Calling all changemakers! Africa Travel Week (ATW) is urging responsible tourism businesses to enter the WTM Africa Responsible Tourism Awards. The deadline for submissions is 19 March 2025.
“These annual awards celebrate exceptional efforts driving tourism as a force for good,” says Megan De Jager, Portfolio Director for RX Africa. “They’re our way of honouring initiatives that address key global challenges while enhancing the travel experience.”
Award entries will be judged by a panel of industry experts led by Dr Harold Goodwin, WTM Africa’s Responsible Tourism Advisor. The six confirmed categories for 2025 are summarised below:
- 1. All-Inclusive Tourism: Can it be Responsible?
- 2. Adapting to Climate Change
- 3. Increasing Local Sourcing (to Create Shared Value)
- 4. Peace & Understanding
- 5. Managing Waste: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Upcycle
- 6. Nature Positive Travel
Winners will be announced live at WTM Africa at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) on 10 April 2025. Gold winners in each category will also have the opportunity to compete at the global Responsible Tourism Awards later in 2025.
“In previous years, Africa has scooped as many as five awards in the global accolades and last
year we picked up another – this underscores our region’s innovative spirit, drive and
commitment to responsible tourism,” De Jager adds.
How to Enter
Entering is free and easy. But hurry – entries close on Wednesday, 19 March 2025!
- Step 1: Visit the WTM Africa Responsible Tourism Awards page
- Step 2: Select your category & download the entry form
- Step 3: Submit a compelling case study to sharon.murray@rxglobal.com showing your measurable impact & innovative approach to responsible tourism.
“We believe tourism can change the world,” says De Jager. “If that’s a message you align with, don’t miss your chance to be recognised as a leader in responsible tourism and to put your company on the global map”, she concludes.
About Arabian Travel Market (ATM)
Now in its 32nd year, Arabian Travel Market (ATM) is the leading international travel and tourism event in the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals. Held annually at the Dubai World Trade Centre, ATM 2024 spanned 12 halls, making it the largest edition to date. The event attracted over 47,000 attendees and more than 35,000 visitors (including 6,000+ high-value buyers) and over 2,550 exhibitors and representatives from over 161 countries. In 2025, ATM will expand to 13 halls, growing across all sectors, and will continue to be a crucial gathering for the global travel and tourism industry.
Arabian Travel Market is part of Arabian Travel Week. #ATMDubai ATM takes place from 28 April to 1 May 2025, at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai. https://www.wtm.com/atm/en-gb.html
Arabian Travel Week is a week-long festival of events from 28 April to 4 May, alongside Arabian Travel
Market 2025. Providing a renewed focus for the Middle East’s travel and tourism sector, it includes Start-
Up Competition, Influencers' Event, GBTA Business Travel Forums, and ATM Travel Tech. The event
also features ATM Buyer Networking and a series of country forums.
https://www.wtm.com/arabian-travel-week/en-gb.html
About RX
RX is a global leader in events and exhibitions, leveraging industry expertise, data, and technology to
build businesses for individuals, communities, and organisations. With a presence in 25 countries across
42 industry sectors, RX hosts approximately 350 events annually. RX is committed to creating an
inclusive work environment for all our people. RX empowers businesses to thrive by leveraging data-driven insights and digital solutions. RX is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics
and decision tools for professional and business customers. For more information, visit
www.rxglobal.com.
About RELX
RELX is a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business
customers. RELX serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It
employs more than 36,000 people over 40% of whom are in North America. The shares of RELX PLC,
the parent company, are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York stock exchanges using the
following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX. *Note: Current market
capitalisation can be found at the relx.com
World Travel Market (WTM) Portfolio comprises leading travel events and online portals across four
continents. The events are Arabian Travel Market, WTM London, WTM Latin America and WTM Africa
WTM London is the world’s most influential travel & tourism event for the global travel community. The
show is the ultimate destination for those seeking a macro view of the travel industry and a deeper
understanding of the forces shaping it. WTM London is where influential travel leaders, buyers and high-
profile travel companies gather to exchange ideas, drive innovation, and accelerate business outcomes.
Next event: 5 to 7 November 2024 at ExCel London. Link: http://london.wtm.com/
WTM Latin America is held annually in São Paulo and attracts more than 29,000 tourism professionals
during the three-day event. The event offers a qualified content combined with networking and business
opportunities. In its most recent edition, in 2024, WTM Latin America maintained its focus on the effective
generation of business and managed to secure the early scheduling of more than six thousand meetings
that were held between buyers, travel agents, and exhibitors. WTM Latin America contents are available
in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Next event: 14 – 16 April 2025, Expo Center Norte, São Paulo, Brasil. Link: http://latinamerica.wtm.com
WTM Africa launched in 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa. In 2024, WTM Africa facilitated more than 10
thousand unique pre-scheduled appointments, an increase of more than 8% compared to 2023 and
welcomed more than 10 thousand visitors (unaudited), 25% more than 2023.
Next event: 9 to 11 April 2025 – Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape
Town http://africa.wtm.com/
About ATW Connect:
Africa Travel Week’s digital arm, is a virtual hub packed to the seams with
interesting content, industry news and insights, and the opportunity to hear from experts on a variety of
topics in our new monthly webinar series. All with the aim to keep all of us in the travel and tourism
industry connected. ATW Connect focuses on inbound and outbound markets for general leisure tourism,
luxury travel and the MICE/business travel sector as well as travel technology.
