Every November, Brussels becomes ground zero for tourism's biggest players. This year, the stakes feel even higher: the World Tourism Awards 2026 have expanded to 100 categories, and the application window closes July 31.
Whether you run a boutique hotel, govern a destination, lead an airline, or champion sustainable tourism, there's a category waiting for your submission. The awards are open to organisations, destinations, companies, institutions, and individuals, with nominations also welcome from tourism boards, industry associations, and independent experts.
Eight Award Tracks. A Hundred Ways to Win.
The 2026 programme spans the entire tourism value chain. Categories group around destination excellence, hospitality and accommodation, airlines and airports, public institutions, real estate and infrastructure, technology and innovation, sustainability and inclusion, plus leadership and special recognition. This breadth means your work, whatever its focus, probably fits somewhere.
Past winners hint at the caliber of recognition on offer. The 2025 edition crowned France as Best Global Destination, Angola as Best Tourism Investment Destination, and the Maldives as Best Beach Destination. Turkish Airlines, Marriott International, and GetYourGuide took home major industry honors. These aren't participation trophies. Winning reshapes how the world sees your work.
How Judges Actually Evaluate Your Submission
The World Tourism Forum Institute runs an independent evaluation process that looks beyond flashy marketing. Judges assess operational performance, innovation, leadership, market impact, sustainability initiatives, ethical standards, and your broader contribution to global tourism growth. They want evidence, not promises.
That rigorous approach is why the award actually means something. Winners don't just get a trophy and certificate. You gain the right to use the official winner seal across all your materials. More valuable still: you land international media coverage, profiles across WTFI platforms, and invitations to speak at Global Tourism Forum events in front of governments, investors, and other decision-makers who shape the industry.
A Bigger Picture Emerging
These awards reflect where tourism is heading. The industry faces pressure on multiple fronts: digital transformation is reshaping how travelers plan trips, investment patterns are shifting, destinations are competing harder than ever, and stakeholders increasingly demand proof of responsible, sustainable growth. Overtourism challenges are forcing destinations to rethink capacity and impact, while emerging markets like Uzbekistan are proving that visitor surge momentum can shift rapidly based on smart strategy.
The awards celebrate solutions. Hotels that cut carbon. Destinations managing crowds intelligently. Airlines investing in cleaner fleets. Tech platforms making travel more accessible. Public bodies building infrastructure that works for residents and visitors alike.
Mark Your Calendar. Applications Close July 31.
The awards ceremony takes place November 9, 2026, at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. The full Global Tourism Forum Annual Meeting runs November 9-10, attracting heads of state, ministers, investors, and private sector executives for discussions on tourism investment, infrastructure, aviation, and digital transformation.
If your destination or tourism business has genuinely transformed traveler experience, advanced the industry, or solved a real problem, submit. The deadline isn't a suggestion. Once July 31 passes, applications close for another cycle. Tourism awards at this level don't come around every day, and the exposure for winners extends far beyond a single evening in Brussels.
