The Web Marketing Association is looking for the best travel sites in the world as part of their 21st annual international WebAward Competition for Web site development at www.webaward.org. The WebAwards is the standards-defining competition that sets benchmarks for 96 industries, including travel, airline and hotel & lodging websites, based on the seven criteria of a successful web site. The deadline for the best travel web sites to enter to be judged is May 31, 2017.
“Excellence deserves recognition and the travel industry is very competitive when it comes to Web development,” said William Rice, President of the Web Marketing Association. “The travel industry has been transformed by the Internet and travel web sites have been doing a great job keeping up with the shift in the industry that removed agents as the source of travel information. Judges have looked highly upon travel web site’s use of design, copywriting and interactivity.”
Websites are judged on seven criteria including design, innovation, content, technology, interactivity, copy writing and ease of use. Each WebAward entry in the Travel category is judged against other travel entries and then against an overall standard of excellence.
All travel entrants benefit from receiving valuable feedback in terms of their specific criteria scores compared against the average scores for their industry. They also may receive specific comments from the WebAward’s professional judging panel on their Web site development efforts.
Winners of a WebAward in the travel categories will also receive:
- Handsome statue or certificate of achievement
- Increased visibility for their company
- Marketing opportunity to promote the company website to the media
- Links to your site from the highly ranked WebAward site to help SEO
- Admiration of peers, friends and co-workers
Each year, the Web Marketing Association names the Best of Industry for the various travel categories based on the score they receive from the WebAward judges.
Winners of the Best Travel Website include:
- 2016 – Experience Grand Rapids for Experience Grand Rapids Website
- 2015 – TripCreator ehf. for TripCreator.com
- 2014 – USDM for Colorado Springs
- 2013 – Pixo Punch Limited for Hong Kong Summer Spectacular Campaign
- 2012 – Boyd Gaming Corporation for B Connected Online
- 2011 – Civic Resource Group for Wyoming Travel and Tourism Web Portal and Online Management System
- 2010 – TravelChannel.com & Razorfish for The New TravelChannel.com
- 2009 – VisitSweden for VisitSweden
- 2008 – Teehan+Lax Inc for AirMiles Make Like Miles
- 2007 – Arnold Worldwide for Hungry Suitcase
- 2006 – Hospitality eBusiness Strategies for RIU Cancun Portal
- 2005 – Yellowstone Journal Corporation for YellowstonePark.com
2004 – Quicksilver Associates for Seabourn Cruise Line
2003 – Apollo Interactive for Excalibur Las Vegas Resort Hotel & Casino
2002 – Arnold Worldwide for Alaska
Winners of the Best Airline Website include:
- 2016 – SapientNitro & China Airlines for China Airline Website Re-design
- 2015 – DigitasLBi for Virgin Atlantic Airways
- 2014 – Icelandair & TM Software for Icelandair
- 2013 – ROKKAN for JetBlue
- 2011 – Carlson Marketing for JetBlue – “TrueBlue Be True”
- 2010 – Lufthansa in partnership with Amadeus for Lufthansa Website
- 2009 – Blast Advanced Media for nature Air – Eco Friendly Costa Rica Airline
- 2008 – Atmosphere BBDO for Emirates.com
- 2007 – Cramer-Krasselt for AirTran Raceway
- 2006 – TM Interactive for American Airlines
- 2005 – TM Interactive for American Airlines
- 2004 – Cramer-Krasselt for AirTran Airways – E-Annual 2003
- 2003 – Agence Braque for Jetsgo
- 2002 – Air Jamaica for Air Jamaica
Winners of the Best Hotel & Lodging Website include:
- 2016 – HeBS Digital for Tsogo Sun
- 2015 – HeBS Digital for Red Lion Hotels Website
- 2014 – Forte Village Resort for Forte Village
- 2013 – HeBS Digital for Crowne Plaza Times Square Manhattan
- 2012 – TravelClick Web Solutions for Puente Romano
- 2011 – Sabre Hospitality Solutions for The Shores Resort & Spa
- 2010 – TRAVELCLICK for Harbour Grand Kowloon Hotel
- 2009 – TravelCLICK for the Albert Hotel
- 2008 – E-site Marketing for Hotel Terra Jackson Hole
- 2007 – Cendyn for Stonewall Resort
- 2006 – T3 (The Think Tank) for ExperienceMarriott.com
- 2005 – Open World, LTD for WARWICK International Hotels
- 2004 – Interactive Sites for The New York Palace web site
- 2003 – Open World Limited for Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts
- 2002 – FreeRun Technologies for Simpson House Inn
Travel Websites can be entered into consideration for the 2017 Best Travel Website WebAward at the WebAward Website.