Divya Agarwal
Nakul Anand, Ashwani Lohani and Dr. Satyajit Singh among distinguished personalities honoured; Dr Rinki Bhuyan Sharma brings a powerful north east perspective to tourism & hospitality.
Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 3: The Global Tourism Excellence Awards 2026, presented by Travel World Online, brought together leading names from India’s travel, tourism and hospitality fraternity for an evening recognising professional excellence, outstanding contribution, innovation and leadership across the industry.
Held at ExpoInn & Suites, Noida, the awards recognised individuals, organisations and enterprises contributing to the growth and evolution of travel, tourism and hospitality. Senior tourism professionals, hospitality leaders, travel trade representatives, destination specialists, MICE professionals and other stakeholders from across the industry attended the occasion.
Three distinguished personalities were honoured for their outstanding contribution to the industry. Mr. Nakul Anand received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Contribution to Hospitality, Mr. Ashwani Lohani was conferred the honour of “ICON OF INDIAN TOURISM”, while Dr. Satyajit Singh received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Contribution to the Growth of Medical Tourism in Eastern India. Together, the three recognitions represented leadership across hospitality, tourism administration and medical tourism.
The evening also added a touch of glamour, with Miss Universe India 2026, Miss India International and Mr India being honoured by the Global Tourism Excellence Awards, adding further star appeal to the celebrations.
The awards also recognised professionals making a significant contribution to different areas of the tourism ecosystem. Mr. Anand Kumar Pandey, President, Regional Tourist Guides Association (RTGA), Delhi, received the Tourism Professional Excellence Award; Mr. Sarvesh Kumar was recognised for PR and Strategic Public Relations; while Mr. LP Gupta was also honoured for his contribution to society in De-addicted a number of people from all walks of life.
The awards covered a wide spectrum of categories across hospitality, airlines, tour operators, MICE, transportation, technology, sustainability, destinations, wellness, cruise tourism and other specialised areas of travel and tourism. Among the notable institutional recognitions, Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) received seven awards, while ELIVAAS India’s fastest-growing and premier luxury villa management and hospitality brand bagged three awards in alternative accommodation.
Nepal also emerged prominently among the jury recommendations, with four hotels receiving awards across different hospitality categories, while Nepal Tourism Board also bagged an award in the sustainable category. The Nepal hotel winners included Soaltee Westend Premier Nepalgunj, Hyatt Place Butwal, Holiday Inn Express Kathmandu Naxal and Lemon Tree Premier Budhanilkantha, reflecting the growing recognition of Nepal’s hospitality and tourism offerings.
The awards also marked an important development for the next edition of the platform. Mr. Upaul Mazumdar, one of the jury members from Nepal, invited the Global Tourism Excellence Awards to Kathmandu on behalf of Aloft Kathmandu, which is set to host the next edition of the awards. Mazumdar also moderated the panel discussion on “The Future of Hospitality: Sustainability, Value & Evolving Guest Expectations”, featuring Mr. K. B. Kachru, Mr. Rohit Khosla and Mr. Nakul Anand.
Dr. Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, Chairperson and Managing Director of Pride East Entertainments, brought a distinctive Northeast perspective to the evening, speaking on tourism, sustainability, destination development, local culture and responsible tourism. Her association with Vaani Greens Kaziranga Wildlife Resort also reflects her engagement with the region’s tourism and natural environment.
The Global Tourism Excellence Awards jury brought together experienced voices from tourism, hospitality, government, trade, education and the wider industry, including senior tourism professionals and industry leaders from India and Nepal. The jury framework was designed to bring professional assessment, industry experience and independent judgement into the recognition process.
The Global Tourism Excellence Awards were conceptualised by Mr. Anil Kumar Sharma with the objective of creating a recognition platform where professional contribution, achievement and excellence remain central to the awards. A conscious distinction was maintained between sponsors and the awards and jury decision-making process.
Travel World Online also acknowledged the continued support of leading industry associations, including TAAI, TAFI, IATO, ADTOI, NIMA, GTEA, TIA, OTOAI, UTEN, ITTA and the Chamber for Service Industry. Representatives of the associations were presented with plaques of appreciation. The Ministry of Tourism was also acknowledged as the Supporting Partner.
The evening included industry interaction, the panel discussion on the future of hospitality, an AAFT fashion show, and musical performances, bringing together business, ideas and celebration under one platform.
The successful staging of the occasion was supported by ExpoInn & Suites as Hospitality Partner, Bakshi Transport Service Pvt. Ltd. as Transport Partner, PP Jewellers by Pawan Gupta as Gifting Partner, Tooray Events as Event Partner, and Amadeus as Supporting Partner.
The Global Tourism Excellence Awards 2026 by Travel World Online brought together established leaders and emerging professionals from across the tourism ecosystem, recognising the people, organisations and ideas shaping the future of travel, tourism and hospitality, with the awards supported by an eminent jury.
