PATWA International Travel Awards at ITB, Berlin Announced

The event was graced by eight tourism ministers, four governors, two senators, ambassadors, the leadership of various hotels, airlines, industry stalwarts and international media. The event partners were Malta & Goa.

It was preceded by the PATWA World Tourism & Aviation Leaders Summit on 'Tourism & Climate Change'. The summit had a spectacular line up of four speakers, more specifically tourism ministers of Malta, Brazil, Seychelles and Jamaica. The speakers emphasized on the need for the industry to prepare for the challenges the world faces from the effects of climate change and find solutions to confront the problem head on.

PATWA Secretary General, Yatan Ahluwalia opened the summit saying, 'climate change does not know political, geographic, economic, or social boundaries and we must begin to take responsibility to make a difference'. He also announced the launch of the hashtag #icanstopclimatechange and encouraged the use of this across social media to post aspirational stories on steps they were taking on a personal level.

PATWA International Travel Awards

The PATWA International travel awards have been instituted independently and are now in their 24^th year. They have a stringent selection and nomination process and have earned a reputation as the first and foremost awards of the travel, tourism, aviation, and hospitality industry.

The awards recognise governments, organisations, brands, ministers, and individuals who have excelled in the promotion of tourism. This includes airlines, hotels, travel agencies, tour operators, destinations, government bodies, tourism ministries, and other service provider(s) related directly or indirectly with the trade.

The 2024 winners are:

Destinations

1. Destination of the Year - Culture

TAMIL NADU

2. Destination of the Year - Farm & Rural Tourism

PUNJAB

3. Destination of the Year - India

GOA

4. Destination of the Year - Mediterranean Region

MALTA

5. Destination of the Year - Honeymoons & Romantic Holidays

JAMAICA

6. Destination of the Year - Ecological Tourism

GUYANA

7. Destination of the Year - History

ARMENIA

8. Destination of the Year

BRAZIL

Organisational Excellence

1. Best Organisation - Inclusivity

IGLTA - INTERNATIONAL LGBTQ+ TRAVEL ASSOCIATION

Hospitality

1. Best City Hotel - New Delhi

LE MERIDIEN, NEW DELHI

2. Best Hotel Chain - South Asia

RADISSON HOTEL GROUP

3. Best Hotel Chain - Service Standards

TAJ HOTELS

Individual Excellence

1. Best Woman Professional - Hospitality Management (India)

KANIKA HASRAT - IHCL

2. Best Professional - Hospitality Development (India)

MEENA BHATIA, LE MERIDIEN

3. Best Professional - Hospitality Operations (India)

K. MOHANCHANDRAN - IHCL

4. Best Critic - Airlines & Aviation

JOSH CAHILL

5. Best Professional - Hospitality (India)

ZUBIN SAXENA

PATWA Gold Awards

1. Tourism Promotions

DR. SAGNIK CHOWDHARY

2. Hospitality Leadership

K.B KACHRU

3. Travel & Tourism

ALAIN ST. ANGE

Global Icons

1. Global Icon - Governance - Jamaica

H.E. EDMUND BARTLETT

Excellence In Governance

This exclusive award category recognises the work done by countries, states, provinces, regions, districts and cities through and by their elected representatives to promote sustainable travel with policies, guidelines, and incentives for their destinations and the hospitality, aviation, and tourism sectors.

The awards are given to governments including, but not limited to, ministers, governors, parliamentarians, and mayors. PATWA is the first organisation to have awards dedicated to excellence in governance on a regional, national and international level.

The winners in this category are:

1. Woman Tourism Minister of the Year - India (Punjab)

H.E. ANMOL GAGAN MAAN

2. Woman Tourism Minister of the Year - South America (Guyana)

H.E. ONEIDGE WALROND

3. Tourism Minister of the Year - India (Goa)

H.E. ROHAN KHAUNTE

4. Tourism Minister of the Year - Indian Ocean Region (Seychelles)

H.E. SYLVESTRE RADEGONDE

5. Tourism Minister of the Year - Mediterranean Region (Malta)

H.E. CLAYTON BARTOLO

6. Tourism Minister of the Year - South America (Brazil)

H.E. CELSO SABINO

Quotes on the awards

Yatan Ahluwalia, Secretary General

"The jury's focus this year has been on the Mediterranean and South American region, besides the Indian subcontinent. Sustainability was a key factor for our selection. Besides recognising organisations and individuals, our excellence in governance category included awards for 8 tourism ministers from around the globe who have made an impact with their policies and vision."

About PATWA

The Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA) is a non-profit, non-government professional, international media organisation. PATWA's primary objective is to serve as a catalyst for responsibly developing the travel and tourism industry. Our founding philosophy is to support the sustainable development and growth of travel, tourism, hospitality, and aviation worldwide.

PATWA works with governments, organisations and companies in both the public and private sectors. PATWA adheres to the fundamental principles of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations (UN), and UN Tourism. PATWA is an Affiliate Member of UN Tourism.