World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards renews partnership with Nova School of Business & Economics

DUBAI, UAE – World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards is reinforcing its commitment to net-positive tourism and hospitality by renewing its academic research partnership with Nova School of Business & Economics, Lisbon.

As part of the collaboration, students from Nova SBE’s Sustainable Business programme will take an active role in the judging process of the 2025 Awards. They will implement a series of sustainability criteria to assess nominations and identify which organisations and individuals are driving the travel and tourism sector towards a net positive future. The shortlist will then be reviewed and approved by the Advisory Board, before being opened to a public vote.

Professor Graham Miller, Chair in Sustainability, Nova SBE, will continue in his role on the Advisory Board. An internationally-renowned academic in sustainable tourism, Professor Miller will provide strategic guidance to ensure the Awards remain relevant, credible and aligned with global best practice. Nova SBE and the Awards will also collaborate on research initiatives that explore the impact and effectiveness of sustainable practices across the industry.

The 2025 programme covers the full spectrum of sustainable travel and tourism, from community initiatives and eco hotels to food sourcing and clean water. The Advisory Board selects the categories to reflect the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and net positive framework of People, Planet, Place, Prosperity and Partnerships.

Entries open on 28 April 2025, with global voting running from 14 July to 30 August. The 2nd annual World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards Gala Ceremony will take place at Terra, Expo City Dubai on 29 October 2025. Two Nova SBE students will be selected to attend the event, offering them first-hand exposure to the world’s leading changemakers in sustainable travel and hospitality.

Justin Cooke, Executive Vice President, World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards, says: “Having a world-leading academic partner like Nova SBE involved in the nomination and assessment process adds both rigour and credibility to the Awards. But even more importantly, engaging the next generation of talent – those who will lead the charge towards a net positive future – is fundamental to our mission. We are proud to work alongside such an inspiring institution and its students.”

Professor Graham Miller, Chair in Sustainability, Nova SBE, says: “The Westmont Institute of Tourism and Hospitality at Nova SBE is delighted to partner again with the World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards. More than ever we need to see showcase companies that are acting to make the world better. The involvement of students from Nova SBE is innovative in demonstrating the importance of sustainability to both current business leaders and students of tourism and hospitality.”

Launched in 2023 at COP28 in Dubai, the Awards serves to recognise, celebrate, and share the stories of individuals and organisations that are accelerating change and making an impactful contribution to sustainable travel and tourism. The inaugural ceremony, held in Belize in September 2024, brought together global leaders in sustainable tourism.

The Awards is run in partnership with the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, whose partners and members represent over 66,000 hotels, 8 million rooms globally, 300 brands, and over 100 supply chain and strategic partners.

Glenn Mandziuk, CEO, World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, says: “Sustainability is not just a goal – it is a necessity for the future of travel and hospitality. Hosting the World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards 2025 at Terra, Expo City Dubai, underscores the industry’s commitment to driving meaningful change. Terra is a shining example of what is possible when innovation and sustainability come together, making it the perfect venue to celebrate those leading the way towards a Net Positive future.”

The article World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards renews partnership with Nova School of Business & Economics first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.