Travel & Tour World: UAE, Costa Rica, New Zealand: 2025 World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards Spotlights Sustainable Travel Efforts Across the Globe

Thu 07 August 2025

The World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards 2025 is unveiling its highly anticipated shortlist of nominees and officially opening voting for this year’s programme. This prestigious event celebrates individuals, organizations, and initiatives that are leading the way in sustainable tourism. The awards honour those who are accelerating the global movement towards net-positive tourism, and voting is now open for industry professionals, the media, and the public to cast their ballots.

Key Highlights of the World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards 2025:

• Voting now open until 30 August 2025.
• 30 award categories based on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Nine new categories reflecting the latest trends in sustainable tourism.
• Winners announced at the annual Gala Ceremony in Dubai on 29 October 2025.

With a record number of entries this year, the World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards continues to reflect the growing momentum in the travel industry toward sustainability. The nominees, selected from across the globe, represent a diverse group of innovators and changemakers. These honorees have demonstrated measurable impact in fostering responsible travel, reducing carbon footprints, supporting local communities, and promoting environmental protection.

The process behind this recognition includes a rigorous evaluation conducted by Sustainable Business students at Nova Business School. The shortlisted nominees are reviewed by the Advisory Board to ensure the alignment of their initiatives with global best practices, measurable impact, and contribution to a sustainable future.

As the travel and hospitality industry evolves, so do the challenges and opportunities in the quest for sustainability. The introduction of nine new award categories highlights the increasing complexity of issues facing the industry today, such as food & nutrition, guest experience, and indigenous community tourism.

The Importance of Sustainable Tourism: A Global Movement

The demand for sustainable travel has surged in recent years as consumers become more conscientious about the environmental and social impacts of their travel decisions. In response, the travel and hospitality sectors have ramped up their efforts to address these concerns. Initiatives range from carbon offset programs to partnerships with local communities and businesses to promote ecotourism.

Countries like Costa Rica, New Zealand, and Scandinavia have long been at the forefront of sustainable tourism efforts, with their governments, businesses, and citizens working collaboratively to create eco-friendly travel experiences. Meanwhile, global organizations such as the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance and United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) have played crucial roles in guiding the industry towards sustainability.

The nominees for the World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards 2025 embody this growing movement. The awards recognize the profound impact of initiatives that balance the need for economic growth with environmental stewardship and social responsibility. By showcasing these achievements, the awards serve to inspire others in the industry to adopt similar practices.

Categories of the World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards 2025

The awards program is structured around 30 categories, reflecting the UN’s SDGs and emphasizing the interconnectedness of People, Planet, Place, Prosperity, and Partnerships. In addition to well-established categories, the program has introduced nine new categories to align with the changing landscape of sustainable tourism. These include:

• Peace Impact: Recognizing initiatives promoting peace through tourism.
• Food & Nutrition: Honoring organizations focused on sustainable food systems.
• Guest Experience: Celebrating innovations that provide guests with eco-friendly and socially responsible experiences.
• Indigenous Community Tourism: Recognizing projects that empower indigenous communities through tourism.

Each category is designed to highlight a different facet of sustainable tourism, making it easier for voters to choose the nominees who best align with their values and priorities. By doing so, the awards ensure that the broad spectrum of sustainable tourism efforts is represented and celebrated.

A Record-Breaking Year for Nominations

The 2025 edition of the World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards has attracted a record number of entries. This surge in submissions indicates the increasing significance of sustainability in the travel and hospitality industries. Over the past decade, sustainable tourism has evolved from a niche concern to a mainstream priority, and more organizations are now integrating sustainability into their business models.

The selection process for the nominees was highly competitive, with submissions assessed based on both quantitative and qualitative data. The nominees were chosen based on their adherence to internationally recognized standards and best practices, their ability to scale and replicate successful initiatives, and the relative impact of their efforts. This thorough evaluation process ensures that the awards represent the most outstanding contributions to sustainable tourism.

Voting Process and Timeline

The voting process for the 2025 World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards is now live and will remain open until 30 August 2025. Eligible voters include industry professionals, media representatives, and the general public. Participants can cast their votes for their favorite nominees in each of the 30 categories.

Voting is critical to the success of the awards, as it allows a broad audience to have a say in who should be recognized for their contributions to sustainable tourism. After the voting period closes, the nominee in each category with the most votes will be declared the winner. These winners will be celebrated at the gala ceremony in Dubai, scheduled for 29 October 2025 at Terra, Expo City Dubai.

This year’s voting period is particularly significant, as the gala event will bring together key players from the travel, hospitality, and sustainability sectors, providing an opportunity for networking and collaboration.

The Road Ahead: What’s Next for Sustainable Tourism?

As we look towards the future, the momentum for sustainable tourism continues to build. The travel industry is increasingly focused on adopting practices that promote sustainability at every stage of the journey, from planning and booking to post-trip evaluations.

Technologies such as AI-powered travel planning tools, carbon footprint trackers, and sustainable accommodation booking platforms are becoming essential resources for both travelers and businesses alike. As sustainability becomes a key factor in the decision-making process for travelers, destinations and companies will need to stay ahead of the curve to remain competitive.

Moreover, the World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards 2025 has highlighted the importance of collaboration within the industry. Partnerships between governments, local communities, businesses, and consumers are essential to drive the collective action required to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Conclusion: Vote Now and Shape the Future of Travel

The World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards 2025 represent a significant opportunity to recognize and reward the most innovative, impactful, and inspiring efforts in sustainable tourism worldwide. By casting your vote, you become a part of this global movement and help celebrate the pioneers who are leading the charge for a more sustainable future in travel and hospitality.

With the voting period running until 30 August 2025, now is the time to get involved and support those organizations and individuals who are making a meaningful difference in the world of sustainable tourism.