Refund Policy

1. Overview of Fees and Payments

The International Travel Awards programme operates with a structured fee system to support the costs of running a world-class global awards programme, including independent expert judging, international media coverage, trophy production, gala ceremony organisation, and ongoing programme administration.

Fees associated with the International Travel Awards may include:

• Nomination Processing Fees: Fees charged to cover the cost of processing, evaluating, and administering your award nomination through the full judging cycle.
• Gala Ceremony Tickets: Tickets for attendance at our annual International Travel Awards gala ceremony and dinner.
• Sponsorship and Partnership Fees: Fees associated with category sponsorships, event sponsorships, and media partnership arrangements.
• Additional Services: Optional add-on services such as winner's marketing packages, additional trophies, or promotional features.

Specific fee amounts are disclosed at the point of purchase through our nomination portal or in direct correspondence with our team. All fees are stated in USD unless otherwise specified and are exclusive of applicable taxes.

2. Nomination Fee Refund Eligibility

2.1 Refund Before Evaluation Processing Begins

A full refund of the nomination processing fee, less any non-recoverable bank or payment processing charges (typically 3-5% of the transaction value), may be requested within 7 calendar days of payment, provided that the formal evaluation of your nomination has not yet commenced.

To be eligible for this refund, you must submit a written refund request to awards@goldentreeawards.com within the 7-day window, clearly stating your nomination reference number and reason for withdrawal. Refund requests submitted after the 7-day window has closed will not be considered.

2.2 After Evaluation Processing Has Commenced

Once the formal evaluation process has commenced for your nomination — which typically begins within 7-14 business days of payment confirmation — the nomination processing fee is non-refundable. This is because significant resources, including expert judge time and administrative processing, have been committed to the evaluation of your nomination at that stage.

If you are uncertain whether evaluation of your nomination has commenced, contact us at awards@goldentreeawards.com as promptly as possible with your nomination reference number.

2.3 Duplicate Payments

If you have made a duplicate payment for the same nomination (i.e., been charged twice for the same entry), we will refund the duplicate charge in full upon confirmation of the error. Please contact us immediately at awards@goldentreeawards.com with evidence of the duplicate transaction.

3. How to Request a Refund

To request a refund for a nomination fee within the eligible period, follow these steps:

4. Refund Processing Timeframe

Once a refund request has been approved by our team, the following timeframes apply:

• Credit/Debit Card Refunds: Typically 5-10 business days to appear on your statement, depending on your card issuer.
• Bank Transfer Refunds: Typically 3-7 business days for international transfers, subject to correspondent bank processing times.
• Online Payment Platform Refunds (e.g., PayPal): Typically 3-5 business days to the original payment account.

If you have not received your refund within 15 business days of receiving our approval confirmation, please contact us at awards@goldentreeawards.com so we can investigate with our payment processor.

5. Non-Refundable Circumstances

Nomination processing fees are non-refundable in the following circumstances:

• The 7-calendar-day refund window has elapsed since payment;
• The formal evaluation process for your nomination has commenced;
• Your nomination has been shortlisted or a judging decision has been communicated;
• Your nomination has been disqualified due to submission of false or misleading information;
• You have voluntarily withdrawn your nomination after the refund window has closed;
• The refund request is submitted without a valid nomination reference number that can be verified by our system;
• Your organisation has been found to have violated our Terms and Conditions;
• Payment was made as part of a sponsorship or partnership arrangement (separate terms apply — see Section 7).

6. Gala Ceremony Ticket Refund Policy

Gala ceremony attendance tickets are subject to a separate refund policy due to the event planning commitments they create:

6.1 Cancellations More Than 60 Days Before the Event

Cancellations received in writing more than 60 calendar days before the confirmed gala ceremony date are eligible for a refund of 75% of the ticket price. The remaining 25% covers administrative and event planning costs already incurred.

6.2 Cancellations 30-60 Days Before the Event

Cancellations received in writing between 30 and 60 calendar days before the event are eligible for a refund of 50% of the ticket price.

6.3 Cancellations Less Than 30 Days Before the Event

Cancellations received less than 30 calendar days before the event are non-refundable. However, ticket transfers to a colleague or representative from the same organisation are permitted at no charge, provided written notice is received at least 7 days before the event.

6.4 Event Cancellation or Postponement by ITA

In the event that the International Travel Awards gala ceremony is cancelled or significantly postponed by us due to circumstances beyond our control (force majeure events including but not limited to pandemics, natural disasters, or government restrictions), we will offer ticket holders the choice of: a full refund of the ticket price; or credit towards attendance at the rescheduled or subsequent event.

7. Sponsorship and Partnership Fees

Fees paid in connection with category sponsorships, event sponsorships, and media partnership arrangements are governed by the specific contractual terms agreed between the parties at the time of the arrangement. Generally, sponsorship fees are non-refundable once the sponsorship has been confirmed and announced, as significant commitments are made to fulfil the sponsorship benefits. For queries about specific sponsorship arrangements, contact awards@goldentreeawards.com.

8. Contact for Refund Enquiries

For all refund requests and payment enquiries, please contact our team using the details below. Include your nomination reference number or order reference in all correspondence to help us process your request as quickly as possible.