The Wanderlust World Guide Awards (formerly known as the Paul Morrison Guide Awards) are held every year to recognise the very best of the world’s tour-guide community. This year the Wanderlust team received over 1,000 nominations from which they created a shortlist of the eight guides they felt were most deserving of this distinguished award.

Tina Zorman of Yemen

The WHL Group is very proud to recognise the nomination of Tina Zorman, our whl.travel local connection in the beautiful unspoiled lands of Yemen. Born in Slovenia, Tina owns and guides for Eternal Yemen with her Yemeni husband (and two children) based out of the country’s fascinating capital city of Sana’a. Tina feels very much at home with her family in Yemen and takes great pride in showing people this country and introducing them to the traditional Yemeni way of life. It is her desire to challenge the misconceptions people have about this troubled land and help them better understand the Islamic faith.

The World Guide Awards were launched in 2004 in memory of the co-founder of Wanderlust, Paul Morrison, who always felt that tour guides “were the unsung heroes of the travel industry.” The Wanderlust team have again welcomed an expert judging panel for these awards, including travel writer Bill Bryson, conservationist Mark Carwardine and Wanderlust’s editor-In-chief Lyn Hughes.

Whereas the judges narrowed the field to the shortlist of eight on the merits of the nominations, the final three – to be announced on 28 September 2010 at London’s Royal Geographical Society – will be decided with input from the travelling public.

Given that, if you have ever been fortunate to visit Yemen in the company of Tina Zorman, please send word to Wanderlust why you think she should be voted the World’s Top Guide for 2010. Just email topguide@wanderlust.co.uk and be sure to include her name in the subject line. Act fast. You have until May 14 to send your vote for Tina!

The whl.travel portal for Yemen – a website owned and operated by Eternal Yemen as the exclusive local partners of whl.travel – will be launching soon with a range of accommodation, tours and activities bookable online.

Bruno Dawson of Sri Lanka

Also worthy of mention is Bruno Dawson, a guide working in Sri Lanka for Intrepid Travel. A native of Haputale, in the lush biodiversity of the Uva Province in the mountainous centre of the country, Bruno has for years helped visitors understand the country’s tumultuous present in terms of its folklore-rich past. We welcome Bruno’s nomination as well, recognition of the outstanding local guides employed by Intrepid on its tours.

Intrepid Travel and the WHL Group have joined together to create Urban Adventures, a new style of travel experience for those who want to get off the beaten path and really connect with the destination.

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