The iGap Travel Awards acknowledges those businesses who are helping shape the traditional gap year travel experience. This all-encompassing awards programme scours the globe for hospitality, tour, and travel companies that are adding real value to their customer’s travel plans – making bucket-list adventures a reality.
Taking place annually, the iGap Travel Awards features nominated businesses across a broad range of relevant categories, with each one able to strengthen their nominations through their own submitted evidence. With a variety of travel and tourism categories forming the programme, the iGap Travel Awards’ panel of judges will scrutinise submissions based on each one’s individual merits. Nominations from colleagues, customers, or self-nominations can be submitted via the nominations form below.
AWARDS PROCESS
We love to highlight the smaller, independent businesses that are extremely successful and hard working on a local level, and those that we believe students will be most attracted to.
Publicly sourced information is also used such as reviews, testimonials, core values & services, branding of your business, and information provided on the company’s website and their social media platforms.
All nominees are formally requested to accept their nomination in order to be considered. Those who accept are given the opportunity to submit additional materials in support of their nomination. There is no obligation to complete and supply additional materials; however, it provides a useful opportunity to showcase your achievements and help our judges to better understand your business.
Our dedicated judging team will look at each case individually, and assess how your business has harnessed more effective processes, products or ideas in order to provide an exceptional product or service. The team gathers information independently from a variety of publicly accessible sources, which are assessed alongside supporting material provided by a nominating party or the nominee themselves.
Once winners are chosen, they are personally notified before any public announcement is made. This allows time for communication regarding the coordination of marketing strategies. Unfortunately, not everyone can be a winner but all who take part are encouraged to resubmit nominations the following year with a number of previous winners having gone through the same process. When the embargo is lifted, details of successful clients will be made public via the website, award winners’ magazine and subscriber newsletter.
We offer a range of promotional packages and items to the winners, from a listing in the digital publication and content in our magazine to trophies and certificates.
We also encourage all winners to publicly announce their win independently. Announcements via company websites, social media, publicly released press releases, and through local and national press are proven methods to maximise exposure following such an achievement. This award is a recognised endorsement of your company’s expertise and professionalism, providing a leading edge over competitors.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The iGap Travel Guide awards have been in circulation for 10+ years. We partner with leading experts in producing content which keeps our readers up to date with the latest developments in their local communities.
Nominations for winners often come from self-submissions. Other avenues for nominees include colleagues, clients and customers. Meanwhile, our research team also nominate candidates who they believe have exceeded industry expectations.
Awards are presented purely on merit, based on the company’s general excellence. With regards to security and fairness, we track unusual behaviour on our website to identify repeat votes and cyber-threats.
Accepted nominees are subject to scrutiny during the internal vetting procedure. They are then given the opportunity to present their own data to be considered alongside information collated by our research team. It can take up to eight weeks for final assessments to be rendered.
Upon being notified, we enforce a short press embargo while the programme manager liaises with winning candidates to establish preferred methods of coverage. Generally, our coverage takes the form of a digital celebratory magazine but we also offer physical trophies, wall mounted and digital certificates, plaques, web-based advertisements and press releases which can be tailored to successful award winners.
To demonstrate our commitment to no mandatory fees, all winners are offered a free of charge promotional package including a listing in the digital publication as well as an official press release. We feel our winners should always be able to enjoy the full value of the award, regardless of budget.
Nevertheless, we do offer a variety of promotional packages that come with a range of benefits. Promoting industry awards can have massive business benefits and we are sure to have the right package for you.
There are Presentation Day ceremonies, providing successful winners the opportunity to celebrate their achievements, meet the awards team, take part in our photoshoot and be presented with any physical awards they have ordered.
All imagery taken on the day will be available on the website.