2026 TravelTech Breakthrough Awards

Recognizing the world’s best companies, products and services in the travel & hospitality technology industry.

Award Categories

Featured 2025 Winners

Hotel PMS of the Year

RMS Platform of the Year

RMS Innovation of the Year

Airline Operations Management Solution of the Year

B2B Travel Platform of the Year

B2B Travel Innvovation of the Year

Expense Management Platform of the Year

Guest Experience Solution of the Year

Guest Engagment Solution of the Year

Guest Engagment Innovation of the Year

AI-Based TravelTech Solution of the Year

Overall TravelTech Innovation of the Year

All Winners

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A dizzying pace of technological innovation has produced a wealth of new business opportunities in the global travel ecosystem, both enriching and expanding the world of travel and hospitality.

Travel and hospitality providers have to find a way to be efficient and adaptable in the face of volatility across every aspect of their business in order to meet guest expectations, attract and retain employees, and ultimately drive revenue.

Travel & hospitality technology has accelerated rapidly in the past two years, leading to increased interest in and usage of contactless features, self-service options, personalization, automated messaging, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality. Guests now expect hotels and travel providers to match conveniences they’ve started to enjoy while interacting with other restaurant, retail and e-commerce companies.

With the growing number of innovative travel technology solutions and services in the marketplace, how can you stand out in a crowded market?

As advances in travel technology applications transform our economy, we aim to highlight the BREAKTHROUGH TravelTech solutions, services and companies around the world each year.

The new TravelTech Breakthrough Awards program aims to perform the most comprehensive evaluation of travel and hospitality technology tools, services and companies today, with nominations coming in from the best and brightest innovators around the world.

We are passionate about what technology can do for the world and we are committed to providing a platform for recognition dedicated to standout TravelTech companies, services and products throughout the world.

Travel companies will have plenty of opportunity in the next few years to apply new technologies to improve the operational performance in core areas of their business, extend existing services to new customers and markets, or even launch new business models to tap new revenue streams.

Travel companies are surveying the technology landscape, identifying the new tools and applications that have the potential to change their business, and experimenting with proofs of concepts to further develop their understanding of the technology’s future value and limitations.

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For example, advances in AI and big data management and analytics—along with the emergence of 5G cellular mobile communications, which promise to reduce latency, boost system capacity and enable data transfers from a massive number of connected devices—are poised to help travel companies gain an upper hand. Forward thinking travel companies are already unlocking the power of historical data, applying AI and machine learning to predict future events or behaviors, and building the ecosystems and architectures to respond to those signals and insights in real-time and faster than the competition.

With the growth in the volume and quality of TravelTech companies in the industry, how can you stand out in a crowded market? How do you break out from the industry noise?

Nominate for a TravelTech Breakthrough Award today and BREAK THROUGH!

Nominate today for a TravelTech Breakthrough Award

Nominate today

Impact of Technology on the Travel Industry

Impact on Customer Travel Experience

(ex: Tourist, Business Travel, Family)

Increased efficiency and cost savings

Streamline processes and improve efficiency

Design a seamless and enjoyable experience

Security by tracking luggage and passengers and using security features

Easier to compare and explore suitable travel arrangements

Introduces many possible sustainable practices such as reducing energy consumption

The estimated global market of travel technology companies by 2026

Travel and tourism accounts for ~10.3% of global gross domestic product

The estimated size of the global market for business travel in 2027

Our Mission

The mission of the annual TravelTech Breakthrough Awards program is to honor excellence and recognize the creativity, hard work and success of companies, technologies and products within the travel and hospitality technology sectors.

TravelTech Breakthrough is part of the Tech Breakthrough organization, a leading global market intelligence and recognition platform for today’s most competitive categories of technology. Founded in 2014, Tech Breakthrough creates market intelligence and industry recognition programs for companies ranging from Fortune 500 to early-stage startups in today’s most competitive technology sectors.

The company’s expertise includes Internet-of-Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), CyberSecurity, Mobile & Wireless, Educational Technology (EdTech), Financial Services and Technologies (FinTech), Digital Health & Medical Technology, and Data Technologies.

Tech Breakthrough has worked with companies, including Intel, Cisco, Sprint, American Express, HP, Meta, Comcast, Spotify, Bayer, Philips, PayPal, Samsung, General Electric, Dell and other leading technology industry titans, as well as many of the leading startup companies in the world. Tech Breakthrough Award winners receive well-deserved recognition and third-party validation from an independent organization to help rise above the most crowded technology markets.

Why Enter the TravelTech Breakthrough Awards?

