THE 7TH LONELY PLANET MAGAZINE INDIA TRAVEL AWARDS FELICITATED INDIA’S FAVOURITE DESTINATIONS

Team Udayavani, May 19, 2018, 11:07 AM IST

Mumbai: The largest and the most acclaimed travel magazine in the country, Lonely Planet Magazine India hosted the 7^th edition of its annual property Lonely Planet Magazine India Travel Awards 2018. The most coveted and relevant awards in the Indian travel industry held at St. Regis, recognised and honoured the destinations most loved by Indians.

Speaking on the seventh edition of the awards, Mr. Deepak Lamba, CEO, Worldwide MediaLtd. said,“Lonely Planet Magazine India is one of our legacy brands that has established a strong position in the travel and tourism industry with its relevant and robust content. The launch of the 100th issue of the magazine this month adds to its strength of being the foremost platform in the travel sector. The brand continues to provide an experiential value to its consumers by going beyond the traditional means through unique IPs and providing an enhanced reach to its partners. The Lonely Planet Magazine India Travel Awards builds on the legacy of the brand through its credible jury panel and a people’s choice voting process. With yet another successful edition, I am positive that we will continue to celebrate the travel industry at large for many years to come.”

Commenting on this occasion, Primrose Monteiro-D’Souza, Editor of Lonely Planet Magazine India said,“The Lonely Planet Magazine India Travel Awards celebrate the destinations that have truly enhanced our readers’ lives, and helped them make great memories. In 2018, the awards line-up is, again, a mix of old and new favourites, all of which have impressed our travellers with superlative experiences and the warmest welcomes around the world. Each year, our awards give our readers new travel goals, inviting them to explore new destinations and to look at familiar destinations with new eyes, always a very important part of the Lonely Planet philosophy.”

The awards ceremony based on the carnival theme this year showcased the buoyant spirit of the festivities around the world. It also marked the celebration of the 100^th issue launched this month. The versatile artist Luke Kenny, as the host of the evening piqued the interest of the audience throughout with his exceptional anchoring skills. The nominations for the awards were invited from a panel of travel experts, while the readers voted for their preferred Indian and international destinations across categories such as‘Best Destinations for Relaxation,’‘Culture,’‘Shopping,’‘Wildlife,’ ‘Family Travel,’ ‘Romance,’‘Indulgence,’‘Adventure,’ and ‘Food and Drink,’ as well as ‘Emerging Destinations,’ and ‘India’s Favourite Destination.’

The esteemed panel of experts, who shortlisted the nominees for this year, comprised Karan Anand – Head, Relationships and Supply Management, Cox & Kings; VeenaPatil – ManagingDirector of Veena World; SuchetaPotnis and Hans Tuinman – Founders of Traveller’s Palm.com;Manu Kashyap – Director, Windmill Holidays; Deep Kalra – CEO, MakeMyTrip.com; Vishal Suri – Managing Director, SOTC; Madhavan Menon – CMD, Thomas Cook India Ltd; and Primrose Monteiro-D’Souza, Editor, Lonely Planet Magazine India.

The most coveted awards witnessed attendance from the most prominent personalities in the Indian travel industry, the lifestyle domain as well as celebrities from various walks of life.  Present at the ceremony were renowned names such as Athiya Shetty, Harshvardhan Rane, Kunal Kapoor, Saqib Saleem, Aahana Kumra, Upen Patel, Vikrant Massey among others.

Lonely Planet Magazine India Travel Awards 2018 was held in association with SBI-Foreign Travel Card Partner; Travel Tours – Holiday partner; Oman Air – Airline Partner; Raymond–Wardrobe Partner; FreshMeltz –Freshness Partner; Enable Travel – Accessible Holiday Partner; Carlton – Travel Partner; Volkswagen – Auto Partner and CROCS – Footwear Partner. 

AWARD WINNERS AT THE PLANET MAGAZINE INDIA TRAVEL AWARDS 2018:

•          Best destinations for culture: Japan (International), Rajasthan (Indian)
•          Best destinations for adventure: New Zealand (International), Himachal Pradesh (Indian)
•          Best destinations for indulgence: France (International), Rajasthan (Indian)
•          Best destinations for value: Thailand (International), Goa (Indian)
•          Best destinations for romance: Switzerland (International), Jammu & Kashmir (Indian)
•          Best destinations for shopping: Dubai (International), Delhi (Indian)
•          Best destinations for wildlife: South Africa (International), Madhya Pradesh (Indian)
•          Best destinations for food & drink: Italy (International), Mumbai, Maharashtra (Indian)
•          Best destinations for relaxation: The Maldives (International), Goa (Indian)
•          Best destinations for families: Singapore (International), Kerala (Indian)
•          Best emerging destinations: Peru (International), Nagaland (Indian)
•          India’s favourite destination: Singapore