Agoda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq: PCLN), is offering great deals on hotels in southern Australia that will suit scuba divers who are seeking a bit of adventure.

Both the city of Adelaide and the town of Port Lincoln in southern Australia are known for the populations of Great White Sharks that cruise the waters near shore, and there are many companies that offer divers the chance to see these magnificent animals up close – real close – with a variety of cage diving tours.

Known throughout the world as one of nature’s most fearsome apex predators, the Carcharodon carcharias (Great White) has been the subject of books, movies and documentaries for decades. Famous for its size (averaging around 5m and 800kg) and its propensity to eat whatever floats in front of its face, it takes a brave soul to jump into water where the huge animals are known to swim. However, advances in diving safety have made the experience available to a wide variety of people, and these two locations offer some of the best cage diving in Australia.

Agoda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq:PCLN), is showcasing a selection of great hotels in Palawan, one of the Philippines’ most beautiful provinces and a top beach and island destination for vacationers from around the world. To see the selection, visit http://www.agoda.com/PerfectPalawan

Palawan is actually an island province easily picked out on a map of the region – it’s the long narrow one that stretches some 450 kilometers from the Philippines’ southwest corner almost to the tip of the Malaysian island of Borneo. There are several other islands that complete the province as well, from small uninhabited reefs to large jungled mountains such as Busuanga Island and Culion Island.

Agoda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq:PCLN), has assembled a list of hotels in Taipei that are offering special deals during the annual Dragon Boat Festival, one of the most colorful and rousing events on the calendar. This year it will be held on June 8 & 9.

As with many similar festivals in Asia, its history is long and complex. The most popular origin story says that during China’s Warring States Period (475-221 BC) there lived a statesman and poet named Cyu Yuan who was an advisor to the Chu King. After jealous rivals turned the King against Cyu Yuan, he was exiled. Later, when the Chu Kingdom was invaded, Cyu Yuan drowned himself in symbolic protest against the corruption of the system and to show allegiance to the empire. Hearing the terrible news, people organized search parties on the river, banging drums to scare spirits away and throwing rice into the water to distract hungry fish from eating his body. The ceremony also takes inspiration from annual water and agricultural rituals in China going back over 2,500 years, of which boat racing is only a small part.

Agoda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq: PCLN), is providing deals on hotels in one of Vietnam’s most beautiful and alluring cities – Hoi An.

Located approximately halfway down Vietnam’s long, S-shaped coastline, Hoi An has the distinction of being one of Vietnam’s 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites due to its exceptionally well-preserved colonial architecture and centuries of history as one of Southeast Asia’s most important trading posts. Indeed, it is said that Japanese mariners in the 18^th century believed that Hoi An was the heart of all of Asia.

The town has been a strategic ocean port since at least the  mid-1400’s, and was officially founded in 1595 as a result of the increased trade policies of the Nguyen Dynasty, which ruled Southern Vietnam from 1558-1777. During this time European powers were exploring and trading with an enthusiasm never before seen, and the mystical orient proved an irresistible destination. The town grew fast and quickly became the busiest and richest port in the region, and much evidence of these developments still remains.

Agoda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq:PCLN), has announced a variety of hotel deals in the leadup to the Great Singapore Sale, one of the island nation’s biggest yearly events.

Celebrating its 20^th year and taking place from 31 May to 28 July, the sale – often abbreviated simply as GSS – is an annual event centered on the one thing that Singapore is known best for – shopping. Sales, specials and super saver deals by some of the country’s best-known retail names are spread out across the city offering shoppers a great way to stock up on their favorite brands while seeing some of the city’s most dynamic neighborhoods.

Of course, most people familiar with Singapore have heard of Orchard Road, the central shopping district of the city and one of the most iconic commercial destinations in Asia. With endless stores, huge shopping malls and below- and above-ground connections linking them all together, the biggest crowds will undoubtedly be here seeking out deals. This includes the massive ION Orchard mall and the Mandarin Gallery.

Agoda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq:PCLN), is illuminating great deals on hotels in Sydney, Australia for the annual Vivid Sydney Light, Music & Idea Festival, which takes place this year from May 24 – June 10.

For the past 5 years, the festival has been wowing crowds with famous Sydney landmarks wrapped in thousands of meters of lights or used as massive canvasses, presenting giant expanses of rippling, morphing illuminated designs or photos. Earlier this year, the call went out worldwide for artists to send in expressions of interest, ensuring that the show will again have an international makeup reflecting a variety of backgrounds and cultures.

