WTM London, the leading global event for the travel industry, and its sister events London Travel Week and Travel Forward, will see an array of awards and prizes given out to travel firms, organisations and professionals amid the pandemic.

 

The global travel trade will reunite for WTM London and co-located Travel Forward – both being held in person from November 1-3 and virtually on November 8-9 – as well as London Travel Week from October 29-November 5, giving the industry a chance to celebrate the resilience, innovation and successes of a sector that has seen unprecedented turmoil since March 2020.

 

Award ceremonies and competitions being held over the conference period include:

Responsible Tourism Awards

 

Submissions have come from destinations and businesses around the world to be judged by an international team of judges drawn from across the industry. The awards are the centrepiece of the Responsible Tourism Programme at WTM London.

 

WTM Responsible Tourism Advisor Harold Goodwin said: “Every year remarkable new responsible businesses and destinations are ‘discovered’ and recognised through these awards. Being recognised will bring the winners a business advantage.”

 

Front Runners Travel Tech Competition

 

More than 350 start-ups from 80 countries have signed up for this competition, which will showcase innovation to a global audience. 

 

Run by WTM London, Travel Forward and World Tourism Forum Lucerne (WTFL), it aims to find tech-driven start-ups in three categories: Smart Mobility; Hospitality of the Future; and Experiences Revolution.

 

Three finalists from each category will attend WTM London and Travel Forward to pitch to an international judging panel and exclusive audience of investors, industry leaders and innovators.

 

Wanderlust Travel Awards

 

One of the highlights of London Travel Week will be the awards ceremony held at Kensington Palace on November 2 by Wanderlust – the leading consumer travel magazine. The ceremony will host the Wanderlust Reader Awards, the Wanderlust World Guide Awards and the Wanderlust Travel Awards.

 

Wanderlust Chief Operating Officer Elliot Wellsteed-Crook said: “We believe the Wanderlust Travel Awards will be a fantastic moment to bring together, and celebrate, the world’s foremost travel industry leaders in a prestigious setting.”

 

World Travel Leaders Awards

 

This award programme is an annual recognition of companies and individuals from around the globe that have had a positive impact on a specific region or sector. The winners will be announced at WTM London on November 1.

 

WTM London Exhibition Director Simon Press said: “Our motto at WTM London 2021 is ‘Reconnect. Rebuild. Innovate’ and the winners of the World Travel Leaders Awards will epitomise those values.

 

“With travel around the world beginning to recover from the devastating effects of the pandemic, these awards will recognise how our sector reacted with grit and determination, while introducing new ideas and forging ahead despite all the setbacks. 

 

"We hope our winners will inspire others as we move into 2022 and a strong bounce-back.”-TradeArabia News Service