2022 Times Awards, for the sixth consecutive year Italy is the best destination in the world
PRESS RELEASE
2022 TIMES AWARDS, FOR THE SIXTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR ITALY WINS BEST DESTINATION IN THE WORLD
HALF A MILLION VOTES FOR ITALY
ITALY PREFERRED BY DISCERNING, HIGH-END BRITS
For the sixth year in a row, Italy wins Best Destination Country and Best Hotel (with Hotel Feltrinelli on Lake Garda). Half a million Times readers voted for the Bel Paese as the best destination. This is an audience of discerning, high-end travellers. This is the profile of the typical English traveller who favours Italy, according to The Times' 16.5 million monthly readers.
The event is considered among the most prestigious awards in the travel industry and celebrates the winners voted for by readers of News UK, the publishing group that includes The Times, The Sunday Times and The Sun. Readers vote to recognize the most important tourism stakeholders and destinations, in categories including favourite city, favourite country, best tour operator, and best cruise line. This year, awards for sustainability and the best emerging destination were also introduced.
The ranking earned Italy this prestigious award based on readers' opinions.
In the same “best country” category, the UK came second and Greece third.
"Italy continues to inspire the international scene and is further enhancing its reputation by providing memorable locations for dreaming, travelling and experiencing exclusive adventures. These awards are not only a source of pride but are a sign of the trust placed in our country by public opinion and travellers from all over the world,” says ENIT CEO Roberta Garibaldi.
“Italy’s post-pandemic tourist industry has focused its attention on the quality of the services and hospitality on offer, demonstrating great resilience and a capacity for reinventing itself,” says ENIT Board Member Sandro Pappalardo.
“We are immensely proud of Italy and the whole ENIT team, in particular the UK and Ireland, who work every day to showcase the brand of the world’s best-loved peninsula,” says ENIT marketing director Maria Elena Rossi.
"I am certain that other opportunities will arise from here, not only in terms of the strategic repositioning of Basilicata, but also from a commercial and economic point of view," says Antonio Nicoletti, general manager of APT Basilicata.
Among the many guests of the awards evening was the President of the Basilicata Region, Vito Bardi, according to whom “after two years of the pandemic, Italy is at the centre of international tourism. An event that once again confirmed the growing appeal of Matera, the international face of Basilicata, which we want to further strengthen.”
“The tourism link between Puglia and Basilicata has become inseparable. The authentic marvel of these two very close, yet very different regions is the experience that the 80 selected guests of the News UK Travel Awards will be able to enjoy,” says Luca Scandale, general manager of Pugliapromozione.
Francesca Cicatelli
ENIT Press Office
Phone: (+39) 392.9225216
e-mail: francesca.cicatelli@enit.it