When an unbiased person gives you a compliment or rates your business highly enough to recommend it to others then it is a great feeling. This is why the Holiday Extras Customer Awards are so popular with the public and also with the movers and shakers from the travel industry alike.

Manila Bay

It is the ultimate compliment if your business along with the service that you offer your customers helps you to beat your competitors and win your category that was voted for by the people who use you on a daily basis.

These awards have not been going for long (three years to be exact) but they are still extremely popular and are proving to be getting even more so as each year passes.

The beauty of these awards is that they allow the winners to be chosen purely by the customers of Holiday Extras and this means that there is no industry bias involved and the people who win do so as a result of offering great service and good value for money to the people who matter the most – their customers.

Here is a list of the winners for this year’s awards that were held in London on September 15th.

- Best Airline: Emirates
- Best Airline Cabin Crew: Emirates
- Best Airline for Value for Money: easyJet
- Best Airport: Belfast International
- Best Airport Car Park: Edinburgh Park and Fly
- Best Airport Hotel: Gatwick Sofitel
- Best Airport Hotel Restaurant: Manchester Premier Inn
- Best Airport Lounge: Edinburgh Servisair
- Best Airport Hotel for families: Manchester Premier Inn
- Best Airline for Travelling with Babies: Virgin Atlantic
- Best Airline for Travellers with a Disability: Virgin Atlantic
- Most Inspirational Travel Film: Shirley Valentine
- Best Travel Guide Publisher: Lonely Planet

It is quite amazing that the number of people who voted this year was almost triple the amount who voted last year. More than 66,000 people expressed their view on who were the best companies in each category. When people vote in these numbers it really makes the companies sit up and take notice!

Each year more categories are added and this year was no exception with two new ones being included. The two new categories were the categories for the best travel guide and also a new category for the most inspirational travel film. Holiday Extras are not planning on stopping there either. There are plans to make the awards for 2012 even bigger with more categories and more voters.

For more information on how holiday extras can help you book your nest holiday visit holidayextras.co.uk

Asiana Airlines (OZ) has been voted as having the Best Lounge for Asia Pacific by Priority Pass, the world’s largest independent airport lounge access program. Priority Pass provides information on some 600 airport lounges in 300 cities across 100 countries. Through its annual online survey, the organization asks participants to select the best airport lounges per region and the world’s best. Some 40,000 people participated in the survey.

Asiana Airlines Lounge

With its main hub in Incheon International Airport, Asiana maintains the Concourse Lounge located on the third floor of the Concourse Terminal. The lounge was first opened in June 2008 and has the conceptual design of a European library with a seating capacity of 230. It has a variety of features equivalent to a five-star hotel including shower rooms, a sleeping room equipped with electric massage machines, and a state-of-the-art meeting room for business travellers. The lounge also offers the services of a five-star hotel chef for world class dining. A variety of books and magazines in multiple languages are also provided. About 80% of lounge users are from Star Alliance, the world’s largest airline network, of which Asiana is a member.

Aside from Asiana Airlines, other top lounges were identified by Priority Pass. The World’s Best Lounge went to Finnair’s lounge in Helsinski Airport. The Best Lounge for North America went to Alaska Airlines in Seattle, Best Lounge for Europe/South America went to Sumaq VIP Lounge in Lima, Peru; and the Best Middle East/Africa Lounge was Bahrain’s Dilman Lounge.

Asiana Airlines flies out of Manila, Cebu and Clark to Incheon International Airport, and on to numerous destinations in Korea, Japan, the United States and Europe.

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Boracay has recieved yet more honors from the prestigious Travel.ru awards. Both Boracay and the Philippines were listed as among the top destinations for traveling Russians for 2010. With a list of seventy categories, the awards were conducted by the travel portal among Russians who had visited both destinations abroad and at home. The online poll ended up giving three of the awards, which are considered to be the first consumer awards of their kind done within the former USSR country.

Russians loves Boracay

The purpose of the awards is to give recognition to the top players in the travel industry including resorts, destinations, agents, airlines, and was participated in by thousands of Russians who traveled around the world during 2010.