This year, the festival will showcase 60 installations, including favorites such as the illumination of the iconic Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. In addition to other light shows projected on a variety of local venues, sidewalks, promenades, and even inside tunnels, live musical shows by international artists and displays by leading creative, dance and performance groups will entertain crowds for the duration of the 18-day festival.

Agoda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq:PCLN), is providing great new deals on hotels in the Malaysian city of Kota Kinabalu to take advantage of high season climbing opportunities on the beautiful and surprisingly accessible Mt. Kinabalu, only 50km from the main city.

Although it’s one of the tallest mountains in Southeast Asia, Kinabalu is famed for being climbable without specialized gear and by almost anyone who is relatively fit. Despite an elevation of 4,093m above sea level, it rarely snows at the peak. Indeed, climbers will go through six separate vegetation zones on their climb to the top, from steamy Lower Mountain Forest at the bottom to frigid Subalpine at the peak. However, it can get very foggy and if it rains – which it does most afternoons – the environment can become downright miserable, with high winds and freezing temperatures that can quickly turn dangerous. For that reason, there is a well-worn climbing schedule that minimizes exposure and provides the best all-around hiking experience.

Agoda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq:PCLN), is partnering with WuBook for a strategic partnership that will allow Agoda.com to add WuBook’s inventory of hotels in Russia to its global network.

WuBook, which was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Fano, Italy, is one of the leading technology companies in the global hotel industry. Its hospitality software solutions – Channel Manager, Booking Engine, and PMS Zak, among others – offer a streamlined, convenient method for hotels to upload their rates and room details for easy distribution to online travel agents (OTA’s) and other popular channels.

Since opening in 2008 the company has seen rapid growth, and now has over 2,300 hotels worldwide. With this new partnership, Agoda.com customers can gain access to 500 previously unavailable hotels in the vast and fascinating country of Russia. From the fast-paced lifestyle of capital Moscow to the cultural and commercial hub of Saint Petersburg to the stark beauty of Siberia and the Russian Steppes, the true splendor of the country simply can’t be fully appreciated in a single trip.

Agoda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq:PCLN), is getting in a creative mood in preparation for the upcoming George Town Festival, the most colorful and exuberant celebration of art, music, theater, dance, opera and film in Malaysia. This year the festival will be held from 7 June – 7 July, and Agoda.com customers who book hotels on a special festival webpage will enjoy 5% off of the already low prices.

The festival, commonly just called the GTF, began in 2010 as a platform to promote the rich artistic and cultural heritage of George Town, the capital of the state of Penang. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 for its “unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia,” the city is a product of centuries of maritime trading, where cultures, customs, religions and artistic styles mixed and thrived.

Agoda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq:PCLN), is preparing a wide range of hotel deals to help celebrate the Cheung Chau Bun Festival, one of the most lively and enjoyable celebrations of the year, which this year will be held from May 14-18.

Chinese festivals are known for having deep historical significance, and often celebrate ancestral connections, important events, or protective deities. Despite a name that hints at a focus on food, the Cheung Chau Bun Festival actually manages to celebrate all three of the above qualities at the same time!

The story goes that in the late 1800’s the residents of Cheung Chau Island – a relatively small one near Hong Kong’s southwest maritime border – were beset by a plague that killed a large number of residents. Desperate, they turned to the god Pak Tai to help them, building an altar and holding a parade in his honor. Miraculously, the plague dissipated and the residents were saved, and to this day the same rituals are performed in honor of Pak Tai. Over the years, the weeklong celebration has grown to include the burning of paper effigies, dragon dances and the performance of various Taoist rituals.

Agoda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq:PCLN), is listing some of the most stylish designer hotels in Tokyo to help celebrate the sakura season – known commonly outside of Japan as the cherry blossom season – one of the most beautiful times to visit the Land of the Rising Sun.

The hundreds of varieties of the Prunus tree spread across Japan are quite unremarkable for most of the year. However, come Spring the trees erupt in colorful waves of blossoms, in various shades of red, pink and white, blanketing parks and temples across the country in billions of tiny flowers. In Japanese culture the blossoms are highly symbolic, representing the fragility of life, the power of beauty, and the strength of a unified culture.

As the season approaches, the Japanese Meteorological Agency starts providing updates on the sakura zensen, roughly translated as the “cherry blossom front”, as it moves from the southern island of Kyushu in late March to the northern island of Hokkaido in mid-May. Once the season has finished, the flowers wither and die, and the countdown begins for a new season.

