Wanderlust Magazine Announces

2020 Reader Travel Awards

~ Namibia clinches Top Country spot for second year, Kyrgyzstan voted
Top Emerging Destination and Scottish Highlands bags top UK Destination ~

Sensational wildlife spots. A unique tribal culture. Otherworldly red deserts. These are just a few of the reasons why Namibia has been voted Top Country in the Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards 2020, with Kyrgyzstan, Scotland and Asian destinations also celebrating success.

The awards were presented at a special event hosted at Destinations: The Holiday and Travel Show at Olympia today, 30th January 2020, co-hosted by Wanderlust Magazine's Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief Lyn Hughes.

This marks Namibia's second Top Country win in a row. The African nation also won in 2014, with the country now a regular fixture in Wanderlust Magazine Readers' top ten destinations.

Hughes commented on the destination: “Having tracked rhinos there, I can personally testify that this country is a conservation success story, with wildlife still flourishing both inside and outside the national parks, really adding to the visitor experience.”

Peru leap-frogged perennial favourites Japan, New Zealand and Laos to silver position in the Top Country category. Kenya also found itself rocketing into the top ten, buoyed by conservation successes and a dramatic breadth of landscapes – from big five boasting plains to fish-teeming reefs.

Kyrgyzstan won Top Emerging Destination with a remarkable 100% rating – the second 'Silk Road' destination to win this award in a row (after Uzbekistan last year), drawing adventurous visitors in with the promise of epic landscapes, such as the Celestial Mountains and Jeti-Oghuz Canyon, or the promise of horseriding or yurt stays. With fellow 'Silk' destinations Tajikistan and Iran also making the top five, it puts this ancient trade route firmly back on the travel map.

“In an increasingly over-touristed and homogenised world, travellers are looking for destinations with more than a whiff of authenticity,” added Lyn Hughes. “There has been a renewed interest in Central Asia and anywhere connected with the 'Silk Road'.”

But Kyrgyzstan's success was just one win in a banner year for Asia. Kyoto reclaimed its crown as Top City once again (just edging out Singapore and Cusco, the gateway to Machu Picchu). Singapore Airlines jumped to the top of Wanderlust readers' Top Airlines, while its near-legendary central transport hub, Singapore Changi won Airport of the Year for an extraordinary 19th time. Meanwhile Selective Asia edged Top Tour Operator, from third last year.

There was further Asian success, with Vietnam revealed to be the Most Popular Destination Online at www.wanderlust.co.uk. It was the most clicked on country by visitors to the Wanderlust website, demonstrating its enduring popularity with Wanderlust readers and deserving of this new, special award.

There was also a special prize for Sri Lanka. The country's remarkable tourism bounce-back after the tragic bombings of April 2019 has earned it the Comeback of the Year.

The wild and wonderful Scottish Highlands continues to claim bragging rights in the Best UK Destination category, just pipping big re-entry Brighton.  Elsewhere in the UK, the wilderness reigns: the South Downs, the Lake District and New Forest – all untamed beauties — also make the grade again.

Elsewhere, there was a special award for the groundbreaking conservation work being done by the Caiman Ecolodge & Onçafari Project, helping protect the jaguars and landscapes of Brazil's Southern Pantanal. Today Lyn announced them as Wanderlust's Conservation Heroes.

The finalists were rated by 2,422 Wanderlust readers with a total of 8,228 votes in the Top Country category alone, highlighting the magazine's reach.

Other category winners are as follows:

Top UK Airport: Southampton wins its regular wrestle with London City to take the top spot, with Newcastle coming in third.

Top Guidebook Series: DK Eyewitness regains its top spot after being third last year. 

Top TV: The Americas with Simon Reeve scores first place, with Richard Ayoade's Travel Man moving stealthily up the Top 5 to land second place.

Top Equipment Brand: Rab grabs gold for the second year on the trot; Craghoppers wins Silver for the first time.

Full results of the Travel Awards will appear online at www.wanderlust.co.uk/travelawards2020 and will then feature in the April edition of Wanderlust, on sale on 12 March 2020, priced £4.95

-ENDS-

For further information or to set up interviews with Editor-in-Chief Lyn Hughes, please contact Senior Brand Marketing Executive Fanny Moros on 020 3771 7211 or email fanny.moros@wanderlust.co.uk 

EDITOR'S NOTES

• About Wanderlust magazine

Now celebrating its 26th anniversary, Wanderlust was launched by Paul Morrison and Lyn Hughes in 1993. The couple were bored on a long flight to South America and decided to sketch out their dream travel magazine on the back of a sick bag. They soon decided that they could do it themselves and there was no other name for it than Wanderlust. Over the last 26 years the magazine has established itself as the bible for independently-minded and curious travellers. Go to www.wanderlust.co.uk to find out more about the magazine.

• About the Wanderlust Readers' Travel Awards

The awards are based on readers' travels from December 2018 to November 2019. Results are based on an average satisfaction score (converted to a percentage) rather than the number of votes cast. An entry required a minimum number of votes to be considered. In categories where no percentage is shown, results are based on the number of votes cast.

Full results at www.wanderlusttravelawards.co.uk

Full Results for 2020 Awards below and over next few pages:

% score based on satisfaction rating

St Clements

Kilcot

Newent

Glos

GL181NS

Tel: 01452 346116 

www.traveltonic.co.uk

claire@traveltonic.co.uk

Travel Tonic is the trading name for Fiona Reece PR – Company Number 06659941