Recognising excellence in commitment to gender equality in tourism and hospitality internationally.
Celebrate your success
Recognise the hard work of your team, praising their innovation and dedication to addressing gender equality.
Gain a competitive edge
Showcase your organisation as one that is leading the way towards the industry’s sustainability goals.
Create global change
Set an industry example for ways in which organisations can support gender equality in the workplace.
The Gender Equality Champion of the Year Award is an internationally recognised honour within the tourism and hospitality industry. It’s bestowed upon organisations that demonstrate excellence in their commitment to gender equality.
The only one of its kind on a global platform, the Award is a tribute to those in the industry who are pioneering the way towards a more gender-balanced world. We welcome applications from organisations of any size, anywhere in the world.
Now in its fourth year, applications are open for the 2026 edition of the Award.
This is your chance to be acknowledged as a leader in gender equality and showcase your exceptional practices, helping promote their adoption throughout the industry. The aim is to promote progress and encourage more firms to integrate gender equality into their policies and practices.
The award process itself is also a learning opportunity. Fill in the form to evaluate your current progress and reflect on ways to keep improving.
Our 2026 winners will follow in the footsteps of our former champions and runners-up, all of which set a shining example for others looking to carve out an equitable, responsible industry.
In a special ceremony at ITB Berlin in March 2025, we revealed the Gender Equality Champion of the Year Award 2025 winners across two categories.
After making it on to the shortlist for a second year in a row, the Travel & Destinations award went to Responsible Travel Ecuador, a South American travel operator the judges felt “lives and breathes gender equality.”
Community Homestay Network won the Accommodation award, also demonstrating thorough and transparent gender equality efforts throughout their business, from disaster risk reduction to gender awareness training.
The panel also highly commended the new women-led Amba Yaalu (Mango Friends) Kandalama hotel in Sri Lanka, spotlighting them as a promising tourism actor with huge potential.
Responsible Travel is an Ecuadorian tour operator offering tailor-made cultural and adventure experiences across Ecuador and Latin America, ensuring a positive impact on local communities and the environment. Over 60% of the team are women, and they actively promote female and LGBT+ leadership.
Responsible Travel supports women-led environmental recovery initiatives in San Antonio de las Aradas, Loja, helping restore areas devastated by a wildfire that burned over 8,900 hectares. One of the primary beneficiaries, Carmen Salinas, now leads a large portion of the reforestation efforts and coordinates aid for others affected by the fire.
The company has also established a specialised team of women to design tours for women travelling alone or in groups, focusing on providing products and experiences from women-owned providers.
Through responsible tourism, the company empowers communities, promotes fair working conditions, and creates spaces where diversity, sustainability, and social justice thrive.
Since its beginning in 2017, Community Homestay Network (CHN) has been dedicated to advancing gender equality by supporting the empowerment journey of women entrepreneurs in tourism.
Working with more than 900 women across Nepal, CHN supports economic independence through strengthening homestay activities, experience-based tourism, hospitality training, and leadership development. They ensure fair wages, equal representation, and a safe, inclusive workplace within CHN while fostering women’s financial independence and leadership skills in the communities they work with.
Their Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion training modules directly benefitted over 127 households in the past year, while participation in programmes like the UNITAR Women’s Leadership in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) has led to gender-sensitive strategies in DRR planning.
It’s a foundation of the CHN ethos to challenge gender stereotypes, advocate for systemic change, and collaborate with partners to promote gender-inclusive policies.
We’re delighted the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance will sponsor the Gender Equality Champion of the Year Award for a third year in 2025.
The Alliance drives collaborative action to enable the hospitality industry to have a lasting positive impact on the planet and its people. By working with CEOs and C-suite representatives from across the hospitality industry, alongside strategic partners, they are able to implement strategic action worldwide to create a prosperous and responsible hospitality sector that gives back to the destination more than it takes.
Their members have a reach of 7 million rooms and include world-leading hotel companies as well as regional brands.
“Inspiration ignites change, and as we proudly sponsor the Gender Equality Champion of the Year Award for the second year, we embrace the opportunity to celebrate organisations that embody the spirit of progress. In our collective journey towards Net Positive Hospitality, let us acknowledge and honour those who prioritise gender equality. This award not only illuminates best practices but also serves as a catalyst, propelling the hospitality sector towards a future where fairness and inclusivity are the cornerstone of excellence.”
Glenn Mandziuk
CEO of the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance
Sponsorship helps us keep the award going and growing, while giving industry organisations a chance to cement their reputation as gender equality and sustainability advocates.
Email our Co-Director Dr. Stroma Cole for information on a bespoke sponsorship package for your organisation.
