Dublin named top convention centre
THE Convention Centre Dublin (CCD) has been named Europe’s leading meetings and conference centre for the second year running.
The announcement was made at the 25th annual World Travel Awards, held in Athens.
The CCD is also the current holder in the world category.
The venue was pitted against rivals including London’s ExCel and the Palais Des Congres De Paris and centres in Berlin and Vienna.
“The World Travel Awards are particularly significant, as they are voted for by travel and tourism professionals and consumers throughout Europe,” said CCD sales director Paul Carnell.
The CCD will now compete with other regional winners for the world prize, which will be announced in Lisbon in December.
Dublin’s Sandymount Hotel was named Europe’s leading green hotel, beating competition from Sweden’s Ice Hotel and the Hotel Metropole MonteCarlo in Cannes.
The family-run hotel beside Dublin’s Aviva Stadium now recycles 95pc of its waste and also uses biodegradable compostable coffee cups and lids, ecofriendly straws, and has energy-efficient heating and lighting systems.
Meanwhile, the Jameson Distillery won best distillery tour, while Irish software firm Datalex was voted Europe’s leading travel technology provider.