2011 Wanderlust Magazine travel awards announced

Hailed by Wanderlust as a ‘David & Goliath-style victory’, independent publisher Bradt Travel Guides has come out tops in the annual Wanderlust Awards. A poll of Wanderlust readers gave Bradt a rating of 81.76%, beating Lonely Planet, DK and Rough Guides into second, third and fourth place respectively as the best guidebook series. Bradt’s Managing Director, Donald Greig accepted the top award for Best Guidebook Series at Destinations travel show, Thursday 3rd February.   Wanderlust further described Bradt as ‘the small publisher whose engaging, well-written and highly detailed guides to exotic places continue to set a benchmark for quality.’ A delighted Donald Greig commented ‘We’re thrilled to receive this award. Wanderlust readers are an adventurous and knowledgeable crowd having visited almost every single country in the world in the past year, so it means a lot to us to get such a strong seal of approval from them.’

Historically Bradt’s own ‘road less travelled’ has explored a different route from that favoured by ‘big publishing’.  Frequently pioneering, occasionally controversial, often fighting commercial expediency and always allowing authors freedom of expression, Bradt’s unique style has again proved to be a winner with Wanderlust readers.

Wanderlust’s website congratulates Bradt on having ‘a well-deserved reputation for getting to emerging destinations first’ and heads up a growing list of titles including recently-published Eastern Turkey and Tips on Tipping together with forthcoming themed guides to alien invaders (species, not little green men) and Britain’s sacred sites.

The annual Wanderlust Awards, organised by the UK’s leading travel magazine for independent-minded travellers, are based on the results of an independent poll amongst its readers.  The awards also recognised top tour operators, airlines, airports, countries, emerging destinations, TV/Radio programmes, travel equipment providers and websites.