TRAVEL + LEISURE, a leading consumer travel magazine, has released "The World's Best Awards" for hotels, cities, cruises and islands and Prince Edward Island has proudly captured the number one spot in the North American Islands category.
While Prince Edward Island has often appeared on the top five list in North America, this is the first time the tiny island province has made it to number one. Readers of the magazine and its Web site used a questionnaire to rate destinations in several categories and Prince Edward Island came out with the high mark of 83.5. That score also placed Prince Edward Island on the World's Best Top Ten Islands list, in fine company with islands such as Bali and Hawaii.
TRAVEL + LEISURE boasts the largest circulation of any travel publication with a readership of 4.5 million readers monthly, a prominent source of information for those interested in travel worldwide. This award is sure to heighten the profile of the Island as the "best in the world," a coveted title which few can claim. The survey results are based on nearly 200,000 evaluations from the most discerning travellers.
"We are honoured to be chosen by the readers of TRAVEL + LEISURE as one of the top ten vacation islands in the world," said Minister of Tourism, Jeffrey Lantz. "Our own promotions always indicate that the Island is the best place for anyone to vacation, but the endorsement by the well-travelled readers of such a prestigious publication proves that we have the product and the people to deliver a world-class experience."
The list of the top ten is certainly a crowd that Prince Edward Island is proud to be a part of with this list reading: Bali, Great Barrier Reef Islands, Santorini, Sicily, Kauai, Maui, Hawaii, Tasmania, Prince Edward Island, Galapagos Islands, respectively. The rankings were based on readers' evaluations of natural attractions, activities/sights, restaurants/food, people, value.
Travel + Leisure will honour Prince Edward Island and other winners during an award ceremony in New York City, July 24, at which Minister Lantz will accept the award as well as conduct promotional interviews with the New York Times and other media as a means to build upon the notoriety. The province is receiving a good share of high-profile coverage this year, with a short feature covering the Island in the August 2003 Travel + Leisure, a major feature in the July issue of Gourmet magazine, and award-winning articles in publications like Washington Post Magazine and Coastal Living.
"I am proud that the Island has achieved such high recognition in the travel sector," noted the Minister. "It is the collective work of everyone in the tourism industry, day after day, that allows us to gain the respect and admiration of the travelling public, and this award is proof that we are doing it right."
Watch for copies of the August 2003 TRAVEL + LEISURE on news stands in late July.