Award Season Arrives At WTM London

WTM London – along with London Travel Week and Travel Forward – are gearing up for a busy time, with an array of awards and prizes set to be given out to recognize the remarkable efforts of travel firms, organizations and professionals amid the pandemic.

The global travel trade will reunite for WTM London and co-located Travel Forward – both being held in person on Nov. 1 to Nov. 3 and virtually on Nov. 8 to Nov. 9 – as well as London Travel Week from Oct. 29 to Nov. 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 busy 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.
• Front Runners Travel Tech Competition — More than 350 start-ups from 80 countries have signed up to enter 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 at the exclusive Front Runners Travel Tech Summit.
• Wanderlust Travel Awards — One of the highlights of London Travel Week will be the awards ceremony held at Kensington Palace on 2 November 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.
• World Travel Leaders Awards — This award programme is an annual recognition of companies and individuals from around the globe which have had a positive impact on a specific region or sector. The winners will be announced at WTM London on Nov. 1.

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

Press continued: “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.”