Readers Choice Awards

Every year Leisure Group Travel magazine readers are invited to cast their vote in our annual Reader’s Choice Awards. The poll rewards excellence in service in the group travel industry and is the only official awards certification in the marketplace.

Readers are asked to return their print reader service card (found in the August edition of the magazine) or vote online by visiting the online voting page.

Three levels of awards are given – Platinum, Gold, Silver, in the following categories:

• Best Theater
• Best Tourist Attraction
• Best Casino
• Best Tour Operator
• Best Domestic U.S. Destination
• Best International Destination
• Best Cruise Line
• Best Hotel Chain

Group travel organizers are encouraged to vote for their favorite suppliers in the above categories.

Voting is confidential and results are published in the firm’s annual Industry Forecast edition of Leisure Group Travel in December.

All entries are due by September 15.

2011 Readers Choice Awards Winners

About This Year’s Award Winners

In the Domestic Destination category, New York City muscled its way into first, proving it’s A-No.1, top of the heap in reclaiming the title earned in 2009. Right behind were Las Vegas and San Francisco, making it an urban sweep. Last year’s top destinations—Alaska, Branson and Pigeon Forge—
were far from city lights.

New York also took honors in the Attraction sweepstakes with the World Trade Center’s Ground Zero site placing third, apparently garnering support with news of the 9/11 Memorial that opened in September. It was runner-up to the Grand Canyon, a Gold recipient for the second year in a row, and
first-place finisher Walt Disney World, which reclaimed the top slot after not placing in last year’s balloting. Attraction category winners reflected a nice balance between theme park, natural wonder and urban site.

In the International Destination category, London—fresh from the William and Kate wedding and gearing up for the 2012 Summer Olympics—earned Platinum, followed by perennial Reader’s Choice favorites Italy and Ireland.

In the Theater category, Sight & Sound beat out The Fireside for first place, a flip-flop of last year’s results. The Palm Springs Follies earned Silver.

In the voting for Tour Operator, Leisure Group Travel readers for the fifth year in a row gave the Platinum and Gold to Collette Vacations and Globus Family of Brands, respectively. Apple Vacations took Silver. The Cruise Line competition also saw familiar players as Princess and Holland America
again placed first and third, with NCL replacing last year’s Gold winner, Carnival.

Long-time reader favorites Holiday Inn and Hampton won Platinum and Gold in the Hotel category, while Fairmont took Silver. Two of the top three Casino winners—Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun and Atlantic City’s Tropicana—were in the East, with Washington State’s Tulalip, recognized for the first time, coming in second.

Thanks to all who cast their ballots in the Reader’s Choice Awards. If you disagree with this year’s results, ensure your opinion is voiced in our 2012 Awards—voting starts next August.

2010 Readers Choice Awards Winners

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