Portugal is one of the most popular European countries among tourists. This year, three attractions in Portugal received awards at the World Travel Awards. Among them, the Madeira Islands stood out from various tourist islands and were selected as the World's Best Tourist Island by the World Travel Awards. The other winners include Moon Hill in Sintra and two tourist attractions in the Algarve. In the future, when people think of island vacations, they will not only remember famous islands like Bali, Barbados, and the Maldives, but also the Madeira Islands in Portugal. Portugal is a perfect travel destination year-round, whether you are visiting Portugal for tourism or immigrating to settle down, you should experience a relaxing island vacation in the Madeira Islands.
The World Travel Awards are known as the "Oscars of the Travel Industry." The first edition was held in 1993, and the voting method is online voting, allowing both industry professionals and the general public to vote. The first award winners included Dubai (World's Best Travel Destination), the Maldives (World's Best Tourist Island), and Hong Kong (World's Best Vacation City).
The award's representative stated, "Madeira's competitors include Bali, Barbados, Crete, the Cook Islands, Jamaica, Hawaii, the Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, and Zanzibar." In 2013, Madeira participated in the competition for this award but only reached the European level of evaluation, which still brought significant attention to Madeira. In 2014, Madeira continued to compete. After being listed as a World Natural Heritage site by UNESCO in 1999, Madeira was awarded the titles of Europe's Best Tourist Island and the World's Best Tourist Island in 2014 and this year.
The representative also revealed, "Madeira's support rate is quite high this year." Madeira is the hometown of football star Cristiano Ronaldo, which adds to its appeal when tourists choose a vacation island.
In addition to Madeira, the World Travel Awards also granted three other tourism awards to Portugal. Sintra Park, which includes Moon Hill and Pena Palace, has won the award for World's Best Scenic Maintenance for the third consecutive year.
Two more awards were given to two hotels in southern Portugal. The Conrad Algarve in Quinta do Lago stood out among luxury resorts and has won the award three times in a row. The Vila Vita Parc Spa Resort won the top award among luxury wellness hotels, with the previous 14-year winner being the Marmaris Angel Hotel in Turkey.
In September of this year, the World Travel Awards presented European awards, and Portugal won 14 out of a total of 77 categories. At that time, the Algarve was awarded the title of Europe's Most Beautiful Beach and often serves as a transit point for European tourists traveling to South America and Africa. Additionally, three hotels in the Algarve also received awards.