Cinnamon and SriLankan Airlines announce Asia’s first ever Travel Blogger Awards at WTM

Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts together with the national carrier SriLankan Airlines are gearing up to organise Asia’s first ever Travel Bloggers Awards as part of the of the Travel Bloggers Conference (TBCasia) from 2 to 7 June 2016. The official announcement was made at the World Travel Mart (WTM) in London and generated a lot of buzz amongst travel bloggers and keen travel industry participants. 

“Against the backdrop of the successful TBCasia held last year, we are proud to pioneer the Cinnamon Travel Bloggers Awards in 2016 in partnership with SriLankan airlines, to recognise bloggers’ contribution to creating awareness and interest in travel destinations. Digital media is the new frontier for the industry and by recognising and rewarding these initiatives, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts is proud to infuse the local travel and tourism industry with new thinking. Travellers are increasingly sourcing information about destinations from travel bloggers who are seen as an authentic source and by engaging these bloggers, we not only aim to encourage the practice of blogging, but also want to ensure that these bloggers can put forward a balanced view about Sri Lanka as a destination,” said Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts Head of Brand Marketing Dileep Mudadeniya.

This year’s World Travel Mart in London held its most comprehensive blogging program to date, with sessions spread over three days and nearly twice the number of bloggers at its Blogger Speed Networking event. The event was therefore the ideal platform for Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts and SriLankan airlines to announce the Cinnamon Travel Blogger Awards whilst networking with top bloggers from across the globe. 

“At a time when the people’s media has taken precedence over traditional travel and destination promotions, it is vital that we as stakeholders, collectively promote and encourage the presence of bloggers in the country, which will in return inspire more and more travellers to explore Sri Lanka. SriLankan Airlines considers it a pleasure to be the official airline partner of the Cinnamon Travel Bloggers Awards 2016,” said SriLankan Airlines General Manager Corporate Communications Saminda Perera.

Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts will be providing 60 bloggers with the unique opportunity of linking up with some of the most creative minds in the industry, and become part of an event that will shape the future of travel. 

TBCasia 2014 was Asia’s first ever Travel Bloggers Conference which saw the participation of over 250 delegates including 45 professional bloggers. The success of the conference in 2014 has now paved way for Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts and SriLankan airlines to conceptualise a bigger conference next year and debut Asia’s first ever Cinnamon Travel Bloggers Awards.

Bloggers who apply for the Cinnamon Travel Blogger Awards will stand a chance of being shortlisted and hosted in Sri Lanka by Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts for an all-expense paid tour, the conference and the Travel Blogger Awards Ceremony, while return air tickets will also be provided courtesy of SriLankan airlines. The pre-conference tour which will be held from 2-6 June 2016 will be followed by the one-day conference at the Cinnamon Grand Colombo on the 7 June and culminate in a gala red carpet awards night on the final day.

Registrations are now open for the one day conference for industry participants. Please visit www.tbcasia.com for more information on early bird offers and register today!