Terms & Conditions

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing the International Travel Awards website at internationaltravelawards.org, submitting a nomination through our portal at goldentreeawards.com/award-nomination, registering for our events, or otherwise engaging with our services, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be legally bound by these Terms and Conditions in their entirety.

If you are submitting a nomination or otherwise participating on behalf of an organisation, you represent and warrant that you have the authority to bind that organisation to these Terms. If you do not agree to any part of these Terms, you must not use our services or submit a nomination.

We reserve the right to amend these Terms at any time. Amendments will be effective upon publication on our website. Continued use of our services following any amendment constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. We will notify registered participants of material changes where reasonably practicable.

2. Award Nominations

2.1 Eligibility

Nominations are open to any legitimately operating travel or hospitality business or organisation worldwide. There are no geographic restrictions. Eligible nominees include but are not limited to: hotels, resorts, spas, airlines, travel agencies, tour operators, destination management companies, tourism boards, cruise lines, travel technology companies, hospitality groups, car rental companies, and individual hospitality entrepreneurs.

Nominees must be actively trading and operating at the time of nomination. Businesses that have ceased trading, are in administration, or are subject to insolvency proceedings are not eligible. We reserve the right to verify eligibility and to disqualify nominees who do not meet these requirements.

2.2 Nomination Submission

Nominations must be submitted through our official nomination portal at goldentreeawards.com/award-nomination. We do not accept nominations submitted by any other means. Each nomination must include a completed nomination form with all required fields, along with any supporting documentation specified for the relevant award category.

Nominations must be submitted by the published intake deadline for the relevant awards cycle. Late submissions may not be considered and nomination fees are non-refundable in cases of late submission that miss a published deadline.

2.3 Accuracy of Information

You are solely responsible for ensuring that all information provided in your nomination is true, accurate, complete, and not misleading. By submitting a nomination, you warrant that all supporting materials are genuine, that any third-party materials included are used with appropriate consent or licences, and that you are authorised to submit the information on behalf of the nominated organisation.

Any nomination found to contain materially false, misleading, or fraudulent information will be immediately disqualified. Any award previously granted on the basis of such information may be revoked. We reserve the right to pursue legal remedies for fraudulent submissions where appropriate.

2.4 Multiple Nominations

Organisations may submit multiple nominations across different eligible award categories. Each nomination is treated as a separate entry and requires its own form, supporting documentation, and applicable nomination processing fee. Winning one award does not automatically qualify or disqualify an organisation from other categories.

2.5 Nomination Modifications

Nominations may be updated during the open intake period. Once the formal evaluation process begins, modifications may not be accepted. Contact awards@goldentreeawards.com immediately if you need to amend your submission. We are not liable for any disadvantage resulting from a nomination's inability to be modified after the evaluation commences.

3. Judging Process

3.1 Independence of Judges

The International Travel Awards judging process is conducted by an independent panel of travel and hospitality experts. All judges operate free from commercial influence, political pressure, or bias. Judges are required to declare and recuse themselves from any nomination in which they have a conflict of interest, including direct or indirect commercial or personal relationships with any nominee.

3.2 Finality of Decisions

All judging decisions are final and binding. We do not discuss, comment on, or disclose individual scoring breakdowns. The judging panel's determination of category winners, runners-up, and shortlisted nominees represents the final, authoritative decision of the International Travel Awards in respect of that awards cycle.

The only basis on which a decision may be reviewed is a formal appeal on grounds of procedural error or factual inaccuracy in the evaluation, submitted in writing within 14 days of the relevant announcement. Disagreement with the substantive outcome of the judging process does not constitute grounds for appeal. The decision of our independent appeals committee is final.

3.3 Judging Criteria

The specific judging criteria applicable to each award category are published on our website. We reserve the right to update or modify criteria between awards cycles to reflect developments in the travel industry, provided such changes are announced in advance of the relevant intake period.

3.4 Disqualification

We reserve the right to disqualify any nominee at any stage of the judging process if we have reasonable grounds to believe that the nomination contains false information, that the nominee has engaged in misconduct, or that the nominee's inclusion would bring the International Travel Awards into disrepute.

4. Intellectual Property

4.1 International Travel Awards IP

All intellectual property rights in the International Travel Awards brand, including but not limited to the name "International Travel Awards", all associated logos, winner seals, trophy designs, award certificates, website content, photography, and marketing materials, are owned by or exclusively licensed to Golden Tree Awards. Nothing in these Terms grants you any rights in our intellectual property except as expressly set out herein.