The jury comprised Mr. Nakul Anand; Mr. M. P. Bezbaruah, former Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India; Mr. Vinod Zutshi, former Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India; Mr. Sanjay Bhatia, former Chairman, Mumbai Port Trust and presently Lokayukta, Maharashtra; Mr. Sinha, DG, SEPC; Dr. Subhash Goyal; Mr. Sandeep Marwah; Dr. Suborno Bose; Mr. Ashish Gupta, former CEO, FAITH; and Mr. Upaul Mazoomdar from Nepal, among other experienced industry voices.
Award Winners & Jury Recommendations
- Best Adventure Tour Operator — Rakesh Pant, Trek The Himalayas
- Best African Airline — Amr Aly, Egyptair Airline
- Best Asian Airline — Tansita Akrarittipirom, AirAsia
- Best B2B Travel Platform of the Year — Nipun Bansal, TBO Tek Limited
- Best B2B Visa Service Provider — Imran Khan, Visawaale Travel Services LLP
- Best Biodiversity and Habitat Resort — Ruth Goodwin, Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Andamans
- Best Business Hotel (International) — Suarpana Shahi, Aloft by Marriott Kathmandu Thamel
- Best Business Hotel — Saran Haridas, Taj Cochin International Airport
- Best Convention Hotel — Swaha Patnaik, Vivanta Bhubaneswar DN Square
- Best Destination Management Company – Country Specific — Chetan Gupta, Aussie Grand Tours
- Best Destination Management Company – Country Specific — Narayan Pd Pokhrel, Fishtail Tours & Travel Pvt Ltd
- Best Destination Management Company – Country Specific — Om Prakash Tiwari, MP Tours India Private Limited
- Best Destination Management Company – Country Specific — Darshana Cabraal, Tour Blue Holdings (Pvt) Ltd
- Best Destination Management Company – Country Specific — Jeetendra Wagh, Go Smart Tourism
- Best Domestic Tour Operator — Krishna Mohan Alapati, Southern Travels Pvt. Ltd.
- Jury Appreciation — Alok Rawat, Travel Catalyst Destination Private Limited
- Best Employee Transportation Service Provider (ETS) — Tarlochan Singh, Victoria Car Rental Pvt Ltd
- Best Event Transportation Service Provider — Iqbal Singh, Punia Traveleaze Private Limited
- Best Government Transportation Service Provider — Manish Thakur, L. R. Taxi Services
- Best Heritage Property — Palak Chhabra, Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur (IHCL)
- Best Inbound Operator — Harpreet Singh Bindra, Victoria Car Rental Pvt Ltd
- Best International Cruise (MICE) — Nalini Gupta, Costa Cruises India
- Best Luxury Homestay — Karan Miglani, ELIVAAS
- Best Luxury Hotel (International) — Kumar Amrendra, Taj Gangtey Resort & Spa Bhutan
- Best Luxury Hotel — Pardeep Siwach, Mayfair Spring Valley Resort Guwahati
- Best Luxury Transport Provider — Amarjeet Mnan, Mann Fleet Partners
- Best MICE Operator — Chander Mansharamani, Alpcord Network Events and Conferences Management Co. Pvt. Ltd.
- Best Offbeat Homestay in India — Karan Miglani, ELIVAAS
- Best Resort / Wildlife — Dr. Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, Vaani Greens Kaziranga Wildlife Resort
- Best Sustainable Destination — Rohini Prasad Khanal, Nepal Tourism Board
- Best Sustainable Homestay — Karan Miglani, ELIVAAS
- Best Wellness Resort — Kairali – The Ayurvedic Healing Village, Kairali Ayurvedic Health Resorts Pvt Ltd
- Excellence in MICE & Business Tourism in Nepal — Pramila Devkota Chhetri, Hyatt Place Butwal
- Fastest Growing Hotel Chain — Amit Kumar Singh, OPO Hotels LLP
- Most Innovative Travel Technology Platform — Ajay Kumar Wadhawan, AIR IQ 365 Limited
- Outstanding Contribution to Cultural Exchange — Madiha Siddique, Indian Hotels Company Limited
- Special Jury Appreciation – Best Luxury MICE Hotel in South India — Taj Coromandel, Chennai
Nepal Jury Recommendations
- Best Business Hotel in Western Nepal — Mr. Agnimitra Sharma, Soaltee Westend Premier Nepalgunj
- Excellence in MICE & Business Tourism in Nepal — Pramila Devkota Chhetri, Hyatt Place Butwal
- Best Group-Leisure Hotel in Nepal — Aarati Budhathoki, Holiday Inn Express Kathmandu Naxal
- Best Wellness Resort in Nepal — Ashif Shrestha, Lemon Tree Premier Budhanilkantha
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