Shanghai – Greater China travel trade’s biggest annual industry awards announced 11 new titles in its 58 awards line-up this year, reflecting timely changes in the region’s hotel, serviced residence and travel services sectors.

Best Business Hotels and Best City Hotels awards in regions outside of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou/Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Macau saw geographical merges that resulted in stiffer competition among contenders. The new grouping formed the following 3 territories: “East and Northeast China”, “North and Northwest China”, “Central South and Southwest China”, with a total of 6 winners in the category.

This year also saw the debut of the “Best Serviced Apartment in China” award, as well as 4 brand new travel services awards, “Best New Cruise Ship”, “Best Theme Attraction (Local)”, “Best Theme Attraction (Overseas)”, and “Best Airport (Overseas)”. These additions reflect the rise of longer-staying travelers in China, a sprouting cruise industry, and the sizeable economic clout generated by the country’s domestic and outbound travel.

With the exception of two, all winners in the 11 new awards made their inaugural entry into the TTG China Travel Awards. Hong Kong Disneyland Resort as “Best Theme Attraction (Overseas)” is the only defending winner. Before the award segmentation to local and overseas this year, the resort had won the Best Theme Attraction for 8 years running. Sofitel Xian on Renmin Square is also returning as “Best Business Hotel in North and Northwest China” after having last won “Best Hotel in Northwest China” in 2013.

Collectively, TTG China Travel Awards 2018 welcomed 22 debuting winners who took the Hermès trophy – a signature trademark of the awards, home for the first time. Notable mentions include Lanson Place Jinlin Tiandi Serviced Residences (Best Serviced Apartment in China), Genting Dream (Best New Cruise Ship), Wanda Reign on the Bund (Best Luxury Hotel in Shanghai) and Rosewood Sanya (Best Resort in China (Beach).

7 winners proved their worth by making a comeback into this year’s awards. Among them are Sands Resorts Macao and The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong, reclaiming their titles as “Best Resort in China (Non-Beach)” and “Best Luxury Hotel in Hong Kong” respectively.

Demonstrating to the industry that consistency is key in service excellence, half of this year’s winners held onto their titles. Among them are veteran organisations such as Tourism Australia and Chimelong Hotel Guangzhou who have asserted their reign once again over the “Best Overseas NTO in China Promoting BT-MICE” and “Best Theme Hotel in China” awards respectively.

All winners were selected through an industry-wide voting process spanning from November to December last year. Voters comprised of readers of TTG China, TTG-BTmice China, TTG Asia, TTG India, TTGmice, TTGassociations, and TTG Asia Luxury, as well as the travel trade at large, who are travel consultants, tour operators and destination management companies.

The TTG China Travel Awards is a TTG Travel Trade Publishing Event organized by TTG China, held annually in Shanghai, in conjunction with The Leading International MICE Event in China, IT&CM China and The Leading Corporate Travel Management Conference for China, CTW China.

This year, the ceremony and gala dinner was held at Wanda Reign on the Bund, the official venue sponsor of the event.

Voting for the TTG China Travel Awards 2019 will open in November this year. More information on the TTG China Travel Awards can be found at: awards.ttgchina.com

About TTG China Travel Awards

The TTG China Travel Awards has been recognizing the best of Greater China’s travel industry since 2008. This prestigious annual event honors stellar Travel Suppliers across Airlines, Hotels & Resorts, Serviced Residences and Travel Services segments in the region. This TTG Travel Trade Publishing event is proudly organized by TTG China, with the support of TTG-BTmice China, TTG Asia, TTG India, TTGmice, TTGassociations and TTG Asia Luxury.