This ceremony concluded the eighth successive year of the Outlook Traveller Readers’ Survey, which takes in a comprehensive list of categories, covering a broad spectrum of travel and hospitality experiences and service providers. 

On the anvil, was also an Art show by Royal Fables.Artists of Royal descent, those who exhibited their art works were Rajkumari Vidita Singh of Barwani, Yuvraaj Aanjaneya Pratap Singh Deo of Jarasingha, Aapji Vikram Aditya of Palaitha, Northern Art by Rajkumari Nandini Singh of Jhabua and Princess Vaishnavi Kumari of Kishangarh.

Readers voted to choose the best of the best in each category in an online poll on outlooktraveller.com. These categories represented the evergreen favourites such as Hill Destinations , Beach Destinations, Adventure Tourism Destinations, National Parks, Heritage Sites and Spiritual Journeys. Readers also voted to choose their favourite Tourism Desinations (in Asia, Europe, and the Rest of the World), the best Upcoming Tourism Destination worldwide, as well as their preferred choice of Cruises, International Airlines, and Airports. 

Given the heightened role that intermediaries play in enhancing the travel experience, readers were also asked to vote on the best Adventure Tourism Operators, best Travel Portals and the best Outbound Tour Operators.

This year, four Special Jury awards were instituted. The jurors picked the best Inbound Tour Operator, the best Niche Tourism Operator, and the best Indian Hotel Debut of the Year. Additionally, with the jurors’ help, Outlook Traveller honoured one person for Outstanding Contribution in Travel.

Royal Fables is  a unique platform founded by Anshu Khanna , which is an attempt to preserve and recreate the aura of the bygone, regal era. The participating artists were Princess Vaishnavi Kumari of Kishangarh, Rajkumari Vidita Singh of Barwani, Yuvraaj Aanjaneya Pratap Singh Deo of Jarasingha, Aapji Vikram Aditya of Palaitha and  Rajkumari Nandini Singh of Jhabua. The artists displayed a magnificent mix of old school art essayed in a modern vocabulary.

Meet the Winners of the Readers’ Survey

Hill Stations, Beaches, Heritage Sights and Pilgrimage Sites

Hill Stations

1.    Gulmarg  - Winner
2.      Chikmaglur
3.      Matheran

Beaches

1.     Cavelossim Beach in Goa - Winner
2.      Radhanagar Beach in the Andamans

Heritage Sights

1.     Ajanta and Ellora - Winner
2.      Hampi

Pilgrimage Sights

1.       Vaishno Devi - Winner
2.      The Golden Temple in Amritsar

National Parks, Wildlife Lodges, Responsible Tourism

National Park -  The Unesco site of Kaziranga

Wildlife Lodges - Sherbagh in Ranthambore

Responsible Tourism (tied) - Green Hotel in Mysore & Kabani Bamboo Village in Wayanad

Adventure Tourism Destinations/Adventure Tour Operators/Travel Portals/Outbound Tour Operators/Airports/Airlines

Adventure Tourism Destination - Himachal Pradesh

Adventure Tour Operators - Legendary mountaineer Narendra “Bull” Kumar’s Mercury Himalayan Explorations

Best Travel Portal - MakeMyTrip

Outbound Tour Operator - Thomas Cook

International Aiport - Dubai Airport

International Airlines - Emirates

2.   Upcoming Destinations/International Best/ Cruises

Upcoming Destinations ( Country ) - Norway

2.   Upcoming Regions ( International Regions ) - Orange County, California

2.     International Regions : Best in Asia -  The Maldives

2. International Destinations : Best in Europe - Spain

1.   International Destination : Best in the Rest of the World - Australia

1.      Cruises - Royal Caribbean

1.   Hotels

Best Luxury Hotel - The Oberoi Udaivillas, Udaipur.

Best Heritage Hotel - Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur.

Best Mid-range Hotel - Courtyard by Marriott

Best Boutique Hotel - Vythiri Village in Wayanad

Best Homestay - Ooty’s Red Hill Nature Resort

Spa Hotels/Hotel Spas

1.Taj Hotels’ Jiva Spas

Chefs

1.  JP Singh - Exec. Chef Bukhara, ITC Maurya, New Delhi, India.

International Hotels Chains - Hyatt