South Africa tops World Travel Awards [Archives:2006/949/Last Page]
South Africa is the best holiday destination in Africa – and it's official. At the World Travel Awards ceremony in London in November 2005, South Africa's airline, hotels, airports and tourist attractions walked off with 16 of the 17 prize categories for the continent of Africa.
To determine the awards, some 156 000 travel agencies and professionals in over 140 countries vote over the internet for their leading travel destinations, airlines, hotels, personalities and companies around the world.
For the second year in a row the Saxon Hotel in Johannesburg was voted the World's Leading Boutique Hotel, beating the Soleil Hotel & Suites in Vancouver, the Sunset Marquis Hotel & Villas in California, Australia's Royce Hotel, the Metropolitan of London and the Delano in Miami.
South Africa's Shamwari Game Reserve came out tops in the awards for the 8th consecutive year, winning two global awards – the world's leading conservation company and the world's leading safari and game reserve. The reserve was also voted Africa's leading safari destination.
The world's leading responsible tourism project went to Bushman Sands in the Eastern Cape, while South Africa's Rovos Rail company was voted the world's leading luxury train and Africa's leading safari train.
In the Africa section, both South African Airways and the Sun City complex in North West province won three awards. Other African winners were the Mount Nelson Hotel, Protea Hotels, and the Fancourt Hotel and Country Club.
Cape Town was voted the leading destination in Africa and is also considered as one of the “50 Places to See before You Die”!
This honour was also bestowed upon Cape Town at the 18th Annual Conde Naste Travellers Readers Choice Awards held in New York in October 2005. Nearly 28 000 travelers voted in the awards and Cape Town came out tops as the number one city in Africa and the Middle East.
US adventure travel website iExplore, which caters for higher income travellers searching for “something unique””
