BBC World, BBC's international news and information channel, has been named as the foremost, TV Channel for Travellers, at the 12th Annual World Travel Awards.

A total of 110,000 travel agents around the world were invited to nominate their favourite TV channel, as part of an awards ceremony that was established "to acknowledge, reward and celebrate the enormous achievements to be found in all sectors of the global travel industry".

BBC World received the most votes and its director of airtime sales, Jonathan Howlett , collected the award at the Royal Opera House in London last night (Sunday).

Jonathan said: "It's a great honour to be chosen by the travel industry as the leading channel for those on the move. Through our comprehensive news and business bulletins, and our weekly travel news programme FASTTRACK, we keep global travellers fully briefed on the issues that affect them. It's great to see that, in return, the industry acknowledges BBC World as a trusted, reliable and balanced source of news and information."

The award follows the publication in May of the International Air Travellers Survey [IATS], which found that BBC World was the favourite news channel and most trusted international news channel among travellers, who considered it to have greater in-depth analysis than its competitors.

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For further information contact:
Deeptie Sethi/ Neha Sharma
Tel: 91 11 2341 2672/73 Extn. 102
Fax: 91 11 2341 1109
Email: deeptie.sethi@bbc.co.uk

Notes to Editors: BBC World, the BBC's commercially funded international 24-hour news and information channel, is owned and operated by BBC World Ltd, a member of the BBC's commercial group of companies. BBC World is available in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide, and reaches 270 million households (128 million 24-hour homes) and more than one million hotel rooms. BBC World launched in its present format in 1995 and is funded by advertising and subscription. For further information on how to receive BBC World, download schedules or find out more about the channel, visit bbcworld.com.