Los Angeles, Calif. (November 30, 2009) – Viking River Cruises, the world’s leading river cruise line, is delighted to have been named World’s Leading River Cruise Operator in the prestigious World Travel Awards. Winners of the 16th Annual Awards, the result of thousands of worldwide travel professionals voting over a period of several months, were announced at a ceremony in London on November 7. The awards were described by the Wall Street Journal as the “Oscars” of the global travel and tourism industry. Nearly 3,000 travel companies were nominated in more than 200 categories, and the River Cruise Operator category included such worthy competitors as AMAWaterways and Grand Circle Cruises.
“With thousands of votes cast from more than 160 countries from across the globe, it is a true honor to know that Viking is recognized internationally,” said Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen.
World Travel Awards President Graham Cooke commented, “The past 12 months have brought several challenges…which has impacted travel and tourism worldwide; today’s winners have remained focused on their long-term objectives, and continued to deliver above and beyond the call of duty, setting an industry example.
“This year’s winners,” Mr. Cooke continued, “can display the official World Travel Awards symbol with pride on their sales and marketing literature, offering travelers a cast-iron assurance that what they are buying is a guarantee of travel excellence.”
In related news, Viking won the title of “Best River Cruise Line” at this year’s British Travel Awards ceremony. The 2009 awards were announced at a gala dinner, also held in London, on November 5. The British Travel Awards are considered the authority on travel industry performance in the U.K., highly coveted by the travel industry, because the awards are based on votes by tens of thousands of U.K. travel consumers, travel agents and other industry professionals.
British Travel Awards CEO Lorraine Barnes Burton said, “The British Travel Awards are the largest arbiter of public opinion on travel and the only awards to include consumer votes. Between July and September our media partners attracted over 100,000 members of the public to visit our website, first to nominate and then to vote for the best they have experienced. The votes were then verified by Deloitte, one of the world’s ‘big four’ auditors, to ensure their accuracy and integrity so we, our winners and the traveling public can be confident that our results offer the most accurate representation of consumer opinion on travel.”
“In today’s competitive travel marketplace, we must always work harder to earn the trust of our valued passengers and their travel agents,” said Mr. Hagen. “We always strive to deliver the best possible travel experience for every guest, every time they travel with us.”
About Viking River Cruises
Viking River Cruises, the world’s largest river cruise company, offers scenic cruising along the rivers of Europe, Russia, China and Egypt. The company has been honored multiple times as the top river cruise line on Condé Nast Traveler’s “Gold List” and Travel + Leisure’s “World’s Best” Awards. Travel agents have also recognized Viking River Cruises as “Best Riverboat Cruise Line” by Travel Weekly, “Best River Cruise Line” by Recommend and Travel Agent magazines, and as “Best Overall Cruise Line for River Cruising” and “Best River Cruise Line for Travel Agent Support” by TravelAge West. Since its 1997 inception, the company has grown to a fleet of 20 vessels, and provides unique, deluxe vacations to experienced travelers with an interest in geography, culture and history. For additional information, contact Viking River Cruises at 1-877-668-4546 (1-877-66VIKING) toll-free or visit the company online at www.vikingrivercruises.com.