The ceremony, hosted by Women in Travel CIC, will be held on 21 June at Expedia’s offices in London’s Angel, and will place a spotlight on those individuals and businesses championing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) across the travel, tourism and hospitality industries.
Other organisations represented on the judging panel include the Business Travel Association, the University of Surrey, Inspire Global, ITT Future You and Google.
There will be eight awards across four categories – DEI champions, woman entrepreneur, talent and recruitment, and allyship – with each category honouring an individual and an organisation.
Alessandra Alonso, founder and managing director of Women in Travel CIC, said: “We wanted to begin to shine a light on those making the effort so we can learn from each other and work towards creating a more diverse, equal and inclusive industry for us all.”
The day after the awards ceremony, delegates will be invited to Google’s offices in nearby King’s Cross for a series of sessions and conversations covering a range of topics ranging from neurodiversity to how the climate crisis is impacting women.
Claire Steiner, founder of ITT Future You and the ITT Future You Foundation, said: “People want to work for brands with strong ethics who actively seek to recruit, promote and develop a diverse workforce.” Steiner added the awards would “encourage a workplace where all staff feel valued, visible and authentic".
Nominations for the IWTTF awards close on 21 May, with the shortlist set to be announced in the week of 12 June.
Intrepid marketing manager UK and Europe, Jamie-Lee Abtar, added: "We know the struggles the travel and tourism industry has in relation to DEI – this awards ceremony provides brands and companies with the opportunity to highlight and showcase those who do it well."
