WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (PRWEB) March 11, 2019
Hotelplanner and Meetings.com, leading online providers of group hotel bookings and meeting space worldwide, are pleased to announce the winners of the 2019 European Group Travel Awards (EGTA), an event recognizing the top suppliers delivering outstanding services and group travel experiences throughout Europe.
Co-founded by HotelPlanner in 2015, this year’s awards gala, hosted by documentary film producer and former MSNBC host Dylan Ratigan, was held on March 7th at the premier luxury InterContinental Hotel in Berlin during ITB. Seventeen award categories were presented throughout the evening, recognizing those organizations offering the highest quality of group travel experiences and outstanding services across hotels, airlines, cruises, technology, media, travel agencies and more.
“On behalf of the entire team at HotelPlanner and Meetings.com, I would like to extend my most sincere congratulations to the evening’s esteemed winners and runner-ups. This year’s nominees continued to raise the bar for the group travel industry, and it’s an honor to celebrate their outstanding achievements,” said Tim Gunstone, EVP of Marketing, Hotelplanner and Meetings.com.
Now in its fifth year, EGTA has become recognized as ITBs best after party. Following the dinner and awards ceremony, the industry’s top executives, travel organizers and journalists enjoyed live entertainment by renowned electropop duo Breathe Carolina, Gatecrasher’s DJ Tall Paul, and the very best in Las Vegas-style entertainment Stars in Concert - all generously sponsored by Translations.com.
The winners and runner-ups for the 2019 European Group Travel Awards include:
Best Group Hotel Brand - Full Service:
Winner: Hilton Hotels & Resorts
Runner-up: Sheraton Hotels & Resorts
Best Group Hotel Brand - Limited Service:
Winner: Holiday Inn Express
Runner-up: Best Western Hotels & Resorts
Best Group Hotel Brand - Luxury:
Winner: InterContinental Hotels & Resorts
Runner-up: Best Western Premier
Best Group Hotel Brand – Boutique:
Winner: Best Western Plus
Runner-up: Bulgari Hotels & Resorts
Best Resort/Spa Brand for Groups:
Winner: Steigenberger Hotels and Resorts
Runner-up: Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
Best Hotel Brand for Weddings:
Winner: Hôtel La Pérouse
Runner-up: Hotel Palaci Estoril
Best Group Tour Operator:
Winner: TUI Group
Runner-Up: Thomas Cook
Best Online Transportation Service for Groups:
Winner: British Airways
Runner-up: Kiwi.com
Best City Tour for Group Travel:
Winner: Big Bus Tours
Runner-up: City Sightseeing
Best Social Media Platform for Group Travel:
Winner: Facebook
Runner-up: Instagram
Best Independent Hotel Brand for Groups:
Winner: Mogotel
Runner-up: The Leading Hotels of the World
Best City Destination for Groups:
Winner: London
Runner-up: Barcelona
Best Accommodation Alternative Provider for Groups:
Winner: Airbnb
Runner-up: Booking Group
Best Technology Award for Innovation in Group Travel:
Winner: TripAdvisor
Runner-up: Expedia
Best Online Tours and Activities Provider for Groups:
Winner: Get your guide
Runner-up: Viator
Best Ticketing and Registration Provider for Groups:
Winner: Ticketmaster
Runner-up: EventBright
Best Search for Groups:
Winner: Google
Runner-up: Trivago
For more information on this year’s 2019 European Group Travel Awards, please visit https://europeangrouptravelawards.com and follow #AGTAwards on Facebook and Twitter for all of the latest event updates.
About European Group Travel Awards:
The European Group Travel Awards (EGTA) was created by Tim Hentschel, CEO of HotelPlanner.com, and Peter Stonham, Editorial Director at Landor Travel Publications. Mr. Hentschel and Mr. Stonham organized the EGTA to recognize all the effort and dedication that organizations in Europe put into providing group travellers with exceptional travel experiences.
The concept was introduced into the marketplace by Peter Stonham who, with Group Travel Organiser, have been providing group travellers with information and ideas for group travel trips since 1988. The event in London, called the UK Group Travel Awards, is attended by nearly 500 attendees and awards are provided in 23 categories.
HotelPlanner, host of The American Group Travel Awards (AGTA) held in New York City each year, and Landor Travel Publications also launched the European Group Travel Awards which took place in Berlin, Germany on March 9th, 2017 at the Intercontinental Hotel Berlin. The European Group Travel Awards recognizes the finest suppliers on the continent that specialize in group travel.
HotelPlanner and Group Travel Organiser believe that the group market will continue to grow. Shared travel experiences with family and friends and by corporations and businesses help build more productive relationships and memories that last a lifetime.
To find out more vote or attend go to https://europeangrouptravelawards.com or call Tim Gunstone +44 (0) 7815814314 tim(dot)gunstone(at)hotelplanner(dot)com.