The short answer: business travel awards recognise the companies that make corporate trips, meetings and company events work. At the International Travel Awards there is no single business travel category. Instead, each type of business enters the category built for its role: hotels enter Best Business Hotel, corporate travel agencies enter Best Travel Agency, destination management companies enter Best DMC, and airlines and technology providers have their own categories. Choosing the right one, and filling it with the evidence a corporate buyer would ask for, is what makes an entry strong.
What business travel awards recognise
Leisure travel is judged largely on how a trip feels. Business travel adds a second test: whether the trip did its job. A corporate traveller needs to arrive rested, work without interruption, meet the right people and get home on time, and the company paying for the trip needs it to be safe, within policy and well documented. The businesses that serve this market are judged on both counts.
That is why business travel recognition spans several sectors. A single corporate trip can involve a travel agency that books it, an airline that carries the traveller, a hotel that hosts the stay and the meeting, a destination management company that runs the event on the ground, and the technology that ties the bookings together. Each of these roles is recognised separately, because each is measured in a different way. The judging process reviews every entry against the criteria for its own category.
Business travel categories and who should enter
The table below maps the main business travel roles to the categories that suit them at the International Travel Awards, and the focus of each.
| Type of business | Category to consider | What the category focuses on |
|---|---|---|
| Hotels serving corporate guests | Best Business Hotel | Connectivity, workspaces, meeting and event facilities, executive lounges and support across the full business stay |
| Corporate travel agencies and travel management companies | Best Travel Agency | Programme management, policy compliance, traveller care, cost control, reporting and client service |
| Destination management companies | Best DMC (Destination Management Company) | Ground arrangements for meetings, incentive trips, conferences and group programmes |
| Airlines with strong corporate travel offers | Best International Airline or Best Regional Airline | Network, schedule reliability, premium cabins, lounges and service for frequent travellers |
| Booking, expense and travel platforms | Best Travel Technology Company | Products that make booking, approval, duty of care or expense handling simpler for companies and travellers |
| Any of the above with a new idea | Travel Innovation Award | A new service, product or process with a clear effect on travellers or clients |
Two cross-sector categories also suit many business travel companies. The Sustainable Travel Award fits businesses that help corporate clients reduce the environmental effect of their travel and can show measured results. Travel Leader of the Year fits an executive whose decisions shaped how the business serves corporate clients. The full list is on the award categories page.
Business hotels: what makes a strong entry
Many hotels host both leisure and corporate guests, so the first question is whether business travel is the core of what the property does. If most weekday guests are travelling for work and the meeting rooms are rarely empty, Best Business Hotel is usually the natural home. If business guests are a smaller share, the guide to choosing a hotel or resort award category can help you decide where the property's strengths are easiest to see.
A business hotel entry works best when it follows the corporate guest's day:
- Arrival. How quickly a guest arriving late or early can check in, and how the hotel handles changed arrival times.
- Working in the room. Desk space, lighting, power points, connection speed and how the team responds when a guest needs technical help.
- Meetings and events. Room configurations, audiovisual support, catering flexibility and a single point of contact for organisers.
- Rest and recovery. Quiet rooms, sleep quality, dining hours that suit late meetings, and fitness facilities.
- Departure. Express check-out, clear invoicing for company accounts, and transport to the airport or station.
Evidence matters more than description. Repeat corporate accounts, meeting rebooking rates, guest comments that mention specific team members, and examples of events delivered under time pressure all show a jury what a business guest actually experiences.
Corporate travel agencies and travel management companies
For an agency that manages company travel, the client is often a travel manager or finance team rather than the traveller alone. A strong entry shows that the agency serves both. Useful areas to cover include how travel policy is built into booking, how travellers are supported when plans change, how the agency keeps track of travellers for duty-of-care purposes, and how reporting helps clients understand and manage their travel spend.
Client confidentiality needs care. Many corporate agreements restrict the use of client names, so describe clients by sector, size and region unless you have written permission to name them. The quality of what you delivered is what the jury needs to see, not the name of the company you delivered it for.
Destination management companies and meetings
Destination management companies sit at the point where business travel becomes an event. Incentive trips, conferences, product launches and leadership retreats depend on local knowledge, supplier relationships and calm problem-solving when something changes on the day. An entry for Best DMC should show the range of programmes delivered, how the team designs an itinerary around a client's objectives, how suppliers are selected and managed, and how the company handles safety, transport and timing for large groups.
Short case descriptions work well here. For two or three programmes, describe the brief, the plan, one moment where the plan had to change, and the result for the client. That structure gives a jury a clear view of capability without needing confidential details.
Evidence that corporate buyers value
The most persuasive business travel entries use the same evidence a corporate buyer would ask for in a tender. The list below shows the kinds of material that tend to carry weight. Use only what you genuinely track and can verify.
| Evidence | What it shows | Most relevant for |
|---|---|---|
| Client retention and repeat accounts | Whether corporate clients choose to stay | Hotels, agencies, DMCs |
| Response and resolution times | How quickly travellers and organisers get help | Agencies, hotels, technology providers |
| Disruption examples | How travellers were supported when flights, weather or events changed plans | Agencies, airlines, DMCs |
| Event delivery records | The scale and variety of meetings and programmes delivered | Hotels, DMCs |
| Policy compliance and reporting | How well the service supports a client's travel policy and budget | Agencies, technology providers |
| Approved client feedback | What clients say in their own words, quoted with permission | All |
| Measured environmental actions | Practical steps that help clients reduce the effect of travel | All, and a possible second entry |
Writing the entry
Corporate audiences are used to precise, practical writing, and the same style serves an award entry well. Lead with the one or two things clients value most about your business. Support each claim with an example or a figure you can stand behind. Keep marketing language to a minimum, and avoid broad claims that cannot be checked. Where a result depended on partners, say so plainly.
- Start with the client problem you solve. One sentence on why companies choose you sets up everything that follows.
- Show, then explain. A short account of how the team handled a difficult booking or a changed event plan says more than general statements about service.
- Protect confidentiality. Describe clients by sector and size unless you have permission to name them.
- Check every figure. Only include numbers you can verify, and describe the business as it operates today.
For a step-by-step view of the entry itself, read how to win a travel award and how to nominate.
Using recognition in corporate sales
In business travel, buying decisions often go through procurement teams, tenders and approved-supplier lists. Recognition from an international programme gives those buyers an outside reference point. Common uses include a mention in proposals and tender responses, a line in account-management communications, a note on the meeting and events pages of a hotel website, and a short announcement to existing corporate clients. Inside the business, sharing the result with the sales, operations and service teams acknowledges the people who deliver the work day to day. The article on how awards help travel companies covers this in more depth. Always use the exact programme name and category when you mention the award.
A checklist for business travel entries
- Decide which role your business plays in a corporate trip: hotel, agency, DMC, airline or technology.
- Choose the category built for that role, and consider whether sustainability, innovation or leadership has its own strong story.
- Gather retention figures, response times, disruption examples and event records that you genuinely track.
- Confirm permission before naming any client or quoting their feedback.
- Write in clear, practical language, with specific examples and verified figures.
- Review the plans on the nomination price page and start your nomination.
Browsing the past winners directory shows the range of businesses each category recognises, and the travel awards FAQ answers common questions about eligibility. If you are unsure which category fits, use the contact page and describe your business, your corporate clients and the evidence you plan to submit.