Skift Take
Every year, the Skift IDEA Awards recognize and celebrate excellence in design, creativity, and innovation by honoring the brands and businesses that are driving the industry forward. See who made the 2023 shortlist below.
Today, we are excited to announce the 2023 shortlist for the Skift IDEA Awards.
Now in its fifth year, Skift IDEA Awards has become the travel industry’s most coveted achievement for excellence in design, creativity and innovation.
Designed to recognize the impactful and inspiring projects from brands, agencies, and tech companies that solve traveler challenges, inspire change, and define the future of travel, Skift IDEA Award winners are a beacon for where the industry is heading.
Hundreds of entries were submitted from around the globe, which are now set to be reviewed and scored by our independent panel of judges, consisting of a selection of the industry’s most respected leaders and experts.
The projects submitted for consideration this year have once again re-emphasized the fact that the future of travel is innovative, imaginative and more purpose-driven than ever before.
This year’s Skift IDEA Awards categories were split across four criteria groups:
- Industry Innovators: Forward-thinking projects that drive a sector forward and make an impact with consumers.
- Change Makers: Organizations elevating the Travel Industry’s role as a force for good by affecting meaningful change.
- Creative Thinkers: Marketing, strategy and technology that inspires and pushes the industry forward.
- Problem Solvers: Service providers who offer solutions, address business challenges, or use technology to guide the industry.
Take a look at the full shortlist below:
Industry Innovators
Hotels
- Banyan Tree: Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape Pioneering “No-Walls, No-Doors” Concept
- Becker + Becker: Hotel Marcel
- Jumeirah Group: The New Face of Identity
- Global Hotel Alliance: Global Hotel Alliance’s Account Summary Campaign x Movable Ink
- 9th House: Namastays, an Upper Midscale Boutique Hotel/Resort Concept
- Argos in Cappadocia: Argos in Cappadocia
Short Term Rentals
- Rental Escapes: Projects Defining the Future of Short-Term Rentals
- HVN Travel Group: stayhvn.com – The Professional Alternative to Airbnb
- Plum Guide: AI Model to Vet Homes
- Publicis Sapient and Marriott International: Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy
- RentalReady: A SaaS Solution to Ensure We’re GuestReady
Tourism
- VisitLEX: Horse Kicks – The World’s First Sneakers for Horses
- Tuzmo: Connecting Travelers and Tourists With Authentic Local Artisans
- Utah Office of Tourism: Forever Mighty Initiative
- Discover Puerto Rico | R&R Partners: Live Boricua
- Hugo & Cat and Tourism Ireland: My Ireland
- Exceptional ALIEN: Exceptional South Africa – A Collaboration Between Exceptional ALIEN and South African Tourism
Business Travel
- Nomadic, a Fragomen Technologies Company: Business Travel and Short-Term Immigration Compliance Made Easy
- Qatar Airways: Offering an Unparalleled Business Travel Experience
- BTP Automation: Let’s Change the Way We Work
- Navan: Ava, Navan’s Automated Virtual Assistant
- Melbourne Convention Bureau: Ready.Set.Melbourne
- Spotnana: Travel-as-a-Service Platform
Airlines: Presented by AIRLINE WEEKLY
- United Airlines: United Sustainable Flight Fund & Customer Direct Impact
- Lufthansa Innovation Hub: Uptrip – Airline Loyalty Meets Gamification
- Qatar Airways: Bringing People Together Through Travel and Sport
- HRS Group: Delivering Exceptional Experiences to Those Who Matter Most, When it is Needed Most
- Hawaiian Airlines: Driving Conversion with Behavioral Retargeting & Movable Ink
- FLYR Labs: The Commercial Operating System for Travel and Transportation
Airports: Presented by AIRLINE WEEKLY
- Volario: Connecting Every Part of the Passenger Journey
- American Express: American Express Centurion Lounge at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
- Capital One: Capital One Lounges
- JFK Airport: Disney Experience & Tunnel at JFK Airport
Tour Operators
- Culinary Backstreets: Uplifting Historically Silenced Food Narratives in Culinary Tours and Multi-Day Trips
- TrovaTrip: Helping People Find Their Community, Everywhere in the World
- SOTC Travel Limited: Connecting Diverse Indian Travel Enthusiasts to the World Through Tech Enablement and Hyper-Local Connect
- trip(eaze): A Group Accommodations Platform Streamlining the Current Archaic Contracting Model for Operators, From Weeks to Minutes
