| TURKS & CAICOS TOURIST BOARD WEB SITE WINS OFFICIAL HONOREE DISTINCTION IN INTERNATIONAL "WEBBY AWARD" COMPETITION |
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PROVIDENCIALES, Turks & Caicos Islands – April 28, 2008 ¬– The official web site of the Turks & Caicos Islands Tourist Board, www.turksandcaicostourism.com, has been recognized by the International Academy of Digital Arts & Science as one of just 12 Official Honorees in the Travel Category of its prestigious annual Webby Awards. The Tourist Board site was selected from hundreds of entries in the competition, and was cited for excellence in both creative design and presentation of content.
Considered by marketing professionals as the “Oscars of the Internet” and described by the Los Angeles Times as “the only Internet award that matters,” the Webby Awards committee of experts annually reviews more than 10,000 entries from 60 countries. The competition, now in its 12th year, includes web sites (which make up the majority of the entries), interactive advertising, online film and video, and mobile marketing. Entries are judged based on the creativity, usability and functionality of their designs, with finalists being chosen based on their ability to integrate all those characteristics.
“The Webby Awards honors the outstanding work that is setting the standards for the Internet,” said David-Michel Davies, executive director of The Webby Awards. “The Turks and Caicos Tourist Board’s Official Honoree selection is a testament to the skill, ingenuity, and vision of its creators.”
The Turks & Caicos Tourist Board site was named one of 12 Official Honorees in the Travel category, joining such larger and better known destinations as the U.K. (www.visitbritain.com), Holland, (www.holland.com), Yellowstone Park (www.yellowstonepark.com), Ixtapa, Mexico (www.lightupixtapa.com), several US states tourist boards, and the island of Samoa (www.samoa.travel).
“It is an honor to be in such select company and recognized by this highly respected organization for a prestigious Webby Award. We fully understand the importance, reach and value of the Internet -- and our web site in particular -- as an essential tool in marketing our destination,” said Wayne Garland, Executive Director of the Turks & Caicos Tourist Board.
“Like our destination itself, our Internet presence must stand out in a highly competitive marketplace and be able to attract visitors from around the world. We are proud of the way our web site combines form and function, portraying in words and images the beauty of the Turks & Caicos while utilizing the latest technological advances to make ours a more accessible destination for tourists to visit. We are equally proud that it is designed and maintained by a team based right here in the Turks & Caicos Islands.”
The Tourist Board web site receives roughly 250,000 visitors per month. It ranks at or near the top of major search engines on relevant key word searches, and is the most comprehensive and up-to-date source of tourism information on the Turks & Caicos Islands. The site features a multitude of tourism related business listings, photos, maps, foreign language overviews, a real time travel booking engine, travel agent qualification systems and many other features designed to educate potential visitors and facilitate their travel planning.
The web site is designed and maintained by Turks & Caicos-based marketing firm, Wired Island, Ltd. (www.wiredislandtci.com), working in conjunction with the Tourist Board office in Providenciales.
About The Webby Awards and IADAS
 The Webby Awards is presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS). Sponsors and partners of The Webby Awards include: Adobe; The Creative Group; Verizon; AOL Video; dotMobi; Level3; Adweek; Fortune; Reuters; Variety; Wired; IDG: Brightcove; PricewaterhouseCoopers; 2advanced.Net; KobeMail and Museum of the Moving Image.
The IADAS is dedicated to the creative, technical, and professional progress of the internet and interactive media. It is an intellectually diverse organization that includes over 550 members consisting of leading experts in a diverse range of fields, such as musician David Bowie, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, AKQA Global Creative Director Rei Inamoto, "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening, Real Networks CEO Rob Glaser, The Huffington Post's Arianna Huffington, AKQA Global Creative Director Rei Inamoto and The Weinstein Company's Harvey Weinstein. The Webby Awards and The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences are registered trademarks of International Data Group. For more information, visit www.iadas.net. |
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