September 20, 2022, 9:01 am | Read time: 5 minutes

For the first time, the grand TRAVELBOOK Award was presented. After months of evaluation, analysis, and assessment, the time had come. The expert jury had previously decided on the winners during a more than three-hour discussion. Today, they were announced during a diverse stage event, including live music and a world cuisine dinner.

The six winners of the first TRAVELBOOK AWARD:

Winner “Best City Destination”: Lisbon

Among the nominated cities, Portugal’s capital secured the top spot. Lisbon is the best city destination and received the TRAVELBOOK Award in the first category, accepted by Dr. Hernán Leandro Amado, General Consul of Portugal. Despite a previous tie between Lisbon and Singapore, the jury chose Lisbon. The city, with its charm, offers a special feel-good program and impressed with its proximity, rapid ecological development, and especially a significantly higher rating in human rights and social sustainability.

Also nominated were: Singapore, New York, Barcelona, and Tel Aviv.

Also interesting: This is the best city destination in the world

Winner “Best Long-Haul Destination”: Costa Rica

Costa Rica emerged as the best long-haul destination after a very intense discussion round. The Central American country impresses especially in the criteria of ecology and value for money. Additionally, Costa Rica was the first country in the world to be recognized for its environmental policy and is thus a worthy winner of the “Best Long-Haul Destination” category of the TRAVELBOOK AWARDs. The award was accepted by Dorothea Hohn, Managing Director Global Communications Expert. There was also a video message from William Rodríguez López, Minister of Tourism of Costa Rica.

Also nominated were: the USA, Indonesia, South Africa, and Australia.

Also interesting: Awarded! The 5 best long-haul destinations worldwide

Winner “Best Region for a Beach Vacation”: Spain

Spain secures the top spot in the “Best Region for a Beach Vacation” category despite strong competitors like the Seychelles and the Caribbean. The award was accepted by Octavio Gonzáles Manteca, Director of the Spanish Tourism Office Turespaña, and Stefan Schmidt, Marketing Director of the Spanish Tourism Office. The decisive factor was mainly Spain’s diversity with its dreamy islands and mainland, as well as the very high standard of the beaches. Water quality and activity offerings were also rated particularly high, leading to the designation as the winner.

Also nominated were: the Seychelles, the Caribbean, Zanzibar, and Greece.

Also interesting: The 5 best countries and regions for a beach vacation

Winner “Best Region for a Winter Vacation”: Norway

The closest head-to-head race occurred in the “Best Region for a Winter Vacation” category. All nominees were closely matched. However, Norway ultimately convinced the jury and is the winner in the “Best Region for a Winter Vacation” category of the TRAVELBOOK AWARDs. The award was presented to Ulrike Katrin Peters, Market Manager for the DACH region of Visit Norway. The breathtaking nature, good accessibility, and especially the pronounced snow reliability brought the Scandinavian country the victory.

Also nominated were: Austria, Switzerland, Canada, and Germany.

Also interesting: Awarded! The best region for a winter vacation

Winner “Destination with the Best World Cuisine”: Thailand

In an open discussion round without specific criteria, Thailand and Italy had a very close race in the “Destination with the Best World Cuisine” category. Ultimately, Thailand prevailed, and the award was accepted by Nalin Wachirapansakul, Deputy Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Thai cuisine scores with its variety of spices, tropical note, and affordable dishes.

Also nominated were: Italy, Mexico, Georgia, and Peru.

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Winner “The Ultimate Dream Destination”: Bora Bora

The public vote for the ultimate dream destination places Bora Bora at the top. The atoll with the impressive Mount Otemanu in the center, countless reef islets, and the turquoise lagoon prevailed with 32 percent of the votes from more than 21,000 survey participants. Pamela Ide, Marketing Manager Germany & Switzerland Tahiti Tourisme, accepted the award on behalf. The island group is thus the ultimate dream destination–a trip there is a great wish for many, yet still a distant dream.

Also nominated were: New Zealand, Hawaii, Namibia, and Bali.

Methodology:

The nine-member expert jury had to answer a detailed criteria catalog for each destination and category by mid-August. A score from 1 (very poor) to 5 (very good) could be awarded for each criterion and destination. The following criteria were applied to the nominated travel destinations: value for money, sustainability (social sustainability, ecology, human rights), safety, activity offerings, accessibility, snow reliability, cleanliness, quality of public transport, and water quality. Here you can find the entire criteria catalog.