Six award categories recognize individuals and organizations helping make travel more welcoming.
PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y., August 10, 2026 — Travel Unity has opened nominations for the 2026 Travel Unity Awards, recognizing individuals and organizations whose work is helping make travel more welcoming.
As Travel Unity marks its 10th anniversary, the Awards highlight work taking place across the travel ecosystem, from research and organizational change to community impact, leadership, storytelling, and the contributions of emerging professionals.
“Some of the most meaningful work happening in travel comes from people and organizations finding practical ways to make the industry and the travel experience more welcoming,” said Roni Weiss, Executive Director of Travel Unity. “The Travel Unity Awards give us an opportunity to recognize that work and help more people learn from it.”
The 2026 Travel Unity Award categories are:
- Inclusion Champion: Recognizes an individual demonstrating exemplary leadership in advancing inclusion across the travel industry.
2026 Inclusion Champion Award Nomination form
- Community Impact: Recognizes an individual or organization creating meaningful, sustained positive change within communities connected to travel and tourism.
2026 Community Impact Award Nomination form
- Academic Research: Recognizes one or more individuals and/or academic institutions for published, peer-reviewed, or presented academic research with a thesis anchored in inclusive practices.
2026 Academic Research Award Nomination form
- Organizational Initiative: Recognizes an innovative, impactful, and replicable organizational initiative centered on inclusive practices. Eligible work can include traveler-facing experiences, accessibility improvements, workforce initiatives, community engagement, product or service design, and other organizational efforts.
2026 Organizational Initiative Award Nomination form
- Young Professional: Recognizes an outstanding professional age 30 or younger who is making meaningful contributions to advancing inclusion in travel.
2026 Young Professional Award Nomination form
- Inclusive Travel Storytelling: Recognizes an individual or organization whose travel storytelling broadens representation, elevates perspectives that are often overlooked, and helps audiences better understand people, places, and experiences in travel.
Nominations are open to eligible individuals and organizations across travel, tourism, hospitality, media, academia, the nonprofit sector, and related fields.
Self-nominations are welcome, and there is no fee to nominate or apply.
Nominations close September 13, 2026.
Full award criteria, category descriptions, and nomination forms are available at travelunity.org/2026awards.
Questions about the Awards can be directed to [email protected].