In today’s dynamic travel technology landscape, standing out from the competition is more critical than ever. The TravelTech Breakthrough Awards offer an unparalleled opportunity to showcase your innovation, gain global recognition and solidify your position as a trailblazer in the travel and tourism industry.

Here’s why participating in the TravelTech Breakthrough Awards should be a top priority for your organization:

Establish Your Leadership Position

Winning a TravelTech Breakthrough Award highlights your company as a leader in travel technology innovation. This prestigious recognition demonstrates your commitment to enhancing the travel experience and positions your brand as a pioneer among industry peers and competitors.

Gain Industry Recognition

Being selected as a winner validates the quality and uniqueness of your technology, providing third-party endorsement that resonates with travelers, business partners and stakeholders.

Distinguish Yourself in a Crowded Market

With thousands of nominations submitted each year across diverse categories, winning a TravelTech Breakthrough Award places your organization among the top innovators in the global travel technology space. Join an elite group of companies shaping the future of travel.

Boost Brand Visibility

Winners benefit from extensive publicity and recognition through TravelTech Breakthrough’s marketing channels, press releases, and industry exposure. This increased visibility can help your organization attract new business opportunities, partners, investors and customers while amplifying your brand’s reach.

Attract Top Talent

Winning a TravelTech Breakthrough Award positions your organization as a forward-thinking leader, making it more attractive to top-tier professionals in the travel technology industry. Showcase your success in recruiting efforts to inspire confidence in prospective team members.

Enhance Your Marketing Arsenal

As a winner, you have the option to leverage the official TravelTech Breakthrough Award winner badges, which can be featured in your marketing materials, website, sales collateral, social media, investor communications and other campaigns. Past winners report significant boosts in customer engagement and brand credibility after leveraging their award status.

Build Credibility with Investors and Clients

A TravelTech Breakthrough Award enhances your credibility, helping you gain investor confidence and customer trust. This recognition serves as proof of your dedication to innovation and quality, making it easier to secure funding, win contracts, and close deals.

Celebrate Your Team’s Hard Work

Your team’s dedication to developing groundbreaking solutions deserves recognition. Winning a TravelTech Breakthrough Award is a powerful way to celebrate their contributions, boost morale, and inspire ongoing innovation.

Benchmark Against the Best

The competition attracts travel technology companies of all sizes, from startups to leading multinational corporations around the world. Winning demonstrates that your innovation competes on a global scale with some of the most prominent names in the industry.

Join a Community of Innovators

As a TravelTech Breakthrough winner, you become part of a global community of travel technology innovators. This network of forward-thinking companies and individuals offers opportunities for collaboration, learning, and growth.

Ready to Showcase Your Innovation?

Don’t miss your chance to gain the recognition your technology deserves! Submit your entry today and take the first step toward joining an elite group of travel tech pioneers.

TravelTech Breakthrough Awards are available in a comprehensive set of categories, including:

Hospitality Management

Reservation Platforms

Search

Central Reservations Systems

Global Distribution Systems

Business Travel

Loyalty and Rewards

Tours and Attractions

Airline and Hotel Operations

Submit Your Award Nomination

Submission Period: January 6, 2025 – March 7, 2025

Complete and submit for your entry online by March 7.

Emailed or hard copy submission forms will not be accepted.

You may submit the same product in multiple categories if applicable.

SUBMIT NOW

Impact on Travel Verticals

OTAs, TMCs &
Metasearch

Airports

Airlines

Accommodations

Meeting &
Events

Tours &
Activities

Impact on the Customer Journey

Inspiration

Booking &
Payment

Transport

Stay

Post-Trip

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Online travel agencies (OTAs) compare thousands of different accommodation and travel options and select products that suit their needs – while millions of businesses can gain access to a global customer market. Business travelers, using the services of Travel Management Companies, can get the most out of every euro they spend on corporate travel. Metasearch engines let consumers compare the offers not just of airlines or rail carriers or hotels, but also of hundreds of different OTAs. The growth of these online tools over the past 10 years is a testament to their popularity with consumers.

This ecosystem is made possible thanks to the innovative technology services delivered by Global Distribution Systems (GDSs), which allow thousands of service providers to connect and sell (airlines but also railways, hotels, cruises, car rental companies or tour operators) through travel agents. The technology infrastructure provided by GDSs ultimately facilitates transparency for consumers and enables competition for nearly all phases of travel.

Terms of Use

TravelTech Breakthrough Awards recognizes that many of the entries are internal or proprietary in nature, or are done for the government or another company, so unless you grant permission for your entries to be displayed in our winner’s gallery, only the judges will see your work.

Entries will not be returned unless special arrangements are made. No entrant information is sold, traded, made available to a third party or used for any other purpose.