The Swedish travel publication, Travel News, recently presented the annual Grand Travel Award — the equivalent of the travel and tourism industry’s ‘Oscars’ — for the fifteenth consecutive year. The 2007 award presentation ceremony was hosted at the Stockhlmsmassen on March 5.

Winners in each of the 19 travel-related categories were selected by a travel trade jury comprising over 600 members of the Swedish travel and tourism industry.

Thailand ranked first in the “World’s Best Tourist Country” category, making this the fifth consecutive year that Thailand has won the Swedish Grand Travel Award. The other top ten travel destinations deemed to be popular with Swedish travellers include South Africa, the United States, Italy, China, Greece, Denmark, Spain, France and Croatia.

In the “World’s Best International Airlines” category, Thai Airways International the kingdom’s national carrier, ranked second, after Singapore Airlines.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s office in Stockholm was also among the star performers in the “Foreign Tourist Office” category. TAT Stockholm ranked third, after the Danish Tourist Board and the British Tourist Authority.

His Excellency Ambassador of Thailand to Stockholm, Mr Apichart Chinwanno, and Mr Manit Boonchim, Director of TAT Stockholm, jointly accepted the award on behalf of the Kingdom of Thailand.

In his acceptance speech, Ambassador Apichart Chinwanno thanked the Swedish travel trade and individual travellers for their steadfast vote of confidence in the Kingdom of Thailand as a travel destination year after year.

TAT Stockholm was also invited by Travel News, the organizers, to host a special food stall featuring a Thai food restaurant as an additional highlight of the grand award ceremony banquet.

The Travel News Grand Travel Awards Committee comprises members of the publication’s editorial team and four representatives from the Swedish travel and tourism industry. The Award Committee submits its nominations for consideration by the 600 members of the Swedish travel and tourism industry; each allocates a score to the countries proposed by the Award Committee.

Contact information:
TAT Stockholm
Drottninggatan 33,
Ground Floor, 111 51 Stockholm,
Sweden
Tel: +46 (0)8 700 56 90
Fax: +46 (0)8 700 56 99
E-Mail: info@tourismthailand.se
Web site: www.tourismthailand.se