Burma awarded ‘Top Country’ at Wanderlust Awards

Asian and Latin American countries triumphed at The Wanderlust Readers’ Travel Awards this year.

Burma was awarded ‘Top Country’ – which was voted ‘Top Emerging Destination’ in 2011 – with 97 per cent of the vote.

Peru and New Zealand narrowly missed out on the win, coming second and third place respectively.

The new ‘Top Emerging Destination’ is now exciting Latin hotspot Nicaragua.

The Top City category was won by Hoi An – testament to the increasing popularity of Vietnam.

Asian dominance continued in several other categories, with regional specialists Bamboo Travel picking up the ‘Top Website’ award and Selective Asia named ‘Top Tour Operator’.

Singapore Airlines was named ‘Top Airline’ with Singapore Changi awarded ‘Top Worldwide Airport’ – a category it has never lost.

Other winners include London City (‘Top UK Airport’), Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Travel (‘Top Guidebook Series’) and Rohan (‘Top Travel Equipment Brand’).

The winners are decided using a percentage-satisfaction scoring system rather than just number of votes cast. A total of 183 countries were nominated by almost 3,000 readers who voted.

“The results reveal just how widely Wanderlust readers travel,” says Wanderlust founder and editor-in-chief Lyn Hughes.

“Across the categories, nominations for stalwarts such as New Zealand and New York were joined by votes for Afghanistan, Chad, Ouagadougou and the Orkney’s Kirkwall Airport,“ she added.

The Wanderlust Readers’ Travel Awards, which have been honouring the best in travel for over ten years, are based on the actual trips taken by some of the UK’s most active travellers.