The 25^th edition of the annual World Travel Awards 2018, considered the travel industry's most prestigious awards programme, recognised Sri Lanka as Asia’s Leading Adventure Tourism Destination at a ceremony held at Intercontinental Grand Stanford Hotel in Hong Kong recently. Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Chairman Dehan Seneviratne and Director Events Prasad Daluwatte collected the award at the ceremony. The awards were voted for by travel and tourism professionals and business and leisure travel consumers worldwide, and this accolade recognises the commitment to excellence that an organization has demonstrated over the last twelve months. The evening marks the third leg of the World Travel Awards Grand Tour 2018, the 25^th anniversary of honoring excellence in the international hospitality industry. At the Gala Ceremony, the formal announcement of the winners and stage presentations of the award took place along with filmed media interviews. Each year, WTA covers the globe with a series of regional gala ceremonies staged to recognize and celebrate individual and collective success within each key geographical region. This year, the Asian and Australasia Gala Ceremony was held on 3^rd September at the Intercontinental Grand Stanford Hotel in Hong Kong which saw the participation of industry stalwarts and new entrants from around the world. Winners at the red carpet evening included Vietnam, which fended off stiff competition to be named ‘Asia’s Leading Destination’. Meanwhile Sydney, with its iconic cityscapes and beautiful beaches, was named ‘Australasia’s Leading Destination’. Graham Cooke, Founder & President, World Travel Awards, said: “What an incredible evening it has been here in the enchanting metropolis of Hong Kong. We have had the privilege of recognizing many of the leading hotels, airlines and hospitality providers from destinations across Asia and Australasia and my congratulations to each of them.” After receiving the award on behalf of Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, the Chairman, Mr. Dehan Senevirathne stated that the full credit for this global recognition should go to the staff of the Bureau, who work hard to position Sri Lanka as an excellent tourist destination. The WTA gala ceremony is regarded as the best networking opportunities in the travel industry, attended by government and industry leaders, luminaries and international print and broadcast media.