Minister for Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games Jann Stuckey congratulated Tropical North Queensland’s Daintree Eco Lodge & Spa for taking out the top Eco Resort & Spa prize at the World Travel Awards held in India on 12th December.

“This is a great achievement for the Daintree Eco Lodge & Spa and will put the international spotlight on Queensland’s tourism industry,” Ms Stuckey said.

“The award and the recognition is a credit to Terry and Cathy Maloney’s hard work in providing ecotourism, spa and indigenous experiences for visitors to the State.

Daintree Eco Lodge & Spa owners Terry and Cathy Maloney said they were delighted their small, family-run operation in the Daintree rainforest had won a world accolade, beating other top-class resorts, hotels and spas around the globe.

The Maloneys said Daintree Eco Lodge & Spa had pioneered ecotourism along with authentic, native and organic wellness and spa experiences while offering authentic and ethical Aboriginal experiences.

“To be a winner in the ‘best of the best’ world categories is humbling, however it is also testament to the growing appreciation of experiential travel.” Ms Maloney said.

Established 19 years ago in 1993, the World Travel Awards (WTA) are voted on by travel professionals and consumers across the globe.  World Travel Awards is committed to raising the standards of customer service and overall business performance throughout the international tourism industry.

Each year, the WTA celebrate successes within key geographical regions – including the Middle East, Africa and the Indian Ocean, the Americas, Asia, Australasia and Europe. All regional winners then go into a final round of voting.

“India in particular is playing a decisive role in generating new opportunities in travel and tourism, hence the decision to host our Grand Final in New Delhi.”

Dr. K. Chiranjeevi, Minister of State for Tourism, India, says: “It has been a tremendous honour for our nation to host the Grand Final of World Travel Awards, the highest accolade in travel and tourism.”

Graham Cooke, President & Founder, World Travel Awards, says: “The past year has continued to challenge every area of travel, tourism and hospitality.  However our Grand Final winners have all demonstrated their world-class pedigree over this period, and are currently spearheading the global recovery of travel and tourism. In doing so they are also reinforcing our industry’s role as one of the mainstays of the global economy.”