4.2 Winner's Seal Licence

Upon confirmation of a winning award, we grant the winner a non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to use the official International Travel Awards winner's seal ("Seal") for the relevant award year and category in accordance with our brand usage guidelines.

The Seal may be used on: the winner's website; print and digital marketing materials; the winner's physical premises; booking platform profiles; email signatures; and press materials — subject to use in accordance with our usage guidelines, which are provided to winners upon award confirmation.

The Seal must not be modified, distorted, combined with other marks, or used in any manner that could mislead consumers about the nature or scope of the award. The Seal must not be used in connection with any product, service, or claim that is misleading, harmful, or contrary to applicable law. The licence is valid for the current awards year unless the winner retains recognition through a multi-year programme as specifically communicated.

4.3 Nominee Materials

By submitting a nomination, you grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to use the materials included in your nomination — including text, photographs, videos, and company descriptions — for the purposes of administering the awards programme, promoting the International Travel Awards, and (if successful) announcing and publicising your award win.

5. Winner Obligations

By accepting an International Travel Award, the winning organisation agrees to:

• Use the winner's Seal only in accordance with our brand usage guidelines;
• Include proper attribution ("International Travel Awards [Year] Winner") whenever referencing the award in marketing materials;
• Not make any claims beyond the specific award category and year won;
• Not use the award in a manner that is false, misleading, or contrary to applicable consumer protection laws;
• Promptly cease use of the Seal upon request from us if the licence is revoked;
• Cooperate with reasonable requests from us for winner testimonials, case studies, or participation in promotional activities.

We reserve the right to revoke an award and withdraw the licence to use the Seal if a winner materially breaches these obligations, is found to have provided false information in their nomination, or engages in conduct that is seriously detrimental to the reputation of the International Travel Awards.

6. Payment Terms

Nomination processing fees, where applicable, must be paid in full at the time of nomination submission unless otherwise agreed in writing. Payment may be made by the methods specified on our nomination portal. All fees are stated exclusive of applicable taxes, which are the nominee's responsibility.

Gala ceremony tickets and sponsorship packages are subject to separate payment terms communicated at the time of purchase or agreement. All payments are non-refundable except as specifically provided in our Refund Policy. In the event of a dispute regarding payment, please contact awards@goldentreeawards.com promptly.

7. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, we exclude all warranties, representations, and conditions, whether express or implied, in relation to the International Travel Awards, our website, and our services. We do not warrant that our website will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free from viruses or other harmful components.

In no event shall Golden Tree Awards, its directors, officers, employees, or agents be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising out of or in connection with your participation in the International Travel Awards or use of our website, regardless of the cause of action or the theory of liability, and whether or not we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

Our total aggregate liability to you for any and all claims arising out of or in connection with these Terms shall not exceed the total amount of nomination fees paid by you to us in the twelve months preceding the relevant claim. Nothing in these Terms limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, fraud, or any other liability that cannot be excluded by law.

8. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Golden Tree Awards and its affiliates, directors, officers, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or in connection with: your breach of these Terms; your use of the winner's Seal in violation of our guidelines; any claim that materials you submitted in your nomination infringe a third party's intellectual property or other rights; or any misrepresentation you make in connection with the awards programme.

9. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms and Conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Dubai, UAE, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any dispute, controversy, or claim arising out of or relating to these Terms, or the breach, termination, or invalidity thereof, shall first be attempted to be resolved through good-faith negotiation between the parties.

If the parties are unable to resolve a dispute through negotiation within 30 days, the dispute shall be submitted to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Dubai, UAE. You waive any objection to the laying of venue of any such proceedings in Dubai and waive any objection that such courts are an inconvenient forum.

10. General Provisions

10.1 Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and Refund Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and us regarding your participation in the International Travel Awards, and supersede all prior negotiations, representations, or agreements.

10.2 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

10.3 Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms does not constitute a waiver of that right or provision. Any waiver must be in writing and signed by an authorised representative of Golden Tree Awards to be effective.

10.4 Force Majeure

We shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performance resulting from circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to natural disasters, pandemics, acts of government, war, civil unrest, or infrastructure failures. In such circumstances, we will use reasonable endeavours to resume normal service as soon as practicable.

11. Contact for Legal Enquiries

For any legal enquiries, disputes, or questions about these Terms, please contact:

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