This week, Spafinder Wellness 365 announced the expanded international panel of 39 judges who will nominate candidates for the 2016 Wellness Travel Awards. This global awards program recognizes the demand for healthier travel options and honors hotels, resorts, destination spas, and retreats worldwide that offer the best wellness vacations and experiences. This year’s panelists, including American Spa’s editor-in-chief and publisher Julie Keller Callaghan, will nominate the top properties for 20 distinct categories. To ensure the most deserving wellness travel properties are recognized, a comprehensive three-part approach is used to select the winners. After the panelist nominations are in this month, they will rate all nominated properties at the beginning of June. The second step involves the announcement of the finalists at the end of June and the beginning of consumer voting July through September. The winners of the 2016 Wellness Travel Awards will be announced in November at the World Travel Market in London. "Our goal is to provide travelers with the most objective assessment of the destinations that deserve the highest accolades for providing incredible wellness experiences, from the hidden gems to long-time favorites,” says chief operating officer John Bevan. “We are grateful to these highly respected editors and experts for devoting their talent and time to identify the top wellness travel locations in the world.”