All year round Summer in Boracay

The Philippines was awarded ‘Top Discovery of the Year’ which may sound strange since people discovered the Philippines tens of thousands of years ago (LOL), but in fact reflects the sharp increase in Russian travelers who are venturing abroad and enjoying business, travel, and leisure time.

Boracay – Best Beach in the World

Boracay was the favorite in the ‘Southeast Asia’ and ‘Island Resort’ categories. The point of the awards is to help Russian travelers to pick destinations based on real reports provided by those who have visited the areas, utilized the services, or been to the resorts. The lesson is easy, when people return home from vacation they remember the good service and the bad as well, so in the tourism sector, making sure the customers are happy ensures that there will be more business in the future.

The results hold up against statistics provided by the Philippines Department of Tourism which show that the number of Russian visitors to visit Boracay each year has been growing steadily. Back in 2008, there were just 3041 but in 2010 the number of visiting Russians nearly doubled at 5,239. That’s what the hospitality and beauty of the Philippines does.

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One of the world’s most famous ships has arrived in Manila. The SS Oriana out of Southampton, England decided to ignore travel warnings from some of the most developed countries in the world so that the passengers could enjoy the beauty and hospitality of the Philippine Islands. In total more than 1800 guests from the ship, mostly American, Australian, and British paid the port call along with more than 800 crew which included 150 Philipppine Residents who were happy to step back on their home turf.

Oriana Cruise Ship

The passengers and crew debarked at 8:00 am Monday morning in South Harbor’s Pier 13 in Manila. There was a sense of excitement among the passengers and even the ships Polish captain spoke with media about the possibilities to be explored in Manila.

Manila with it’s wealth of cultural activities, shopping, sight seeing, and museums was a much anticipated stop for those on board the ship and when the warnings came from state departments around the world, the captain and crew weighed the options carefully. After some consideration, they decided that the stop was both safe and too important to miss. The passengers were relieved to make port and after the end of a day of fun ecstatic.

British World Cruise Ship Oriana arrives in Manila

From Corregidor and Tagaytay to historic sites and attractions in Manila, the day was a fun filled one with bus loads of tourists showing up at shopping malls and finding great shopping and more than a few surprised stares from the locals. It wasn’t all hedonism though, as nearly thirty of the passengers visited the SOS Children’s Village in Alabang. The cruise line, P & O Tours wants to encourage responsible tourism and this is one of the first measures they are taking to do so.

British Tourists in Manila

This was the biggest cruise group to ever visit the orphanage and one of the biggest cruise groups to ever make port in Manila. You can be sure, it won’t be the last one. Responsible tourism is becoming a major force in the world of tourism and more and more companies like P & O are focusing on getting involved now. The days of tourists simply exploiting those who they visit in foreign lands are quickly disappearing and these days companies and government agencies are working hard to make sure that the benefits of tourism are spread evenly in communities, especially to those who traditionally have been left out.

Through responsible tourism efforts and concepts like ‘Volunteerism’, travelers and travel companies are making a difference in the world – a positive difference.

As the SS Oriana left Pier 19 there were more than a few hugs and embraces exchanged between passengers and friends they had met while visiting in Manila.

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If you are a travel writer based in Region 6, It’s now your chance to showcase your talent and be recognized.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) Regional Office 6 is in search for the best travel writers in the region who will be included in the list of awardees for the Tourism Excellence Awards during the 2009 Western Visayas Tourism Assembly (WVTA) from December 4 to 6, 2009.

If you are interested, you can submit one of your sample published article between June 2009 to June 2009 and provide a published copy of your article.

Each entry must include a profile about the article and personal information about the writer.

Deadline for submission of entries will be on November 16.

The three-day assembly will also include travel fair and mart, tourism conference, parade of festivals, cultural showcase, tourism awards, travel invitational, food festival and search for Miss Western Visayas Tourism.

