27 July 2018

Asian locations win in first KAYAK Travel Awards

Source: KAYAK. Winners at the inaugural KAYAK Travel Awards.

Travel favourites across 16 categories - encompassing airlines, airports, hotels and destinations - were crowned by travel search engine KAYAK following a 19-day public voting period from 12 - 30 June 2018.

It was a landslide victory for Singaporean brands at the inaugural KAYAK Travel Awards*, with Singapore Airlines sweeping four categories - Favourite Airline (Short-haul), Favourite Airline (Long-haul), Favourite Airline Crew, and Favourite In-flight F&B. Scoot claimed Favourite Low-cost Carrier and Singapore Changi Airport came out on top for Favourite Airport.

Held in Singapore on 19 July, the awards showed that Tokyo, Japan and Seoul, South Korea are Singapore’s favourite destinations for long holidays. Hong Kong was voted Singapore’s favourite value destination. For short breaks and beach holidays, Singapore prefers Bali, Indonesia while Chiang Mai in Thailand emerged as Singapore’s favourite trending destination.

Whey Han Tan, KAYAK’s Southeast Asia Regional Manager said the awards provided a unique opportunity to recognise and celebrate excellence in the travel industry. "As a travel brand, part of our job is to help holidaymakers identify and select the best travel experiences. The inaugural KAYAK Travel Awards are just one way we are celebrating the travel industry here in Singapore, recognising the products and brands with whom we work closely, as well as helping travellers identify the best options available. It’s an exciting time to be part of a growing sector - we really feel we can make a difference in simplifying and improving the travel experience for all Singaporeans," he said.

KAYAK Travel Awards Singapore 2018 winners include:

Favourite Airline (Short-haul)
Winner: Singapore Airlines
Runner-up: Scoot

Favourite Airline (Long-haul)
Winner: Singapore Airlines
Runner-up: Emirates

Favourite Low-cost Carrier
Winner: Scoot
Runner-up: Jetstar Asia

Favourite Airline Crew
Winner: Singapore Airlines
Runner-up: Cathay Pacific

Favourite In-flight F&B
Winner: Singapore Airlines
Runner-up: Thai Airways

Favourite Airline Loyalty Program
Winner: KrisFlyer
Runner-up: Royal Orchid Plus

Favourite Airport
Winner: Singapore Changi Airport
Runner-up: Bali Ngurah Rai International Airport

Favourite Hotel Brand
Winner: Marriott Hotels & Resorts
Runner-up: InterContinental Hotels Group

Favourite Hotel for Staycation in Singapore 
Winner: W Singapore - Sentosa Cove
Runner-up: Marina Bay Sands

Favourite Resort Hotel in Southeast Asia (Outbound)
Winner: W Bali - Seminyak
Runner-up: Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort

Favourite Affordable Hotel in Asia
Winner: The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali
Runner-up: Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa, Malaysia

Favourite Destination for Short Breaks
Winner: Bali
Runner-up: Bangkok, Thailand

Favourite Destination for Long Holidays
Winner: Tokyo
Runner-up: Seoul

Favourite Destination for Beach Holidays
Winner: Bali
Runner-up: Phuket, Thailand

Favourite Value Destination
Winner: Hong Kong
Runner-up: Hanoi, Vietnam

Favourite Trending Destination in Southeast Asia
Winner: Chiang Mai
Runner-up: Yogyakarta, Indonesia

KAYAK searches other sites to show travellers the information they need to find the right flights, hotels, rental cars and holiday packages. KAYAK is an independently-managed subsidiary of Booking Holdings.

Hashtag: #KayakSG

*Candidates were shortlisted based on search volume on KAYAK.sg from 1 January 2017 - 31 March 2018. The top five in each award category were provided as voting choices for Singaporeans and Singapore residents on KAYAK.sg during the voting period (12 - 30 June). Winners and runners up in each award category were decided based on the total number of public votes.