Portugal has emerged as the top European travel destination in 2020, beating off competition from France, Spain and other tourist hotspots to be crowned the winner in the World Travel Awards.
This is now the fourth year in a row that Portugal has been named “Europe’s Leading Destination” in the prestigious tourism awards.
Running since 1993, the World Tourism Awards analyze and evaluate the tourism sector at a global level, with award categories including “Best City Break Destination”, “Best Adventure Tourist Attraction”, “Best Destination City Break in Europe”, “Best European Cruise Destination”, “Best Island in Europe”, and more.
13’s the lucky number
Including the overall Europe prize, Portugal picked up no fewer than 13 awards at the 2020 awards. These included the “Best City Break Destination” and “Best European Cruise Destination” for Lisbon, “Best Destination City Break in Europe” for Porto, and “Best Adventure Tourist Attraction” for Passadiços do Paiva.
Meanwhile “Best Beach Destination in Europe” went to the Algarve, while Madeira was named “Best Island in Europe” for the seventh time.
Commenting in 2019, Paula Oliveira, Executive Director of the Lisbon Tourism Association, said: “Boosting tourism has been the main driver of Lisbon’s recognition at the World Travel Awards. Regeneration projects such as the new Lisbon pier […] are an example of how Lisbon continues to reinvent itself and innovate to continue to exceed the expectations of locals and those who visit us”.
Graham Cooke, Founder, World Travel Awards, says: “Our World winners represent the best in global travel and tourism and my congratulations to each of them. They have all demonstrated remarkable resilience in a year of unprecedented challenges.”
He added: “The World Travel Awards 2020 programme received a record number of votes cast by the public. This shows that the appetite for travel has never been stronger. With hope and the tourism bounce on the horizon, our industry can look forward to a resurgent and bright future.”
The results follow a year-long search for the world’s top travel, tourism and hospitality brands. Votes were cast by travel industry professionals and the public, with the nominee gaining the most votes in a category named as the winner.
Source: World Travel Awards