Agoda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq:PCLN), is showcasing ten fantastic hotels in Paris that have undergone recent renovations or rebrandings to offer a new style of convenience and ensure the very best experience during a stay in the City of Lights.

Paris, of course, has been one of the world’s great cities since the 1^st century AD. Through wars and disaster and empires big and small the city has never lost its unique personality, emerging as a true 21^st-century metropolis whilst still retaining its centuries-old charm. Known for fine food, cutting-edge fashion and trend-setting design, there’s very rarely anyone who comes away unimpressed.

And when it comes to hotels, the selection in Paris is one of the world’s best, from tiny slivers of boutique hospitality to opulent palaces that redefine the word ‘luxury’. To celebrate the best that Paris has to offer, Agoda.com is featuring ten outstanding properties that have recently renovated or rebranded to modernize, update or redecorate in the name of classic French hospitality. Take a look at the hotels below and see which one is the best fit for a great Parisian holiday!

Agoda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq:PCLN), is offering new deals on the striking island of Sri Lanka to celebrate the Sinhalese New Year, a major event for the ethnic population and the biggest holiday of the year.

Similar to other astrologically-determined New Year celebrations in Southeast Asia, such as Thailand’s Songkran or Vietnam’s Tết, New Year celebrations in Sri Lanka are boisterous and noisy, full of color and commotion and a perfect time to see the best that the island has to offer. This year, the holiday takes place on April 14.

Agoda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq:PCLN), is offering fantastic hotel deals in Bangkok and Chiang Mai to celebrate Songkran, the Thai New Year.

The celebration is the biggest holiday of the year in Thailand – Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve all rolled into one. This year the official celebration days are April 13-15, with a few days tagged on to either end to compensate for the holiday falling on a weekend. It also might be a bit longer or shorter, depending on where you are – for instance, celebrations in Chiang Mai often go for a full week. Songkran is truly one of those events on a scale that has to be seen to be believed, and it’s hard to imagine that it came from such humble beginnings.

Agoda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq: PCLN), has announced early bird hotel deals in Guangzhou, China in the lead up to the 113^th China Import and Export Fair, the largest trade fair in the region and a major event for importers, exporters, and manufacturers worldwide.

Also known as the Canton Fair, the twice-yearly event has been growing steadily since it first began in 1957, and has thrived with support by China’s Ministry of Commerce. In the decades since, China has emerged as a top tourist destination and a key component in the global trade engine, underlying the importance of the show to a vast number of industries.

The event will take place over three 5-day phases at Guangzhou’s huge Pazhou Complex: April 15-19, April 23-27, and May 1-5. The previous session boasted 58,714 standard booths from 24,213 exhibitors and enjoyed a turnover of more than USD 37.9 billion. But the Canton Fair is only a small part of what visitors can expect to see.

Agoda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq:PCLN), has announced great deals on Indian hotels in the leadup to the annual Holi Festival, India’s famously raucous and cheerful celebration of color.

As with many festivals in Asia, the Holi celebration is a mix of astrological rituals, religious traditions, and unique cultural characteristics. In this case, Holi is a Hindu festival that celebrates the story of Hiranyakashipu and his son, Prahlada. After being blessed with near-immortality by the god Brahma, Hiranyakashipu grew arrogant and demanded that people worship him. Prahlada, however, was a devotee of the god Vishnu, which angered his father, who tried to kill him. However, after surviving several attempts on his life, Prahlada submitted to fate and allowed himself to be set on fire with his aunt Holika, an immortal demon. He prayed to Vishnu for protection and to everyone’s surprise, Prahlada survived while Holika was consumed by flame.

Agoda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq:PCLN), has teamed up with Philippine Airlines (PAL) to offer customers of the Philippines’ flagship carrier access to Agoda.com’s inventory of over 100,000 hotels worldwide.

As the first and oldest commercial airline in Asia, Philippine Airlines has been carrying people to and from the Philippines since 1941. Now, in a world that’s more connected and engaged than ever before, the airline is pushing the limits of its online and digital capabilities. The partnership with Agoda.com further strengthens its international competitiveness, after the San Miguel Corporation joined the PAL management team in 2012.

As part of the new campaign, the partnership will allow Philippine Airlines customers to access fantastic hotel deals for both domestic Philippine and international destinations through a customized hotel booking page linked to PAL’s website at www.agoda.com/PAL. The deals will mirror PAL’s global network of destinations so customers can book flights and hotels in one easy step.

Agoda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq:PCLN), is offering up great hotel deals in Penang, an important destination for tourists heading to Malaysia’s and one of Asia’s most dynamic and historic cultural melting pots.

