5 days ago
Skift IDEA Awards: Meet the 2025 Finalists
Now in its seventh year, Skift IDEA Awards will once again recognize the individuals, teams and businesses that are driving the travel industry forward. See the 2025 finalists below.
Now in its seventh year, the Skift IDEA Awards continues to spotlight the individuals, teams and companies shaping the future of our industry. Today, we're excited to reveal the finalists for the 2025 Skift IDEA Awards.
With over 420 submissions from around the globe – and 247 advancing to the final round – the 2025 edition reaffirms the IDEA Awards as the definitive benchmark for innovation, creativity, and impact across the travel ecosystem.
For 2025, the program was split across seven distinct criteria groups:
Industry Innovators: Forward-thinking projects that drive a sector forward and make an impact with consumers.
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.
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.
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.
Service providers who offer solutions, address business challenges, or use technology to guide the industry. Travel Technology: Technology providers offering innovative technological solutions that are guiding the industry forward.
Technology providers offering innovative technological solutions that are guiding the industry forward. Short-Term Rentals: Recognizing the individuals and organizations that are shaping the future of the short-term rental industry.
Recognizing the individuals and organizations that are shaping the future of the short-term rental industry. Meetings & Events: Presented by Skift Meetings. Celebrating the business events industry's most respected and innovative suppliers.
The submissions progressing into the final round are a testament to an industry that is increasingly bold, purpose-led and future-ready. The submissions will now be reviewed by an independent panel of expert judges, selected for their leadership and perspective across key sectors of the industry.
Explore the full list of 2025 Skift IDEA Awards finalists below:
INDUSTRY INNOVATORS
Activities & Attractions
Airlines & Airports
CAE | SkyTeam's Carry-on Calculator
Alaska Airlines | The Next Generation of Search, Powered by AI
Spirit Airlines | Revolutionizing Travel with Wellness-Driven Innovations
Tradewind Aviation | Predicting Potential Problems Hours Prior to Arrival
Endava | Armani for Etihad Luxury Inflight Range created by Buzz
SkySquad | Data-Activated Personalization Reaches New Heights
AirportLabs Limited | Airport Community App: Elevating Airport Operations Through Efficiency, Community and Wellbeing
Business Travel
TravelPerk | Book It Easy
Otto The Agent | Pioneering Business Class in Ground Transportation
Engine | Breaking the Expense Management Mold
BizAway | A Unified Platform for Modern Enterprises
Mastercard | Delivering the Future of Travel
Global Rescue | Delivering the Future of Travel
Hospitality
Tour Operators
Butterfield & Robinson | Around The World in 60 Days
DreamSetGo | Taking India to the World of Sports
GrupBlox | Build, Scale and Contract Multi-City Tours and Financial Metrics
TravelLocal | A New Era of Locally Led Multi-Day Travel
Staays | Make it Easier to Travel Better
Worldia | Empowering Travel Distributors to Offer Unique Custom Trips
Exodus Adventure Travels | Pioneering a Regenerative Future for Multi-Day Tours
Aurora Travel | Redefining How Individuals and Groups Explore the World
Tourism
VISIONARY 2030
CHANGE MAKERS
Leadership
People & Community
Sustainability
Rising Star
Aaron Fessler, Founder and CEO, TripWorks
Richard Nunn, CEO, MileagePlus
Eliza Pesuit, Founder and CEO, Global Glimpse
Mike Weiss and Ben Weinberg, Co-Founders and Co-CEOs, Trailborn
Justine Palefsky & Tasneem Amina, Co-Founders, Kindred
DEI Champion
CREATIVE THINKERS
Content
Marketing
Physical Experiences
Creative Design
PROBLEM SOLVERS
Business Outcomes
Communications
New Orleans & Company | Crisis Communications
YKONE | Transforming Perceptions: Experience Abu Dhabi 2024's Global Influencer Program
Abode Worldwide | From Visibility to Value: PR That Grows B2B Hospitality and Property Tech Brands
Heritage Corridor Destinations | Secrets and Surprises
Data Provider
TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY
Operational Streamlining
Traveler Journey
Best Use of AI
Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) | Noura AI: Transforming Travel with a Human Touch
Matador Network | GuideGeek: Custom AI for Travel Brands
PriceLabs | AI Innovation, Everywhere – The New Standard in Revenue Management
Destination Canada | Traveller Twin: Canada's Trusted Segmentation, Now a Strategic AI-Powered Conversation with the Ideal Traveller
Cloudbeds | The world's first foundation AI model for the hospitality industry
Amperity | Amperity CDC: AI-Driven Identity Resolution for Travel and Hospitality Growth
Sacher Hotels | Franz – A Sacher Original: Where AI Learns the Art of Hospitality
Qatar Tourism | Visit Qatar GenAI Concierge
Destination Vancouver | The AI Concierge Which Deserves a Clef D'Or
Yanolja | Redefining Global Travel Through AI-Powered Data Innovation
MEETINGS & EVENTS
Hotels
Destination Marketing Organizations
Convention Centers & Other Venues
Event Technology
Snapsight | World's First AI-based Real Time Event Content Summarisation
NMR Events | Behind the Magic: The Tech Driving Disney's 2025 Upfront
BoomPop | AI-Powered, Human-Centered Event Planning
GlobalMeet | Driving the Next Era of Virtual Event Technology
| Leading the AI Revolution in Meetings and Events
Cvent | Transforming Event Experiences Through Next-Gen Technology
Zoho Backstage | Reimagining the Future of Events
RainFocus | All-in-One Event Management Technology
vFairs | Blending Powerful Tech with a Human Touch to Create Unforgettable Events
Grip | Making Business Relationships Happen at Events
SHORT-TERM RENTALS
Property Management
PriceLabs | The Missing Link in Revenue Management: PriceLabs' Listing Optimizer
Boom | Bringing the Short-Term Rental Industry Into the Future
Evolve | An Owner-First Property Management Model
eviivo | eviivo Suite: Empowering Short-Term Rentals to Compete on a Global Scale
Dharma | Elevating Hospitality with AI-Driven Operations, Seamless Guest Services, and Smart Tools that Boost Sales and Efficiency.
Sentral | Tech + Luxe Lifestyle = STR success
Northgate Resorts | Leading the Way in Outdoor Hospitality Short-Term Rentals
Guesty | 3,975,143 x 5-Stars with Guesty: The Most Customer-Driven PMS
Charlie & Onfly | Disrupting the Corporate Stay: STR for the Modern Business Traveler
KozyGuru | Seamless Short-Term Rental Management for the Modern Host
Guest Experience
Guesty | The Data Driving 5-Star Reviews
Accor | Novotel x PSG – La Suite Novotel by A Once-in-a-Lifetime Stay Inside Parc des Princes
Rental Escapes | Luxury Made Personal: Rental Escapes' Villa Specialists and Concierge Service
Extenteam | Tailwind by Extenteam: Transforming Guest Experience with Human + AI Synergy
Villa Finder | Beyond's Tally: Powering the Future of Payments in Short-Term Rentals
Beyond | Beyond's Tally: Powering the Future of Payments in Short-Term Rentals
