AMSTERDAM, 16 January 2020: Booking.com has announced the winners of the Traveller Review Awards 2020, with nearly 1 million (986,449) awards given across 220 countries and territories.
Alongside a wide range of accommodation partners, in the eighth edition of its annual partner recognition awards, Booking.com awarded transport partners for the first time ever.
The awards recognise these partners for their incredible hospitality, giving travellers an exceptional experience when booking accommodation, rental car or airport taxi.
In 2020 the countries with the most winners include Italy (130,253), Spain (66,755), France (61,492), Germany (49,777), Croatia (42,763), the US (42,112), UK (41,848), Poland (36,793), Russian Federation (36,296) and Greece (33,259).
“With nearly 1 million awards given across accommodation and transport providers, I am thrilled to announce this year’s Traveller Review Awardees, who are helping us deliver seamless trip experiences,” said Booking.com chief marketing officer and SVP Arjan Dijk. “On our mission to make it easier for everyone to experience the world, we are proud to have a record number of our partners across the travel industry receiving consistently great reviews and representing the best of the best in hospitality around the globe.”
2020’s Most Welcoming Places on Earth
From a rural Irish town that is the gateway to the Aran Islands to a vast network of ancient caves in Southeast Asia, the Most Welcoming Places on Earth* are leading the way in providing amazing experiences for their visitors.
Notably, for the second year in a row, Goreme (Turkey) retains its place as the Most Welcoming Place on Earth, followed by Tatranska Lomnica (Slovakia), Phong Nha (Vietnam), Kobarid (Slovenia), Cochem (Germany), Doolin (Ireland), Taitung City (Taiwan), Schenna (Italy), Monte Verde (Brazil), and Lake Tekapo (New Zealand) – another 2018 winner.
To discover more about these destinations, click here.
Awards for apartments increase
Spectacular growth in the number of awardees continued this year in apartments, with this accommodation type topping the list yet again, making up nearly 40% of the award-winning properties globally in 2020.
Similarly, for a third consecutive year, four out of the five top-awarded accommodation types are alternative accommodation options: Apartments (380,936), hotels (179,869), guesthouses (94,162), holiday homes (82,241), and B&Bs (75,875).
While hotels came in as the second most-awarded accommodation type yet again, three quarters (75%) of all the winning properties are homes, apartments and other unique places to stay, including everything from boats and igloos to homestays and country houses. With recent research by Booking.com surveying over 22,000 travellers revealing that nearly two fifths (39%) of global travellers would prefer to stay in a holiday home or apartment over a hotel, Booking.com is proud to offer so many unique places to stay that provide superior hospitality.
Transport winners
For the first time, transport providers such as car rental and airport taxi partners are honoured.
This year, 2,931 pick-up locations of Booking.com’s car rental offering, which spans 160 countries and territories, have been awarded. The top awarded rental car pick-up locations globally include Alghero Airport, Italy (13); Menorca Airport, Spain (12); Krakow Airport, Poland (12); Adelaide Airport, Australia (12); Christchurch Airport, New Zealand (12); Stuttgart Airport, Germany (11); Paphos Airport, Cyprus (11); Cairns Airport, Australia (11); Budapest Airport, Hungary (11); and Coolangatta Gold Coast Airport, Australia (11). Airport taxis, which are available in over 750 destinations globally, are being recognised for their outstanding service for the first time ever as well, with 2,114 drivers across 27 providers winning Traveller Review Awards.
