Jamaica came away big winners at this year’s World Travel Awards, copping the title of the Caribbean’s Leading Destination, while a special award was made to Tourism Minister Ed Bartlett naming him the Caribbean’s Leading Personality for Outstanding Services to Tourism, and Sandals Resorts was again voted Caribbean’s Leading Hotel Brand.

Also among the winners at the Caribbean & North America Gala Ceremony 2016 held at Sandals Ochi Beach Resort last Saturday was the Turks & Caicos Islands, which took the award for the Caribbean’s Leading Beach Destination, while the trophy for the Caribbean’s Most Romantic Destination went to Antigua and Barbuda.

In the aviation sector, Delta Air Lines was honoured with two awards – North America’s Leading Airline and United States’ Leading Airline to the Caribbean.

“It has been an honour for the awards to return to Jamaica this evening and in particular to Sandals Ochi Beach Resort,” World Travel Awards President Graham Cooke said.

“This has been a true celebration of tourism here in the Caribbean and North America, and it has been a pleasure to recognise some of the leading lights of the industry here tonight,” he added.

World Travel Awards voters also recognised Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority with the title of North America’s Leading Tourist Board.

Reacting to the award presented to Sandals, Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, chairman of the luxury included all-inclusive resort chain, said: “We are delighted to once again be honoured by the prestigious World Travel Awards. We continue to invest in our product so that each year we can be proud to say we are the Caribbean’s leading hotel brand.

“Our number one priority remains to provide the best possible products and experiences for our customers, and we look forward to continuing to do so.”

Sandals Foundation was honoured with a trophy for Outstanding Contribution to Corporate Social Responsibility Projects.

The World Travel Awards was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the tourism industry.

Today, the brand is recognised globally as the ultimate hallmark of quality, with winners setting the benchmark to which all others aspire.

Each year the World Travel Awards covers the globe with a series of regional gala ceremonies staged to recognise and celebrate individual and collective successes within each key geographical region.

World Travel Awards Gala ceremonies are widely regarded as the best networking opportunities in the travel industry, attended by government and industry leaders, luminaries, and international print and broadcast media.