Penang has been a major hub in the development of Southeast Asia for hundreds of years, with a wide variety of traditions and customs that are woven into the very fabric of its modern culture. Centuries ago, its strategic location in the Malacca Strait – still one of the busiest and most important maritime passageways in the world – ensured that merchants from China to Persia to Africa traded and mingled on their years-long expeditions to acquire spice, fabric, wood, ivory, perfume, gems and other valuables. Many of them merely passed through on their journeys, but many settled here, adding to the vibrant mix of backgrounds and skills that the locals possessed.

Agoda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq: PCLN), has selected a list of hotels offering big savings in the leadup for the colorful and raucous Vietnamese Tet Festival.

The festival’s full name is Tết Nguyên Đán, and it falls on the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar, which this year is on February 10. By far the most important celebration in the Vietnamese year, Tet is a national holiday that marks the arrival of spring, traditionally seen as a time of renewal and preparation for the year ahead. Although there are many general customs and traditions that everyone follows, an interesting aspect of the holiday is that it is celebrated differently in various regions throughout the country. Some regions celebrate longer, some observe customs that others do not, while others prefer certain types of food not eaten elsewhere.

But no matter where in Vietnam one ends up, Tet is a time of high spirits and active communities. Temples and houses are decorated with trees, flowers, and calligraphy, many to welcome those that have sometimes traveled great distances to see their families.

Agoda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq:PCLN), has announced lists of its most popular destinations as chosen by couples from various regions, as well as amazing hotel deals in Paris and Rome, two of the perennial favorite romantic cities.

But as Agoda.com looked into preferred travel habits, there were some interesting differences between Asian and European couples and where they preferred to go. While Asian couples on vacation in Europe preferred to head to Venice and Amsterdam, European couples chose Barcelona and Budapest. Similar differences were seen in Asia; while Asian couples set their sights on Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo, Japan didn’t even place for Europeans, who preferred Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Singapore.

Agoda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq:PCLN), has taken a look back at 2012 and compiled a list of its twelve highest rated hotels for the year as graded by customers.  

The reviews on Agoda.com are an important record of a customer’s actual experience at a hotel. Free from PR spin and embellishment, reviews that appear on the website are written by actual customers only after they have completed their stay, and as such are an accurate reflection of an average visit.

When customers review a hotel, they are asked to rate their stay based on various criteria, including value for money, location, staff performance, cleanliness, comfort, and food. These scores are then averaged to get that customer’s overall rating of the hotel. To find the top-rated hotels for 2012, Agoda.com took the sum of all customer ratings on a particular hotel and divided that by the number of reviews to get the hotel’s final ranking.

Agoda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq: PCLN), is providing hotel deals in the Philippine province of Surigao del Norte, a popular tourist destination offering constant balmy temperatures, swaying palm trees, and the famed Siargao Island, one of the world’s best surfing locations.

Recently included on list of destinations to watch in 2013 by Condé Nast Traveller magazine, Siargao Island’s reputation is well-deserved due to its warm breezes and uninterrupted currents that surge up the Philippine Trench from far out in the Pacific Ocean. It was not always this way though – before the mid 1980’s the island’s excellent waves were known only by locals and some of the more intrepid surf nomads who went to great lengths to find unknown spots to test their skills. However, the publication of several high-profile magazine articles changed all that when they featured the island’s now-famous “Cloud 9” reef wave, among others, which put the spot on the map, as did the establishment of the annual Siargao Cup surfing competition. The high-profile event celebrated its 18^th year in September, 2012 and was won by local athlete Edito “Piso” Alcala.

Agoda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq:PCLN), is celebrating the New Year with the chance to relax, renew and rejuvenate your body and mind with some of Asia’s best hotels for relaxation and spa treatments.

The New Year is traditionally thought of as a time to reflect on the past, focus on the future, and head into a new year with a fresh perspective, and there is no better way to do this than at one of Asia’s top spa centers. With an emphasis on realigning body and mind, it’s almost impossible to emerge without feeling energized and ready to tackle the year ahead.

Agoda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq:PCLN), has released a list of the top ten cities that offer the best nightlife excitement, as chosen by its customers. And with New Year’s Eve quickly approaching, these cities are perfect for a quick getaway if nothing’s been planned yet.

