Travel 'Oscar': Richard Hume, Director of the Tourism Board's UK Office of Northern Europe & the Middle East (left) receives the Best Asia/Pacific Tourist Board award from Tom Nutley, Chairman of Reed Exhibitions and the Pacific Asia Travel Association UK Chapter.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board's UK office has been voted Best Asia/Pacific Tourist Board in the British Travel Awards 2007.

Board Chairman James Tien said the board was greatly honoured by the award, which is regarded as the travel industry's 'Oscars' and one of the most widely recognised travel awards.

The award also came only weeks after Hong Kong was voted 'favourite overseas city' for the second year in a row in the UK's Guardian, Observer and Guardian Unlimited Travel Awards last month.

"Since our UK office in London came into existence in 1972, we've been working closely with the British travel trade to promote Hong Kong," Mr Tien said.

He added its recent strategy is to position Hong Kong as a hip and trendy destination, and winning the award shows how positively the UK travel trade and consumers have received the promotions.

The UK is Hong Kong's biggest single source of visitors in Europe. Last year, arrivals from the country reached a new high of 516,495, with a growth of 20.3% recorded in the first nine months.

The British Travel Awards invite both industry professionals and the public to cast their votes, and more than 100,000 votes were collected for this year's awards.