Three international travel industry leaders have been recognised at the Global Travel Hall of Fame awards in London.
The three inductees to the Hall of Fame received their honours alongside four companies which won awards recognising excellence in the fields of resilience and sustainability.
The event took place with 160 senior industry guests at London’s Plaisterers’ Hall and was organised by the Global Travel and Tourism Resilience Council.
The three new inductees were Far and Wild Travel chief executive Ben Morison, Lalit Suri Hospitality Group managing director Dr Jyotsna Suri, and Great Plains Conservation co-founder Dereck Joubert.
Morison (pictured, left, with Diriyah Development Group CMO Kiran Haslam) was honoured for “profoundly shaping tourism, blending commercial success with environmental advocacy and leaving an enduring legacy in the industry” while Suri was honoured as a “transformative force in Indian hospitality” and a champion of diversity.
Joubert and his wife and co-founder Beverly were credited with “transforming wildlife filmmaking and conservation storytelling, bringing the urgency of Africa’s wildlife preservation to a global audience”.
Four new awards introduced at this year’s events recognised companies which had demonstrated resilience, commitment to sustainability and positive impact, as well as those in the non-profit arena.
The Resilience Award was won by The Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre – Eastern Africa, while London-based agency Travel Matters wone the Sustainable Business accolade.
The Impact Award was won by expedition and community homestay organiser Global Himalayan Expedition, while US non-profit organisation Tourism Cares was honoured in the Non-Profit category.
The evening was supported by Diriyah Company, AXA Partners, Zeero by Trees for Travel and the HBX Group, and will return during World Travel Market London in 2025.