London, 24 Sept 2009 - Excitement is mounting in expection of the announcement of winners of the UK travel trade’s most prestigious tourism awards.

Nine of the world's most innovative and newest tourism projects have been shortlisted for the British Guild of Travel Writers’ Annual New Tourism Projects Awards following nominations from members of the Guild, the premier professional association for bonafide journalists, editors, photographers, and radio and film broadcasters working in the travel field from Britain.

Industry roll of honour

The Guild Tourism Awards – presented for successful and environmentally sensitive projects that benefit local communities – are highly coveted.

Three projects are competing for the Globe Category (receiving more than 250,000 visitors a year). They are the California Academy of Sciences, remodelled in 2008 and one of the world's largest natural history museums; Switzerland Mobility, a new car-free transport trail that allows visitors to bike, canoe, hike or skate through thousands of kilometres of Switzerland's most beautiful scenery; and Hermitage Amsterdam, a major new European cultural destination with a dazzling display of more than 1,800 treasures from the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg.

In the Overseas Tourism Project category, competition is also set to be fierce. The contenders are conCERT Cambodia, Connecting Communities, Environment & Responsible Tourism in Cambodia, a one-stop information service NGO that allows tourists to volunteer or contribute to local projects of their choice during their travels in Cambodia; the Al-Ayoun Trail, Jordan's first co-operative tourism project run by three neighbouring villages that allows visitors to travel to parts of the country formerly unreachable and interact with local people; and the Magritte Museum, Brussels, a new museum displaying 180 of the celebrated 20th century Surrealist's works, plus letters, photos and other related material.

In the UK Tourism Project section, competing are: The Saatchi Gallery; which opened in 2008 in the Duke of York HQ building on King's Road, Chelsea, and aims to bring unseen or little known new contemporary art to the widest audience possible with free admission to all shows; Greenway, the former summer home of famed British novelist, Agatha Christie, in Devon, restored to its former glory by the National Trust; and Down House, former country home in Kent of Charles Darwin revamped by English Heritage to include a brand new exhibition celebrating the 200th anniversay of the scientist's birth.

Bringing the travel world together

The winners are to be announced at the UK travel trade’s most prestigious awards ceremony, The British Guild of Travel Writers’ Annual Gala Awards Dinner, at the Marriott Grosvenor Square, London, on November 8, on the eve of the World Travel Market. The event is attended by the UK’s top travel media professionals as well as high-profile representatives of the international travel world, including tourism boards, tour companies, travel PRs, tour and transport operators, and many other organisations operating in the global tourism industry.

Celebrating journalistic excellence

The event is also the UK’s premier occasion for the travel industry to recognise excellence and achievement in travel writing, photography and broadcasting. The awards are sponsored by the industry and include a range of travel-related journalism awards, as well as a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award. In past years, this has been presented in past years to Judith Chalmers, Sir Freddie Laker, Patrick Leigh Fermor, Noel Josephides and Eric Newby.

A few tickets remain

Caribbean sunshine is guaranteed at the event, sponsored this year by the Antigua Tourist Board, Elite Island Resorts and Virgin Holidays. A number of tickets are still available but they are selling fast. These cost £150 plus VAT and can be purchased online at: http://www.bgtw.org/0/gala-award-tickets.html

Gala Awards Dinner Tables are sold for 10, 11 or 12 heads, or individual tickets can be purchased. The price includes Champagne reception; three-course dinner with wine, coffee and petits fours, andthe Guild's awards ceremony. The event begins at 6pm and finishes at 11pm. There is a cash bar until 1am. For queries regarding tickets, contact the Guild secretariat: T. 0208 144 8713 E. This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Further info: Sarah Monaghan, BGTW Press & PR Co-ordinator
t. 01273 455798
m. 07905 916610
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