‘Our awards are a fantastic insight into what you love about the trips you take’

Claire Irvin explains how your votes help to deliver one of the most comprehensive travel surveys in Britain – and on the following pages, we reveal the winners

nd so, finally, after months of anticipation, the results of the Telegraph Travel Awards 2019 have been revealed – and how! More than 40,000 of our registered readers took the time to complete the survey, share their travel preferences and cast hundreds of thousands of votes. This makes it one of the most, if not the most, wide-ranging independent travel surveys in Britain and a fantastic insight into what you love most about the trips you take – not to mention where you are planning to go next year and beyond.

Like all big moments, this one has been months in the making. First, back in June, came the unveiling of the jaw-dropping prizes on offer to all those completing the survey across all our platforms: in print, online and on social media. From family holidays to adventure travel and well-being breaks; from a luxury tour of India to a week at an exclusive Caribbean hideaway, these worldwide experiences had a total value of more than £500,000 – and, I’m sure, fuelled some daydreams (not to mention some rather wonderful holiday planning) as we revealed them in our print sections week after week. You entered in droves. Then came the task of collating the results – and the nerve-racking months of waiting for those included in the survey. Who would win? Would the consistent reader favourites of the past retain their crowns – or would our readers’ sense of adventure inspire them to choose new favourites?

Finally, it was time to reveal the results – and last Wednesday, at a star-studded event in The Magazine, a building in Hyde Park designed by Zaha Hadid, the contenders gathered to find out how you voted. The awards, hosted by explorer and Telegraph Travel columnist Benedict Allen, gave up some surprising results, and some less so. Over the page, Nick Trend, our chief consumer and culture editor, gives his views on what those results say about how we as travellers are changing. It’s a fascinating insight, and one we will use to continue to bring you inspiration and expertise in 2020 and beyond. Thank you for your votes – and see you again next year.

Claire Irvin is head of travel

CULTURE CLUB Readers proved discerning in their choice of favourite city and country