World Travel Awards unveil Europe 2025 winners during ceremony in Sardinia

The elite of Europe’s travel industry was celebrated during the World Travel Awards Europe Gala Ceremony 2025 on 23 October 2025 in Sardinia. From the leading airline to the best festival destination: the winners were unveiled at the red carpet event at Forte Village.

Since its start in 1993, the World Travel Awards have been acknowledging, rewarding, and celebrating the elite of the tourism industry. Every year, the WTA sets out on a global Grand Tour, organising a series of regional gala ceremonies to recognise and celebrate individual and collective success within each key geographical region.

The World Travel Awards Europe Gala Ceremony 2025 marked the fifth leg of the 2025 Grand Tour and took place at Forte Village in Sardinia, Italy. Nestled on the beachfront of Sardinia’s southern coastline, the luxurious resort boasts a Michelin-starred dining experience amongst many other facilities.

“We are proud to have hosted the World Travel Awards Europe Gala Ceremony 2025, a world renowned and well-established celebration of excellence hospitality and travel. Partnering with such a prestigious organization has been an honour, allowing us the opportunity to share our philosophy of authentic Italian hospitality and constant innovation. We were delighted to welcome so many professionals from across the hospitality world, whose presence made this occasion even more meaningful for all of us at Forte Village Resort”, stated Lorenzo Giannuzzi, CEO & General Manager at Forte Village.

Winners of the evening

Throughout the evening, stakeholders from all possible travel-related industries were celebrated with a multitude of awards. The full list of winners can be consulted through the World Travel Awards website, but we have made a selection of some of the most noteworthy winners.

• Europe’s Leading Airline: Lufthansa
• Europe’s Leading All-Inclusive Resort: Ikos Odisia, Greece
• Europe’s Leading Boutique Hotel: VISTA Lago di Como, Italy
• Europe’s Leading City Destination: Porto, Portugal
• Europe’s Leading Cruise Line: Norwegian Cruise Line
• Europe’s Leading Cultural Destination: France
• Europe’s Leading Emerging Tourism Destination: Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Greece
• Europe’s Leading Festival & Event Destination: Cannes, France
• Europe’s Leading Hotel: Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul, Türkiye
• Europe’s Leading Island Destination: Madeira Islands
• Europe’s Leading Tour Operator: TUI
• Europe’s Leading Responsible Tourism Award: Dark Sky Alqueva, Portugal

“It has been a privilege to host our Europe Gala Ceremony 2025 on the beautiful island of Sardinia, which has hosted an incredible ceremony featuring the leading lights of travel from across the continent. Our winners are stellar examples of tourism excellence, and I congratulate each and every one for helping to raise the collective benchmark across our industry”, said Graham Cooke, Founder of the World Travel Awards.

WTA’s Grand Final Gala Ceremony 2025 is set to take place on 6 December 2025 in Bahrain and will put forward the world’s best tourism industry players.