LONDON (6 November 2019) — The shortlist has been announced for the fifth annual National Geographic Traveller Reader Awards 2019, in association with Audley Travel. The 2019 awards have seen exciting new categories added to create the definitive word on the best destinations, experiences, hotels, operators, travel personalities and more.

Readers voted for their favourites, with the winners set to be announced during a ceremony at The Montcalm London Marble Arch on 4 December and in the Jan/Feb 2020 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK).

Pat Riddell, editor of National Geographic Traveller, said: “We’ve tweaked and amended the awards this year to include new food categories as well as highlight the best additions to the world of travel and those ever-present favourites. Our readers, as ever, have voted in their thousands and selected the destinations, attractions, travel experts, airlines and TV shows, among others, that make a difference and ultimately inspire and fulfil their travels.”

Voters were automatically entered into a prize draw. Up for grabs were a seven-night trip for two to the Dominican Republic, staying at the Grand Bahia Principe Aquamarine, in Punta Cana, with flights from Air Europa; a two-night luxury stay in Another Place, The Lake, on the shores of Ullswater in the Lake District; five £50 vouchers, courtesy of historic bookshop Stanfords; and 20 National Geographic Traveller (UK) subscriptions.

2019 READER AWARDS SHORTLIST:

ONE TO WATCH (CITY/REGION)
Antarctica
Marrakech
Patagonia

FIRM FAVOURITE (COUNTRY)
Greece
Italy
Spain

NEW NATIONAL TREASURE (UK ATTRACTION)
Alexandra Palace Theatre, London
Hebridean Whale Trail
National Maritime Museum, London

FAR & AWAY (OVERSEAS ATTRACTION)
Skywalk at Fuxi Mountain, China
Statue of Liberty Museum, New York
Street Art Museum, Amsterdam

ONE FOR THE KIDS (FAMILY EXPERIENCE)
Adventure Parc Snowdonia, Conwy
Bear Grylls Adventure, Birmingham
Tiger lodges, Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve, Kent

RIGHT TRACK (RAIL)
Glacier Express’s new Excellence Class, Switzerland
Interrail Europe’s programme offering free tickets for 18-year-old Europeans
New Caledonian Sleeper trains

ACROSS THE WAVES (CRUISE & EXPEDITION)
Celebrity Cruises’ Xpedition, Galápagos Islands
Hurtigruten’s MS Roald Amundsen
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Alaskan itineraries

DOMESTIC BLISS (UK HOTEL)
The Black Bull, Sedbergh, Cumbria
The Pig at Bridge Place, Kent
Titanic Hotel Belfast

THE DESTINATION HOTEL (OVERSEAS HOTEL)
Capella Ubud, Bali
The Retreat at Blue Lagoon, Iceland
The Rooms of Rome, Italy

UNIQUE STAYS (ACCOMMODATION WORLDWIDE)
Panorama Glass Lodge, Iceland
Shipwreck Lodge, Namibia
Wild Coast Tented Lodge, Sri Lanka

HIGH-FLYER (AIRLINE)
British Airways
Emirates
Virgin Atlantic

THE BIG OPERATOR (TOUR OPERATORS & TRAVEL AGENTS)
Expedia
Kuoni
Trailfinders

THE SMALL-MEDIUM OPERATOR (TOUR OPERATORS & TRAVEL AGENTS)
Exodus Travels
G Adventures
Intrepid Travel

THE INNOVATOR (INDUSTRY MOVERS AND SHAKERS)
Aberdeen Airport’s therapy dogs
Eurostar’s virtual guide to aid travellers with autism
Visit Faroe Islands’ volunteer beach clean-up initiative

BOOK WORM (TRAVEL BOOKS)
Around the World in 80 Trains, Monisha Rajesh
The Kindness of Strangers, Fearghal O’Nuallain
Lands of Lost Borders: A Journey on the Silk Road, Kate Harris

SOUND & VISION (TV & RADIO)
Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby (BBC Two)
The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan (BBC Two)
Travel Man (Channel 4)

BEYOND THE RECIPE BOOK (FOOD & TRAVEL)
Around the World in 80 Food Trucks, Lonely Planet
Copenhagen Food: Stories, Traditions and Recipes, Trine Hahnemann
The Life of Tea, Michael Freeman and Timothy d’Offay

TASTIEST FOOD & TRAVEL SHOW (TV, RADIO, PODCASTS)
The Hairy Bikers’ Mediterranean Adventure (BBC Two)
Nadiya’s Asian Odyssey (BBC One)
Rick Stein’s Road to Mexico (BBC Two)

FOODIE HOTSPOT (DESTINATION)
Cape Town
Lisbon
San Sebastián

THE WISH LIST (DESTINATION)
Canada
Japan
New Zealand

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTION TO TRAVEL
To be announced

Sponsors of the National Geographic Traveller Reader Awards 2019 are:

HEADLINE SPONSOR
Audley Travel

SPONSOR
Flight Centre
Guatemala

VENUE PARTNER
The Montcalm London Marble Arch

For more information, please visit nationalgeographic.co.uk/reader-awards

 

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The National Geographic Traveller (UK) digital edition is available for Apple, Android and Kindle devices: ngtr.uk/NGTdigital

Notes

National Geographic Traveller (UK) is published under licence by APL Media Limited, from National Geographic Partners LLC in Washington, D.C. The 180-page travel and lifestyle magazine launched in December 2010, and is packed full of you-are-there photography, authentic travel experiences and inspiring narratives. nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel

National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the National Geographic Society, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivalled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 131 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27% of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. nationalgeographic.com

National Geographic Society is a leading non-profit that invests in bold people and transformative ideas in the fields of exploration, scientific research, storytelling and education. It supports educators to ensure that the next generation is armed with geographic knowledge and global understanding. National Geographic Society aspires to create a community of change, advancing key insights about the planet and probing some of the most pressing scientific questions of our time. Its goal is measurable impact: furthering exploration and educating people around the world to inspire solutions for the greater good. nationalgeographic.org

For editorial enquiries:
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Pat Riddell, Editor
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Maria Pieri, Editorial Director
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Matthew Jackson, Managing Director
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