Dipak Haksar, COO, ITC Hotels; Mr. Aditya Ghosh, President and Executive Director, IndiGo; Mr. Rajeev Menon, Area Vice President, South Asia at Marriott International; Mr. Deep Kalra, Chairman & Group CEO, MakeMyTrip.com and actor Nargis Fakhri as the stylish host for the evening.

Renowned for its pristine beaches, Portuguese heritage and delectable cuisine, Goa was chosen as the Favourite Indian Leisure Destination, for the third consecutive year. Additionally, Park Hyatt Goa Resort and Spa was chosen as the Favourite Indian Leisure Hotel by readers.

Shri Dilip Parulekar, Hon. Minister for Tourism, Govt. of Goa, commented, “Goa Tourism takes pride in being judged the ‘Favourite Leisure Destination – India’ at the Readers Travel Awards by Condé Nast Traveller. This is a testimony to the popularity of the state as a holiday option among travelers. While beaches are synonymous with Goa, other aspects like its heritage, history, cuisine, nature and wildlife are also attracting tourists. Goa also has a wide range of festivals all through the year which reflect our culture and legacy, this air of celebration combined with tourist-friendly facilities is a formula that has worked for us. Right now, we are focused on improving our infrastructure and other related facilities so that Goa continues to remain a favourite.”

Chief Guest, Dr. Lalit K Panwar, Honorable Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India said, “Condé Nast Traveller is one of the super brands of the global travel industry. The Readers’ Travel Awards is among the most coveted travel awards because it adds to the image of a brand and is considered the ultimate endorsement of high quality of goods and services delivered by all service providers in the tourism industry, in India and overseas. I would say that Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards are the mini-Oscars of the travel industry.”

Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards are globally renowned and considered the most prestigious in the industry. They honour the best in travel, tourism and hospitality, as chosen by the discerning and influential readers of Condé Nast Traveller.

The Condé Nast Traveller India Readers’ Travel Awards are closely watched, as they are a barometer of the market’s changing tastes and preferences. Its discerning audiences are influencers in travel, and vote for their favourites across various categories. With no nominations for the award categories and voting left open to readers, Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards are considered indicative of what discerning travellers really want and enjoy.

To read more on Readers’ Travel Awards 2014 please log on to http://www.cntraveller.in/ or follow us on Facebook: /cntravellerindia and Twitter: @CNTIndia. Bloomberg TV India was the TV partner for the award function.

Commenting on the occasion Mr. Nicholas Coleridge, President, Condé Nast International said, “I attended the first year of Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards in Mumbai, so it is great to see that four years later they have established themselves as the most authoritative, most discriminating travel awards in India, combining integrity with glamour and commercial potency. After the launch of Condé Nast Traveller in India in 2010, which was the sixth international edition of the magazine, we have subsequently launched three more, in Moscow, Beijing and Dubai, but I can truthfully say that the Indian edition is one of the very best in the world. This is because the team has a razor-sharp instinct for this market and its readers, and brilliantly balances coverage of domestic travel inside India as well as the overseas destinations the Indian traveller relishes. That’s why the magazine has found such rapid success and attracted such a strong reader base.”

Ms. Divia Thani Daswani, Editor, Condé Nast Traveller India added, “We are delighted that the fourth edition of CNT Readers’ Travel Awards received a record number of votes, and that it grows in its popularity and reach every year. The industry knows why these awards matter most—they are a true reflection of what the discerning Indian traveller looks for and appreciates when he or she travels. It puts into perspective what destinations, hotels, airlines and other travel companies should focus on, helps them understand patterns and determine future trends. We are very proud to share these results with the winners and the industry at large. I have no doubt that the Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards will continue to grow from strength to strength every year.”

Readers of Condé Nast Traveller India voted for their preferred Destinations, Airlines, Hotels, Spas, Airports and more, across 27 categories, based on their personal experiences. This was through questionnaires inserted in copies of the June—July 2014 issue of the magazine, and simultaneously posted online at cntraveller.in for the same period. The replies were collated and analysed by an independent market-research company, Market Management, in the UK. The winners were determined after being scored on several parameters unique to each category.

Each year, Condé Nast Traveller presents the Excellence Awards to individuals who, with their brave new work, put the spotlight on India. The award for ‘Shining the World's Spotlight on India’ was presented to personalities- Mr. Sanjay Reddy- Vice Chairman of GVK Power and Infrastructure Limited and Managing Director of Mumbai International Airport Pvt. Ltd., Chef Manish Mehrotra and designer Rahul Mishra.

The ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ was presented to Maharaja of Jodhpur His Highness Gaj Singh II for his king-sized contribution to heritage hospitality.
A special tribute was given to Captain CPK Nair, Founder of the Leela Group of Hotels.

The Readers’ Travel Award winners will be featured in the December 2014 – January 2015 issue of Condé Nast Traveller India.

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