Preview: Wanderlust Magazine Announces 2016 Travel Awards

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MED LRG

05 Feb 2016

Wanderlust Magazine Announces 2016 Travel Awards

New Zealand holds the Top Country spot, proving that the country's popularity goes well beyond the 'Hobbit effect', with Macedonia making a surprising and bold entry as Top Emerging Destination and the Lake District clinching the Top UK Destination crown in the Wanderlust Magazine Travel Awards 2016; announced today.

The news that travellers are favouring African countries, with Ethiopia and Botswana voted in joint second place, lesser-known cities and new, challenging destinations has grabbed the headlines at this year's Wanderlust Magazine Travel Awards 2016, which took place today at a ceremony at the Destinations Travel Show at Olympia, London. The finalists were rated by 2,900 of the publication's readers, with a total of 168 countries, 618 cities, 440 airports and 484 tour operators being nominated; demonstrating the 'well-travelled' status of the magazine's reach.

New Zealand has once again retained the number one spot for the Top Country category this year- proof that the lure of big landscapes, as well as great food, wine and Maori culture, punches above any 'Hobbit legacy'. New Zealand achieved a satisfaction rating of 97.33% - with Ethiopia and Botswana tying for second with 96.52%. Peru's Inca allure shone through in third place, with the country very much in the headlines as it awaits the start of its first British Airways direct service this Spring.

“Although New Zealand remains on top, it is particularly interesting to see Ethiopia and Botswana sharing second place; Botswana hasn't even made the top ten in the last few years. With its unbeatable wildlife viewing options, Okavango Delta, rhino conservation, Kalahari Desert and more elephants and fewer people than most African safari destinations, this country is a delight,” commented Wanderlust's Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Lyn Hughes.

In common with New Zealand, the small and breathtakingly beautiful Macedonia won the poll for the Top Emerging Destination. Closer to home, this part-Balkan part-Mediterranean corner of Europe is rich in Greek, Roman and Ottoman history, and like New Zealand boasts great hiking, mountain biking, lakes and wine tasting. Despite few people having even heard of its capital Skopje, the country scooped a 98% satisfaction score. Bolivia came a close second with 97.14%, whilst Mongolia and Greenland tied for third.

"Proving that off the beaten track does exist in Europe, Macedonia has struck a chord with our readers. Visiting the Western Balkans back in 2014 was a true delight with its rich heritage, ancient monasteries and unspoiled lakes and mountains, begging to be explored. Along with Bolivia and Greenland, these destinations really do satisfy a thirst for big adventure,” continued Hughes.

The great outdoors remains top of the bill back in the UK and The Lake District once again headed up the Top UK Destination category- great news for the region which has had a difficult time at the hands of devastating floods over recent months- followed byCornwall and London. The category remains a mixture of urban and landscapes, with Bath nudging up to number 8 and Edinburgh remaining at number 4, and a good showing for the north with Northumberland at 5 and the Peak District at 6.

Indochina remains a firm favourite in the Top City category with Vietnam's Hoi An knocking Luang Prabang in Laos off the top spot and scoring an impressive 98.5%. With 618 cities voted for in this category – from Albuquerque to Scarborough – the competition is always incredibly hot. Tromsø, Norway's entry point for Arctic adventures, not only enters the top ten for the first time but almost wins with a score of 98.33% only just behind the winner, with last year's winner Bagan coming in third.

Asia bags the top three spots inthe Top Worldwide Airport category, with Singapore Changi winningfor an incredible 14th consecutive year, followed by Hong Kong International and Tokyo Narita. From a UK perspective, London is back in the picture with London City winning top spot and London Heathrow creeping up to number 5. Interestingly, Gatwick doesn't make the top ten this year and Heathrow's jump could be due to the opening of the shiny new terminal 2 building in Summer 2014.

Other category winners were as follows:

Top Tour Operator: Llama Travel (99.39%), third place last year.

Top Airline: Emirates (89.77%), finally on top after always coming second or third to Singapore Airlines, who have only not won this category once before in the Award's 15 years.

Top Guidebook Series: Bradt (81.54%) – are back on winning form again.

Top TV or Radio Programme: Caribbean with Simon Reeve, proving again very popular after his win last year with his Australia series.

Top Equipment Brand: Paramo (96.87%) – a clear winner.

Full results of the Travel Awards will appear online at www.wanderlusttravelawards.co.uk and will then feature in the April edition of Wanderlust on sale on 17 March 2016, priced £3.99.

-ENDS-

For further information or to set up interviews with Lyn Hughes, editor-in-chief, or Phoebe Smith, editor, please contact Emma Harber at Fiona Reece PR on 01242 806 804 / 07725 167665 or email emma@fionareece.com

EDITOR'S NOTES

About Wanderlust magazine

Wanderlust was launched by Paul Morrison and Lyn Hughes in 1993. The couple were bored on a long flight to South America and decided to sketch out their dream travel magazine on the back of a sick bag. They soon decided that they could do it themselves and there was no other name for it than Wanderlust. Over the last seventeen years the magazine has established itself as the bible for independently minded travellers. Go to www.wanderlust.co.uk to find out more about the magazine and how you can vote for your favourites in travel for 2017.

About the Wanderlust Readers' Travel Awards

The awards are based on readers' travels from December 2014 to November 2015. Results are based on an average satisfaction score (converted to a percentage) rather than the number of votes cast. An entry required a minimum number of votes to be considered. In categories where no percentage is shown, results are based on number of votes cast.

Full results at www.wanderlusttravelawards.co.uk

Full Results for 2016 Awards: