Quito Named Leading South American Destination at World Travel Awards

BRENTWOOD, N.Y. - Oct. 12, 2015 - PRLog -- World Travel Awards (WTA) – widely regarded as the “Oscars of the Travel Industry” – has named Quito, Ecuador the “Leading South American Destination” for the third year in a row. Winners in WTA’s Latin America travel categories were revealed on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2015 at a ceremony in Bogota, Colombia; voters included travel industry members and travelers from around the world.

Quito Tourism, the government entity responsible for the promotion of Ecuador’s capital as a tourism destination, proactively campaigned for the award via media campaigns in Ecuador, Canada, the USA, Mexico and Europe, as well as on its website at www.quito.com.ec.

Quito, which experienced an 8.5% increase in tourism arrivals from 2013 to 2014, also received numerous awards for its infrastructure.  In addition to the top award, the Ecuadorian capital won for “South America’s Leading Airport” (Mariscal Sucre International Airport); “South America's Leading Luxury Train 2015” (Tren Crucero); “Ecuador’s Leading Boutique Hotel” (Hotel Plaza Grande); “Ecuador's Leading Hotel” (Swissôtel Quito); and “Ecuador's Leading Hotel Suite” (Presidential Suite @ Swissôtel Quito). Ecuador was also awarded WTA’s “South America's Leading Green Destination 2015” designation.

Mauricio Rodas Espinel, Mayor of the City of Quito, and Luz Elena Coloma, General Manager at Quito Tourism, were both on hand in Bogota to receive the top award. Quito will now enter the competition for WTA’s “Leading World Destination,” where it will vie against other world-class destinations such as New York, Rio de Janeiro and London. That ceremony is scheduled to take place on Nov. 8 and voting is still open at www.worldtravelawards.com

Quito has received numerous accolades in recent months, including being named one of TripAdvisor’s Recommended Destinations, a distinction given to only 15 of the destinations included in the awards. The city also came in at number 11 on the site’s Top 25 Destinations -- South America list. In addition, “International Living” magazine named Quito one of the top three cities with the “Best Climate in the World,” and the city was lauded as one of 20 “Rising Stars” destinations worldwide in the 2015 Gogobot Awards.

It is also noteworthy that the Quito was a finalist in 2014’s New7Wonders Cities competition.