World Travel Awards has revealed that Guayaquil, on the west coast of Ecuador, will host its Latin America Ceremony on September 15th.
It will be World Travel Awards’ first visit to Guayaquil, the gateway to the incredible Galapagos Islands and the beating commercial heart of the South American destination.
The red-carpet ceremony will form part of the World Travel Awards Grand Tour 2018 – a search for the finest travel and tourism organisations in the world.
The tour also marks World Travel Awards’ 25th anniversary of honouring excellence in the international hospitality industry.
A rapidly-emerging tourism hotspot, Guayaquil is best known for its gleaming riverside development, the Malecón 2000, which incorporates gardens, shopping centres, restaurants, a landmark museum, the first iMAX theatre in South America, and several of the city’s finest monuments.
The historic Palacio de Cristal will provide a stunning backdrop to World Travel Awards Latin America Ceremony.
Designed and built by engineers on behalf of Gustave Eiffel (designer of the Eiffel Tower, Paris), the palace was inaugurated in 1908 and has since undergone extensive renovation as part of Guayaquil’s Urban Regeneration project.
It reopened in 2002 as an exhibition and culture centre, hosting artworks by such greats as Rembrandt, Picasso and Rendón Seminario.
Gloria Gallardo, president of Guayaquil Tourist Board, said: “It will be a real honour to welcome the major players of the tourist industry to Guayaquil.
“Guayaquil is your destination to visit and enjoy.
“We are sure that World Travel Awards delegates will fall in love with the city and, hopefully, return. Guayaquil, the Pearl of the Pacific, welcomes you!”
Ecuador’s most vibrant city also boasts a brand-new convention and visitors’ bureau, a world-class international airport, the largest convention centre in the country, a vast range of accommodation and an enviably warm climate.
Graham Cooke, founder, World Travel Awards, said: “It will be an absolute pleasure to visit Guayaquil – Ecuador’s city with the Midas touch – for the very first time, as we celebrate our 25th anniversary.
“World Travel Awards has maintained its position as the industry leader for the past 25 years, consistently proving its value as the global benchmark for excellence in the travel, tourism and hospitality business.”
As part of the Grand Tour 2018, World Travel Awards is also hosting ceremonies in Ras Al Khaimah (UAE), Athens (Greece), Jamaica, Hong Kong and Durban (South Africa), with the winners progressing to the Grand Final in Lisbon (Portugal).
Voting for the World Travel Awards Latin America Ceremony will open on March 26th and conclude on August 5th.
For more information on how to participate, visit the official website.