- Intrepid Travel: Intrepid Travel Launches the first-ever Ethical Marketing Guidelines for the Travel Industry
Activities & Attractions
- City Experiences: Venice Premium Lagoon Excursion: Promoting Local, Sustainable Tourism with City Experiences
- Amadeus SAS: Amadeus Discover
- BRC Imagination Arts: Talisker Distillery
- Pursuit – Banff Jasper Collection: Nightrise – An Immersive Storytelling Experience
- UrVenue: Unifying the Booking Journey
Change Makers
Sustainability
- Uber for Business: Sustainability Insights
- Phāea: Phāea Farmers
- Red Sea Global: Helping to Develop a New, Regenerative Future for Tourism
- TRC Tourism and South Pacific Tourism Organisation: Pacific Sustainable Tourism Policy Framework
- The Travel Corporation: The Travel Corporation’s Carbon Fund
- Accor: No More Single Use Plastic
People & Community
- Banff & Lake Louise Tourism and Group Nao: Lead Tourism for Good – 10-Year Vision for Tourism to Banff and Lake Louise
- HalalBooking: Opening the World to Muslim Travelers
- Belmond: Q’omer Wasicha
- Iberostar Group and Planeterra: Connecting Communities to Tourism to Create Positive Change for People and the Planet
- Wyndham Hotels & Resorts: BOLD by Wyndham – Advancing Black Owners on the Path to Hotel Ownership
- Expedia Group: Accelerating Innovation in the Travel Industry
Leadership
- Raki Phillips: Chief Executive Officer, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA)
- Victoria Cimino: Chief Executive Officer, Visit Williamsburg
- Jane Sun: Chief Executive Officer, Trip.com Group
- Susan Santiago: Head of Lifestyle and Miraval Operations, Hyatt Hotels Corporation
- Adrian Gardiner: Founder & Chairman, Mantis Collection (Accor)
- Leslie Bruce: President & CEO, Banff & Lake Louise Tourism and Group Nao
Creative Thinkers
Marketing
- Hong Kong Tourism Board: Hong Kong – Through the Lens of GenZ
- Plum Guide: No Time For Average Stays
- Travel + Leisure: National Parks Campaign
- Travelport: The 7 Wonders Challenge
- Priceline: Go to Your Happy Price
- New Mexico Tourism Department: Living Legends
Content
- Exceptional ALIEN: Exceptional ALIEN x Visit Victoria
- Kiwi.com: Kiwi.com “Hacks” YouTube
- Tourism Jasper: Venture Beyond: The Series
- NEOM Tourism: Snaps of NEOM
- Visit Greenland: Date a Destination in Greenland
- Sparkloft Media: Taking an Existing Campaign to a Whole Different Level
Product Design
- Radisson Hotel Group: Innovative Immersive and Personalized Experiences to Drive Customer Engagement and Booking Conversions
- Hotelbeds: Hotelbeds Insights: Revolutionizing the Retail Travel Industry Through Data to Provide Personalized Growth Opportunities
- Mito Digital: A Smooth and Playful Booking Flow for PLAY Airlines
- Matador Network: GuideGeek, a Free AI Travel Assistant
- Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group: Mandarin Oriental and Valtech Take Lead in Post-Pandemic Travel Rebound With an Exceptional Digital Experience
- Faye Travel Insurance: A Travel Insurance App That’s Actually Useful? Imagine That, with Faye
Physical Experiences
- U.S. Virgin Islands: Naturally in Rhythm with Marketing Activations
- Experience Kissimmee: Kissimmee Land Brand Activation
- Luxury Frontiers: The Turtle Bungalow
- Crossroads Hotel: Where Culture Meets Community
- Visit Seattle: “Kissing in the Rain” Booth
- Travel Yukon: Northern Lights in Colour
Problem Solvers
Business Outcomes
- eviivo: eviivo Ltd
- Hotelbeds: Hotelbeds Insights
- TourRadar: TourRadar’s Adventure Booking Platform
- Travelier: Travelier Connect Centralized Data Hub
- Duve: End-to-End Guest Experience Platform
- Profitroom: Unforgettable Experiences, Booked Directly
Data Provider
- BeCause: Making Sustainability Work & Data FLOW Throughout the Tourism Ecosystem
- TrustYou: We Hold the Data to Your Success
- AirDNA: Data to Set You Apart. Insights to Keep You Ahead.
- PriceLabs: Powering Listings with Design and Data
- Knowland: Meeting Recovery Forecast: Meetings and Events Data for Accelerated Recovery
- Legends: Pioneering Hyper-Personalization in Travel with AI
Travel Technology
- Expedia Group: Powering Travel Through Technology
- Skyscanner: Skyscanner’s Savings Generator
- Navan: Navan Connect
- Bookaway.com: Voted Safe for Women Feature
- WeSki: Find Your Dream Ski Holiday
- Faye Travel Insurance: Faye Has Landed
Congratulations to all of the shortlisted finalists! Keep an eye out for the final results of the Skift IDEA Awards in August.
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