Madeira has been revealed as the host for the World Travel Awards Europe Gala Ceremony 2019.
The Portuguese destination, which has taken the title of Europe’s Leading Island Destination four times, will use the event to boost its profile on the international stage.
Madeira Tourist Board, which also walked away with the title of World’s Leading Island Destination at the World Travel Awards last year, will welcome hundreds of industry leaders to the event.
This information was confirmed earlier by Madeira regional secretary for tourism and culture, Paula Cabaço, to the local newspaper Diário de Notícias.
She stated: “Hosting this event is of great importance, not only for the relevance of what this award involves, but also for the overall number of European tourist destinations which will be present at this ceremony.
“It is an extraordinary and unprecedented opportunity to promote Madeira, as well as to optimise the islands tourism potential abroad.”
Cabaço added: “Even though this has been an aspiration on our part for quite some time, preparations to bring the World Travel Awards Europe Gala Ceremony to Madeira started in earnest last December, during the 24th edition of the World Travel Awards Grand Final, held in Vietnam.
“During that event, the World Travel Awards communicated with the Regional Secretariat for Tourism & Culture of this intention.
“As a direct result of this decision this entity is presently undergoing a week-long visit on our island as to evaluate the logistical conditions necessary to organise an event of this nature and magnitude.”
More details of the event are excepted to be released in the coming months.
World Travel Awards group vice president Christopher Frost said: “It will be an honour for us to take the World Travel Awards Europe Gala Ceremony to Madeira for the first time.
“We will reveal the date for the event in the coming months, but I am certain the islands are an ideal host for us and I look forward to joining the international hospitality elite there next year.”
World Travel Awards was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the tourism industry.
Today, the World Travel Awards brand is recognised globally as the ultimate hallmark of quality, with winners setting the benchmark to which all others aspire.
Each year, World Travel Awards covers the globe with a series of regional gala ceremonies staged to recognise and celebrate individual and collective success within each key geographical region.
World Travel Awards Gala Ceremonies are widely regarded as the best networking opportunities in the travel industry, attended by government and industry leaders, luminaries and international print and broadcast media.