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WYSE Travel Confederation announces 2017 Global Youth Travel Award winners 

Sep 28, 2017

MEDIA RELEASE

WYSE Travel Confederation announces 2017 Global Youth Travel Award winners
Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 28 September 2017

Outstanding contributors in the youth and student travel industry were celebrated on Thursday, 28 September during the 2017 Global Youth Travel Awards (GYTA). Winners of the 14 GYTA award categories, including 10 nominated and four consumer-voted awards, were announced at a gala dinner during the 2017 World Youth and Student Travel Conference (WYSTC) held in Montreal, Canada.

This year’s judges chose from a record number of entries, including very competitive submissions in two categories related to sustainability: Best Green Accommodation Initiative and Best Social Responsibility Initiative.

WYSE Travel Confederation’s Director General said the quality of entries for these categories indicates that the tourism industry is stepping up to the challenge of the 2017 UNWTO International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.

David Chapman said: “The exceptional entries we received this year in categories related to sustainable tourism have shown us that not only is there greater awareness being paid to tourism’s role in sustainable development, but that the youth travel industry is mobilising for change.”

The 2017 Global Youth Travel Award winners are:

Consumer-voted categories:

Best Youth Travel Accommodation: MEININGER
Best Youth Travel Agent: STA Travel
Best Youth Travel Airline: Emirates
Best Youth Tour Operator: Rustic Pathway

Nominated Categories:

Best Green Accommodation Initiative: YHA Australia
Best Marketing Campaign: STA Travel
Best Youth Travel Blogger: Polkadot Passport
Best Travel Technology Product: Ingle International’s Travel Navigator app
Best Education Abroad Provider: The GREEN Program
Best Work Experience Provider: Alliance Abroad
Outstanding Volunteer Project: African Impact
Best Travel Safety Initiative: Vagaband
Best Social Responsibility Initiative: World Nomads
Extraordinary Experience: CIEE

View the list of winners with entry descriptions and company logos.

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About the Global Youth Travel Awards

The Global Youth Travel Awards (GYTAs) formally recognise outstanding performers in fourteen fields of international youth travel and reward WYSE Travel Confederation members and other stakeholders in the youth, student and educational travel industry who make an outstanding contribution to our industry.

The GYTAs began at the World Youth and Student Travel Conference (WYSTC) 2011 in Barcelona with a focus on bringing to light the great experiences being provided by members of the community.

In subsequent years – 2012 in San Diego, 2013 in Sydney, 2014 in Dublin, 2015 in Cape Town and 2016 in Belgrade – the awards have evolved to include members of the wider youth travel industry and a greater number of awards.

As the prestige of the GYTAs has grown, so has the awards ceremony, which takes place at the World Youth and Student Travel Conference. Learn more.

About WYSE Travel Confederation:

The World Youth, Student and Educational (WYSE) Travel Confederation is a global not-for-profit membership organisation dedicated to promoting and developing opportunities for the youth, student and educational travel industry.

WYSE Travel Confederation is committed to understanding the ever-changing characteristics, motivations and needs of young travellers. By gathering, analysing and sharing important market intelligence with members, academics and government decision-makers, the unique fast-changing needs of the youth market is at the forefront of its activities as it seeks to accelerate the development of youth travel. WYSE Travel Confederation, a long-standing Affiliate Member of UNWTO, is the world’s most powerful network of youth and student travel professionals, connecting travel industry players with decision-makers and government officials.

Founded in 2006 and created from the merger of the Federation of International Youth Travel Organisations (FIYTO) and the International Student Travel Confederation (ISTC), both formed after World War II to inspire young people through international travel and to help remove cultural barriers, WYSE Travel Confederation brings together 60 years of global youth and student travel expertise.

For more information about WYSE Travel Confederation, visit www.wysetc.org

About the World Youth and Student Travel Conference:
Now in its 26th year, the World Youth and Student Travel Conference (WYSTC) is the leading trade event for the global youth, student and educational travel industry.

Since its inception in 1992 as the annual event of FIYTO and ISTC, youth and student travel professionals have been gathering annually to trade, network and take part in seminars and workshops.

WYSTC is organised by WYSE Travel Confederation and travels to a different destination each year to ensure that attendees get first-hand experience of the topics and trends affecting youth and student travel in the host country and region.

For more information, visit www.wystc.org

For media enquiries:

WYSE Travel Confederation

Tel: +31 (0)20 421 2800

communications@wysetc.org