Portugal Best European Destination, again
Portugal has been elected the Best European Destination for the second year running at the World Travel Awards in Athens.
The award was given on June 30 at the 25th World Travel Awards in which Portugal won the awards in two other categories: “Best City Destination” in Europe and the “Best European Cruise Port”.
The news was announced by the Lisbon Tourism Association (ATL) over the weekend. The “Best European Destination” Award was also given to Portugal in 2017.
In addition to Portugal, Austria, the UK, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Spain were all nominated in the “Best European Destination” category by the awards dubbed the “World Tourism Oscars”.
The 5-star Vila Vita Parc resort and spa in the Algarve was awarded winner of the WTA Europe’s Leading Luxury Hotels and Villas 2018.
Lisbon was nominated as the “Preferred City Destination” from among 12 European destinations by the organisation which included Amsterdam, Barcelona, London, Moscow, Geneva, Rome and Venice.
“Lisbon is to be congratulated for the investment that has been made in recent years to refurbish its architectural heritage, in developing new facilities and for improving its cultural and culinary range of products and services, thereby ensuring the growth in tourism and improving the quality of life of its residents,” says Vítor Costa, General-Director of the Lisbon Tourism Association.
It was the third year running that Lisbon picked up the “Best European Cruise Port” award with 521,000 passengers disembarking in Lisbon in 2017 and more expected this year.
Madeira won the “Best Island Destination” award while Portugal’s tourism bureau (Turismo de Portugal) was once again voted the “Best Official European Tourism Organisation”.