Based on feedback from over 113,000 respondents provided at the end of their stay, Agoda.com customers had the opportunity to rate the nightlife on a scale of 1-5, 1 being “poor”, and 5 being “excellent”. The top spot was taken by Bangkok, Thailand’s energetic capital known for its tuk-tuk’s, temples and street food, followed by Dubai, the gleaming desert city in the United Arab Emirates, and Boracay/Caticlan in the Philippines, famous for its white sand beaches and swaying palm trees.

Agoda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq:PCLN), has announced hotel deals in some of Asia’s most temperate regions to give locals and high-season visitors alike a break from Asia’s often warm and humid winter weather.

No matter if it’s someone who lives in any number of Asia’s steamy capitals, or one of the many visitors from colder regions who aren’t quite ready for the jump in temperature and humidity, spending time in Asia can be a wearying experience. Excursions in low-lying areas, capital cities, islands or beaches can often be an exercise in endurance, as even during the Asian “winter” temperatures can hit 30 Celsius or more.

But there is a way to take a break from the sweltering environment – leave the sweaty markets and concrete jungles behind and escape to destinations that enjoy cooler, more comfortable temperatures.

Agoda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq:PCLN), has announced hotel deals in Paris in the leadup to the 2013 Paris Fashion Week, the industry standard trade show for high fashion and glamour.

In the fast-paced world of fashion, the Paris Fashion Week sets the standard for the upcoming seasons. From racks in Milan and New York to street stalls in Bangkok and Beijing, the influence of the show can be seen in the wares of every fashion-conscious vendor around the world. Indeed, the standard is set at this event, and all eyes will be on the labels, designs and designers themselves to see what new creations have sprung to life from their vivid imaginations.

For fans of fashion or the fashionista lifestyle, Paris is a must-visit destination during the event. Photographers and media scramble to catch the perfect shot of the celebrities, designers and models that spill out of hip cafes and invite-only parties, while crowds line up to catch the latest creations of their favorite fashion houses.

Agoda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq: PCLN), is celebrating the growing number of international travelers that are choosing New Zealand as their tour destination by offering special hotel deals in some of the world’s most picturesque locations.

New Zealand’s increasing visibility on the global tourism meter over the past few years has been driven by one thing above all others – movies. Indeed, until about ten years ago, it was still a rather mysterious country with a steady but unglamorous travel industry. But that all changed with the release with The Fellowship of the Ring in 2001, which became a worldwide phenomenon and instant classic, ensuring the success of its two follow-up films The Two Towers and The Return of the King. Taken together, these three films earned nearly USD$3 billion at the worldwide box office and won a total of 17 Academy Awards, including Best Picture for the final entry.

Agoda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq: PCLN), is partnering with Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer to bring even greater rewards to its frequent flyer members when they book hotels with Agoda.com.

Founded in 1972, Singapore Airlines is a multi-award winning airline in the global air travel market, serving 62 destinations in 34 countries, and its frequent flyer program, KrisFlyer, is recognized as one of the leading airline loyalty programs. From 1^st December 2012, Singapore Airlines PPS Club and KrisFlyer members will earn 1.5 KrisFlyer miles for every US$1 spent on their hotel booking through www.agoda.com/krisflyer.

The offer is open to PPS Club and KrisFlyer members worldwide, and applies to all of Agoda.com’s hotels around the globe. In addition to earning KrisFlyer miles, members can also earn Agoda rewards points on each hotel booking, which can be used as discounts toward future bookings.

Agoda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq: PCLN), has built on the success of its iPhone app with the release of its brand new iPad app, designed specifically to take advantage of Apple’s groundbreaking portable tablet.

Available now for free in the iTunes store, the iPad app lets users search for hotels by city, location, hotel name, landmark, or place of interest, providing instant feedback on over 200,000 properties worldwide. Users can also apply filters based on room price, star rating, hotel name, popularity or location.

Agoda.com Chief Product Officer John Brown said, “Agoda customers will love viewing millions of high-res photos with access to 3.5 million verified customer reviews on our iPad app. We will be rolling out new versions with improved features and functionality on a regular basis.”

Agoda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq: PCLN), has announced the 2012 recipients of its prestigious Gold Circle Awards, recognizing hotels that lead by example in the competitive hospitality industry.

Launched in 2009, the awards are given to Agoda.com partners who are committed to accommodating the unique needs of the online booking industry, which has seen significant and steady global growth as technology continues to make online booking faster, easier and more convenient.

Previous Gold Circle Award winners were chosen because of their outstanding performance on Agoda.com, a high number of positive customer reviews, and their utilization of Agoda.com’s custom-built Yield Control System (YCS). This year, however, the bar has been raised a bit higher, and new judging criteria make the list even more exclusive.