ISLAMABAD, JUN 14 (DNA) – Mr. Aziz Boolani CEO South and Central Asia received appreciation at the World Travel Awards where Islamabad Serena Hotel was awarded Pakistans Leading Hotel 2017 and Pakistans Leading Hotel Suite 2017 for the Presidential Suite at Islamabad Serena Hotel, the Kabul Serena Hotel was awarded Afghanistan’s Leading Hotel and Dushanbe Serena Hotel received the award for Tajikistans Leading Hotel for the fourth year running at the World Travel Awards Asia & Australasia Gala Ceremony 2017, held at Grand Kempinski Hotel Shanghai in China.

The World Travel Awards™ is voted for by travel and tourism professionals worldwide, and this accolade recognizes the commitment to excellence which organizations demonstrate in each preceding year.

The World Travel Awards™ is the most prestigious, comprehensive and sought after awards programme in the global travel and tourism industry.

The awards this year were presented before an invited audience of the industrys leading luminaries and international media.

Tourism Promotion Services – Pakistan (TPS), a subsidiary company of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED), owns and manages eight hotels across Pakistan of which Islamabad Serena Hotel is the flagship property.

AKFED seeks to develop tourism potential in selected areas in the developing world, by building, rehabilitating and managing hotels and lodges that contribute to economic growth and positively impact the overall investment climate in an environmental and culturally sensitive manner.

Since its inception, Serena has stressed cultural and environmental sensitivity, for which it has received global recognition through a number of awards.

Globally, the travel and tourism industry makes a real difference to the lives of millions of people by driving growth, creating jobs, reducing poverty and fostering development and tolerance.

Whereas the contribution of the industry to global GDP is over 10%, in Pakistan the contribution is under 3%. The potential for growth is immense but world class infrastructure – like the award-winning Serena Hotels –is taking various steps to expand the scale and depth of tourism in Pakistan.

World Travel Awards celebrates its 24th anniversary this year and is acknowledged across the globe as the ultimate travel accolade.

Attended by senior executives from major travel companies, hotel owners, operators, destinations, WTA events are universally respected as providing established, top level networking opportunities, regionally and globally. The brand aims to celebrate those organisations who push the boundaries of industry excellence.=DNA

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