Mark your calendar for June 23, 2026. That's when Brussels becomes ground zero for a conversation that's reshaping how tourism operates across Europe. The International Centre for Responsible Tourism is launching the first-ever Europe Responsible Tourism Forum, followed by awards that recognize the people and places pushing the industry toward real change.
The event unfolds at Press Club Brussels Europe, where senior leaders from hotels, tour operators, destination authorities, and NGOs will gather to wrestle with the continent's thorniest tourism challenges. Think policy shifts, climate adaptation, economic impact on local communities, and the messy business of doing hospitality right. Paloma Hotel Group, a Mediterranean and Turkish resort operator with four decades of experience, is backing the forum as the lead sponsor. According to the company's chairwoman and CEO, Ece Tonbul, responsibility isn't a marketing angle for them but foundational. "For us responsibility is not an add-on, it is central to how we operate, invest and grow," she explained.
The awards themselves carry serious weight. Since 2004, the ICRT has used this annual competition to surface innovation in sustainable tourism. Past winners have demonstrated that you can run profitable operations while genuinely improving the places they touch. This year's six categories reflect where the industry needs the most work: local economic benefit, diversity and equity, nature-positive initiatives, championing cultural diversity, adapting to climate change, and regenerative tourism practices.
What Makes This Different
The new forum component matters. Before the awards ceremony, attendees will spend the day examining case studies, debating policy, and unpacking best practices. This isn't a rubber-stamp gala where companies collect trophies. It's a working session designed to catalyze real shifts in how tourism operates. Debbie Hindle, chair of ICRT Global, sees Paloma's involvement as crucial. "Its commitment to sharing and encouraging best practice is exemplary, and we look forward to a thought-provoking series of discussions," she said.
The awards are presented by easyJet holidays, which means the ceremony carries the kind of industry credibility that matters. Past award recipients have ranged from family-run guesthouses making bold moves on waste management to entire destinations restructuring their tourism models around climate resilience. These aren't niche players. Hotels and destinations winning these awards go on to shape sector standards. Quality recognition matters in European hospitality, and the ICRT's track record gives these accolades real heft.
How to Get Involved
The forum itself is free to attend, which is a big deal for an event this caliber. Doors open at 4:30 pm on June 23, with António Buscardini, founder of Travel Tomorrow and president of the Press Club, officiating the opening. That timing gives you the morning to explore Brussels and plenty of time to grab dinner after. Getting to Brussels is easier than ever, especially if you're traveling from neighboring European cities.
If your organization operates in tourism and wants global recognition, keep an eye on the broader ICRT Responsible Tourism Awards Worldwide. Those entries remain open until June 30, 2026, with winners announced during a virtual ceremony in August. The European awards are already closed, but the global competition gives operators across Asia, Africa, the Americas, and beyond a chance to showcase their work.
What's compelling here isn't just the awards themselves, but the signal they send. Tourism has spent decades treating sustainability as optional, a checkbox for marketing departments. The ICRT's work suggests a different future where the companies and destinations that genuinely improve their communities and ecosystems aren't the outliers anymore. They're the ones setting the standard. As Europe faces mounting pressure from climate and social challenges, this kind of leadership matters more than ever.
If you're curious about sustainable travel or work in the tourism sector, this event is worth following. It's where the conversation happens about what responsible tourism actually means in practice, not just in theory. For details on entering the global awards or learning more about past winners and their innovations, the ICRT website has everything you need.
