Voting Opens for 2026 World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards: 90+ Nominees Across 19 Categories

The race to crown the world’s most sustainable travel and hospitality projects is now in the hands of industry professionals: global voting for the 2026 World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards opened on 25 September 2026 and will run until 21 October, with more than 90 shortlisted initiatives from over 35 countries and territories competing across 19 categories.

The shortlist was whittled down from hundreds of entries spanning 60 countries and territories, according to the programme organisers. Travel and tourism professionals around the world can now vote for the nominee they believe deserves the top spot in each competitive category — the entry with the most eligible votes in each category will be named the winner.

Third year, 20 awards, one big night in Paris

Now in its third annual edition, the programme comprises 19 competitive categories plus an Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Travel & Hospitality honour, bringing the total to 20 awards. The winners will be announced at a gala ceremony in Paris on 9 December 2026, closing out the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance Global Summit, which takes place on 8–9 December.

Alongside the competitive categories, the Advisory Board will present the Outstanding Contribution honour — chosen at the board’s discretion — with the recipient revealed on the night.

What the nominees represent

The shortlist spans Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Oceania. Categories cover climate action, the circular economy, community impact, nature protection, education and skills, equality and inclusion, innovation, destinations, hospitality and transport, as well as individual leadership.

Among the shortlisted entries are initiatives converting discarded hotel linen into livelihoods, supported routes into hospitality employment, projects connecting guests with conservation and cultural heritage, and expanded lower-emission transport options.

Notably, more than a third of the shortlisted nominations were submitted by organisations reporting fewer than 250 employees — placing smaller operators and community initiatives on the same stage as international travel and hospitality groups.

FAKTA: the 2026 awards at a glance

• 90+ nominations — shortlisted from hundreds of entries across 60 countries and territories.
• 19 competitive categories — from climate action and circular economy to transport and individual leadership, plus one Outstanding Contribution honour.
• Voting: 25 September – 21 October 2026 — open to travel and tourism professionals; most eligible votes in each category wins.
• Gala: 9 December 2026 in Paris — concluding the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance Global Summit (8–9 December).
• 66,000+ hotels, 8 million rooms, 300 brands — represented by the members and partners of the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, which delivers the awards in partnership with the programme.

“A small business deserves to stand alongside a global group”

“Hundreds of entries spanning 60 countries and territories show the breadth of ambition across our industry,” said Justin Cooke, Executive Vice-President of the World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards. “A small business creating opportunities in its community deserves to stand alongside a global group changing how thousands of hotels operate. This year’s shortlist brings those contributions together.”

Cooke added that the Outstanding Contribution honour would be “a particularly special moment in Paris” — an opportunity for the Advisory Board to recognise a contribution “whose significance reaches beyond any single project or competitive category.”

The nominees were assessed using quantitative and qualitative evidence, internationally recognised standards and best practice, scalability, collaboration, relative impact and the strength of each entry’s story. The founding methodology was developed under the leadership of Professor Graham Miller with support from students at Nova School of Business & Economics in Lisbon, while the Advisory Board reviewed the assessments and determined the shortlist.

Recognition meets practical action

“These nominees prove that true sustainability is not just about reducing our footprint, it is about expanding our positive impact,” said Glenn Mandziuk, President and CEO of the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance. “By uniting these Awards with our Global Summit in Paris, we are bridging recognition with real-world action.”

From hotel emissions and wildlife protection to employment pathways for young people and keeping tourism income within local communities, the shortlist reads as a snapshot of where the travel industry’s sustainability push is heading. For more English-language coverage of green travel and climate solutions, see the Watan News climate section.