From Berlin to Sardinia Europe’s Travel Elite Celebrate Consistency and Innovation at the World Travel Awards
(NEWS) SARDINIA, Italy, 2025-Oct-23 — /Travel PR News/ — The glittering shores of Sardinia set the stage for Europe’s biggest celebration of travel excellence as the World Travel Awards (WTA) Europe Gala Ceremony 2025 brought together the continent’s most distinguished brands in tourism, aviation, and hospitality. Hosted at the luxurious Forte Village Resort, the red-carpet event recognised the innovation, resilience, and creativity that continue to drive Europe’s travel and tourism industry forward.
The evening marked the fourth leg of the WTA Grand Tour 2025, a global series honouring the best in travel across continents. Portugal maintained its long-standing prestige by claiming Europe’s Leading Destination, while its island jewel Madeira was named Europe’s Leading Island Destination. Spain’s Huesca La Magia earned the title of Europe’s Leading Adventure Tourism Destination, and Greece’s Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace was recognised as Europe’s Leading Emerging Tourism Destination — highlighting Europe’s growing appeal for experiential and sustainable travel.
Cultural and business tourism were also celebrated, with Cannes named Europe’s Leading Festival & Event Destination, Madrid honoured as Europe’s Leading Meetings & Conference Destination, and Dublin taking a double win with Trinity College recognised as Europe’s Leading Academic Tourist Attraction and The Convention Centre Dublin named Europe’s Leading Meetings & Conference Centre. The Georgian coastal city of Batumi continued its rise as a year-round destination, capturing the title of Europe’s Leading All-Season Destination.
In the hospitality sector, Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul was once again crowned Europe’s Leading Hotel, repeating its triumph from 2024. Other standouts included Sani Resort in Greece as Europe’s Leading Family Resort, Ikos Odisia as Europe’s Leading All-Inclusive Resort, and Italy’s Naturhotel Leitlhof as Europe’s Leading Green Hotel, underscoring a continental shift toward sustainability and high-end family experiences.
The aviation industry was equally well represented. Lufthansa retained its title as Europe’s Leading Airline, while Zurich Airport once again earned Europe’s Leading Airport. Swiss International Air Lines secured double honours for Business Class and First Class, and THE LOFT by Brussels Airlines and Lexus continued to shine as Europe’s Leading Airport Lounge.
Adding to the night’s aviation triumphs, TUI Airline captured Europe’s Leading Charter Airline for the fifth consecutive year. The group — spanning carriers in the UK, Nordics, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany — was recognised for its excellence in leisure aviation. “This award is a powerful acknowledgment of the dedication and professionalism of more than 8,000 colleagues across TUI Airline,” said Marco Ciomperlik, CEO of TUI Airline. “It’s both recognition and motivation to keep raising the bar and ensure our guests enjoy the best possible travel experience.”
TAP Air Portugal also celebrated multiple wins, taking home Europe’s Leading Airline to Africa and Europe’s Leading Airline to South America. Sofia Lufinha, TAP’s Chief Customer Officer, accepted the awards, saying, “These distinctions reflect the importance of the South American and African markets for TAP and the continuous work we’ve done to strengthen our position.” In its 80th anniversary year, TAP now operates 85 weekly flights to 14 African destinations and 96 weekly flights to 13 cities across Brazil, reaffirming its role as the main bridge connecting Europe with Portuguese-speaking regions.
Graham Cooke, Founder of the World Travel Awards, praised this year’s honorees: “Our winners are stellar examples of tourism excellence, and I congratulate each one for helping raise the collective benchmark across our industry.”
Hosting the prestigious ceremony, Forte Village Resort showcased the elegance of Sardinia’s southern coast. “Partnering with the World Travel Awards has been an honour,” said Lorenzo Giannuzzi, CEO and General Manager of Forte Village. “It allowed us to share our philosophy of authentic Italian hospitality and innovation while welcoming so many leaders from across the world of travel.”
The Sardinia gala followed last year’s WTA Europe 2024 ceremony in Berlin, where Greece was crowned Europe’s Leading Destination and Forte Village took Europe’s Leading Resort, foreshadowing its selection as this year’s host. Many 2024 winners — including Lufthansa, Zurich Airport, and Çırağan Palace Kempinski — successfully defended their titles in 2025, underscoring consistency at the highest levels of European tourism.
As the World Travel Awards Grand Tour 2025 continues, the Sardinia ceremony highlighted Europe’s unrivalled diversity — from adventure destinations and sustainable resorts to world-class airlines and emerging cultural hubs — reaffirming the continent’s position as a global leader in tourism excellence.
The full list of winners can be found on the WTA website.
