The sell-out awards took place at Expedia’s offices in London on Wednesday night (26 June) ahead of the full-day forum event on Thursday (27 June), which will explore the key DEI issues travel is contending with, best practice to support progress, and how it can achieve its DEI goals.

Across a range of categories, the awards recognised entrants and nominees for their awareness, achievements, initiatives and progress on DEI, while reflecting host Women in Travel CIC’s work championing DEI, female leadership and male allyship, mentoring, new talent and recruitment.

Annaliesa Chapman, The Travel Corporation’s chief people officer, took away the DEI Professional – Individual accolade, while Red Carnation Hotels was awarded the DEI Professional – Company award.

Inntel client relationship manager Tiffany Casson, meanwhile, was named the winner of the DEI Champion – Individual category, with the Rise Travel Institute taking the DEI Champion – Company award.

The were notable wins too for Insight Vacations, which topped the Allyship Heroes – Company category, and Audley Travel, whose sales trainer Madeline Scovotti was named Female Mentee of the Year – Corporate.

There was also another honour for The Travel Corporation, with global head of CRM and data Sarah Hillman winning the Female in Travel Tech – Corporate award.

’Everyone is on a journey’

The awards’ judging panel spanned industry figures from brands such as Tui and Audley Travel, recruitment and HR professionals, academics and media representatives, as well as individuals representing a wide range of backgrounds and circumstances.

Not in the Guidebooks marketing manager Jamie-Lee Abtar said she was "heartened" by the quality of and detail behind the DEI efforts of both individual and brand nominees that went beyond "the usual names".

Shaon Taludker, founder and chief executive of Geotourist, added with inequality in society growing, disproportionately affecting certain groups, she was proud to witness "truly inspiring" examples of inclusion and allyship attempting to ensure people from these groups "aren’t left behind".

Alessandra Alonso, founder and managing director of Women in Travel CIC and IWTTF, said: "We are shining a light on the great work being done by individuals and companies within the DEI space, which often goes unnoticed and yet provides great opportunity for shared learning.

"It is not about being perfect, everyone is on a journey, but we should celebrate every small step because it brings us closer to a more inclusive and sustainable industry."

The full list of winners ran:

• DEI Professional – Individual
  Winner: Annaliesa Chapman, Chief People Officer at The Travel Corporation
  Finalists: Agnelo Fernandez (Cote Family) and Andrea Giroux (G Adventures)
  
  
• DEI Professional – Company
  Winner: Red Carnation Hotels
  Finalists: Rise Travel Institute and Travel Matters
  
  
• DEI Champion – Individual
  Winner: Tiffany Casson, Client Relationship Manager, Inntel
  Finalists: Michael Dominguez (Associated Luxury Hotels International) and Rebecca Jacques (BCD Travel)
  
  
• DEI Champion – Company
  Winner: RISE Travel Institute
  Finalists: The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences, The Conscious Travel Foundation, Visit Santa Marta & Vivolo Café
  
  
• Inclusive Talent and Recruitment – Individual
  Winner: Sian Evans, Recruitment Manager, Roadchef
  Finalists: Annaliesa Chapman (The Travel Corporation)
  
  
• Inclusive Talent and Recruitment – Company
  Winner: BCD Travel
  Finalists: Invisible Cities
  
  
• Allyship Heroes – Individual
  Winner: Laura Roe, Senior Manager, E4B Events, Global Communications, Expedia Group
  Finalists: Tami Fairweather, Fairweather Communications and Debbie O’Neill, Jules Verne
  
  
• Allyship Heroes – Company
  Winner: Insight Vacations
  Finalists: Trip.com and Visit Santa Marta & Vivolo Café
  
  
• Female Leader of the Year – Entrepreneur
  Winner: Nada Raphael, Co-founder, Tourleb
  Finalists: Jessica Brooks (Eternal Landscapes), Iris Serbanescu (wmnsWORK) and Beth Santos (She’s Wanderful)
  
  
• Female Leader – Corporate
  Winner: Charlotte Shaw, Head Housekeeper at The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences
  Finalists: Zina Bencheikh (Intrepid Travel), Linda Obi (Afrihealth Ltd) and Shayna Zand (WeTravel)
  
  
• Female in Travel Tech – Entrepreneur
  Winner: Stephanie Clare Boyle, Founder and Director, Arwen Communications
  Finalists: Mags Sikora (Me Time Away), Grace Lucia McBride (Lucia)
  
  
• Female in Travel Tech – Corporate
  Winner: Sarah Hillman, Global Heard of CRM and Data, The Travel Corporation
  Finalists: Mercedes Blanco (The Hotels Network) and Shayna Zand (WeTravel)
  
  
• Mentor of the Year – Individual
  Winner: Quinn Meyer, Founder, Crees Manu
  Finalists: Meera Dattani (Adventure.com) and Alexander Griffith (Visit Santa Marta & Vivolo Café)
  
  
• Mentor of the Year – Company
  Winner: Yousra Magouri, Engineering Manager – Communications Platform, Expedia Group
  Finalists: Hollie Dunne, Diversity Travel
  
  
• Female Mentee of the Year – Individual
  Winner: Mandy Salonika, Founder, The Adventurous Ewe
  Finalists: Jayni Gudka (Unseen Tours) and Jools Sampson, Reclaim Yourself Retreats
  
  
• Female Mentee of the Year – Corporate
  Winner: Madeline Scovotti, Sales Trainer, Audley Travel
  Finalists: Jane Russell (The Travel Corporation)