Alminos City, the home of the famous Hundred Islands National Park will soon have the first commercial airport in the province of Pangasinan which will be named Pangasinan Airport.

According to news, a memorandom of agreement was recently signed between Alaminos Airport Development Project by the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) and the Alaminos City government.

It’s indeed an honor and privilege for our city to host the first commercial airport for the province of Pangasinan,” Mayor Braganza said, pointing out that Phase 1 of the project alone will bring a total investment of P2.2 billion to the city.

Noting that the the country is strategically located in the heart of Asia-Pacific, Mendoza said that from the Philippines, one can go anywhere in the Pacific within five hours.

Mendoza also said that adding an airport in Pangasinan will make the country as an ideal hub of Cargo in the Asia Pacific region.

The Alaminos Airport Development Project was actually announced in 2007 during the State of the Nation Address of Presidxent Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

The Philippine Department of Transportation and Communications recently appropriated P150 million this year under its Infrastructure Program in the General Appropriations Act.

With the agreement finally signed, Phase 1 of the P 2.2-billion investment will soon be started, Mendoza said.

“It’s really high time to have a commercial airport in Pangasinan. As mentioned by Mayor Nani (nickname of Braganza) that smaller provinces have more than one airport, Pangasinan, one of the biggest provinces, therefore deserves to have one.”

The Philippine DOTC will also conduct a ground survey to establish the final area covered by the airport. On the part of the city government, it will conduct negotiation with lot owners for the acquisition of lands.

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Are you raring to go out of Metro Manila to take advantage of that long holiday break? There are many destinations in the country that might just spice up your vacation this holiday season. So, pack your bags, go on a road trip and explore the beauty of the Philippines.

For beach lovers, Melo Villareal, owner of travel blog Lakbay Pilipinas, recommended beaches in the provinces of Batangas and Cavite down south.

Villareal said some beaches in Batangas, particularly in San Juan, are comparable to Puerto Galera. New resorts in Cavite, on the other hand, are also worth checking, he said.

Everlasting Garlands – Baguio City

Up north, Baguio is still the favorite destination among Filipinos especially this Christmas. The province of La Union is also worth visiting especially for some surfing adventure, Villareal added.

Pangasinan’s Hundred Islands and the province’s sea foods are worth that five-hour trip from Manila.

Pampanga, Villareal said, will satisfy those who are looking for gastronomical adventure.

If you’re in the mood for an atmosphere of peacefulness and calmness, T House Tagaytay, a bed and breakfast hotel, provides that kind of ambiance.

Resident manager William Barquin told ANC’s “Shot Talk” said T House is very “homey and personalized.”

“It’s all about nature because it is constructed all around trees,” he said.

“Rooms are inclusive of breakfast plus at night we have little surprise for them. Before going to bed, we give them a good night tea,” he added.

Massage and spa treatments are also available to guests, said Barquin.

Boracay still on the list

There are many vacation hot spots in Visayas. Villareal cited Bacolod, Romblon, Iloilo and Roxas.

“Romblon is a destination much like Boracay. We can find the Carabao Island, which is said to be the next Boracay. [The sand] is really white, as white as Boracay,” he said.

Iloilo, Bacolod and Dumaguete are considered “heritage destinations,” said Villareal. He said the beaches in these provinces might not be as beautiful as Bohol and Boracay but they are rich in heritage.

The island of Boracay is still the favorite destination among tourists.

For young and hip or if you just want something different, staying in Tides Hotel is a treat.

Steven Khu, Tides’s marketing and sales director, said the hotel is famous for its “non-traditional rooms” and roof deck lounge that has a “360 degree view” of the entire beach.

The Plantation Bay Resort and Spa on Mactan Island, meanwhile, offers the traditional Filipino food like bibingka and puto bungbong to its guests.

The hotel is designed where families with young children and honeymooners can stay and enjoy.

Going to Mindanao, Villareal recommends Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Bukidnon, General Santos, and Camiguin. Mindanao is also a great destination if you want to discover different cultures.

as of 12/24/2008 8:04 AM  Link : http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/

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