ΔΙΕΘΝΗΣ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΗΛΕΚΤΡΟΝΙΚΗ ΕΦΗΜΕΡΙΔΑ ΠΟΙΚΙΛΗΣ ΥΛΗΣ - ΕΔΡΑ: ΑΘΗΝΑ

Ει βούλει καλώς ακούειν, μάθε καλώς λέγειν, μαθών δε καλώς λέγειν, πειρώ καλώς πράττειν, και ούτω καρπώση το καλώς ακούειν. (Επίκτητος)

(Αν θέλεις να σε επαινούν, μάθε πρώτα να λες καλά λόγια, και αφού μάθεις να λες καλά λόγια, να κάνεις καλές πράξεις, και τότε θα ακούς καλά λόγια για εσένα).

Κυριακή 28 Φεβρουαρίου 2016

Travel elite come to Edinburgh


Top travel professionals from around the world are set to descend on Edinburgh as the Guardian and Observer Travel Awards come to Scotland, in partnership with VisitScotland.

The awards, now in their 28th year, are a celebration of the travel industry and award top services to the industry. They are held in a different city each year, with the Scottish capital taking the honour for 2016, on Friday 4 March.

The event is a key date in the travel industry calendar and is attended by around 100 senior and influential members of the travel industry, tour operators, airlines and tourism organisations.

VisitScotland was instrumental in bringing the Guardian and Observer Travel Awards to Scotland and is sponsoring the event to highlight the appeal of Scotland to tourists and Guardian readers.

The awards are divided into 15 categories including favourite UK city, favourite ferry company and favourite small tour operator. Previous Scottish winners have included Edinburgh and Caledonian MacBrayne, and international winners have included Japan, and Iceland.

The ceremony will take place at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh and will be hosted by Anstruther-born radio DJ, Edith Bowman. Winners are chosen by Guardian readers and Guardian editorial staff. The results will be published on theguardian.com and in the newspaper.

Attendees will enjoy three days in Scotland with a variety of experiences on offer in Edinburgh, and Glasgow, including cycling at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, bagpipe lessons, whisky distillery tours, a round of golf at the iconic Gleneagles course and a view from the top of the Forth Bridge.

Festivals Edinburgh and Marketing Edinburgh will host a special dinner and ceilidh on the first night with entertainment from Whisky Kiss, who recently played to a 4,000 capacity crowd at Edinburgh’s Hogmanay to clinch the Guinness World Record for the ‘World’s Longest Strip the Willow’.

Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland, said: “It is an honour that the Guardian has chosen to hold its prestigious travel awards in our beautiful Scottish capital city. For Edinburgh to be hosting an event such as this is an exciting opportunity to put Scotland on the world stage and give key travel professionals a taste of what makes our country an attractive and aspirational destination for visitors.

“In 2015, Scotland built on 2014’s spectacular Homecoming with the Year of Food and Drink, and that momentum is set to continue as we celebrate the dynamism of our country in the Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design.”

Nick Hewat, Commercial Director at Guardian News & Media, said: “We’re excited to be in Edinburgh in what promises to be a great event. The Guardian and The Observer Travel Awards are a key event in the tourism calendar and set the benchmark for the industry.”

The Guardian Travel Awards come ahead of Scottish Tourism Week (11-18 March) and will seek to raise the profile of VisitScotland’s first ever global campaign and social movement – the Spirit of Scotland.

The campaign aims to raise the spirit and profile of Scotland to the highest it has ever been by igniting the power of a nation behind tourism in a new creative approach through television, radio, print, digital advertising and social media.

People are encouraged to share their experience of Scotland on social media with the hashtag #ScotSpirit, and in doing so become part of special global movement with social, economic and charitable aims.