The second Tourise Awards are open for nominations from 1 Sept to 19 Nov 2026, with six judged categories plus a new wellness prize and a Riyadh finale in March 2027.
Cover image: Riyadh skyline, host city for Tourise Awards ceremony — photo by B.alotaby, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Nominations are open for the second Tourise Awards, the Saudi-backed global benchmark for tourism destinations. Public nominations run from 1 September to 19 November 2026 via awards.tourise.com, with winners and finalists to be honoured alongside the Tourise Summit in Riyadh from 23 to 25 March 2027. The prize, powered by the Saudi Ministry of Tourism, adds a new wellness prize for this cycle alongside six judged categories and a flagship overall award.
The launch was announced on 4 September 2026 and carried by ANTARA/Business Wire. His Excellency Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Minister of Tourism for Saudi Arabia and Chairman of Tourise, said recognising excellence "is more than a celebration." Jury Panel Chair Albert Read said it is an honour to be part of the awards, with the panel drawn from travel, hospitality, fashion, culinary and culture sectors.
How do Tourise Awards nominations work?
Nominations are public. Anyone can propose a destination at awards.tourise.com during the 1 September to 19 November window. To be eligible, a place must be a defined city, region or site, have a distinct cultural or landscape identity, and have a tourism governing body. That definition keeps the focus on managed destinations rather than single attractions.
Judging uses 14 criteria including authenticity, accessibility, safety, sustainability and visitor experience. Each category will produce a shortlist, then one winner and two finalists chosen by jury. The awards ceremony sits alongside the Tourise Summit in Riyadh, positioning nominees in front of investors, airlines and hospitality groups that attend the March gathering.
The timeline is deliberately long. A September-to-November nomination window allows destinations to assemble evidence for 2026 performance, including summer season data and event impacts such as Bangkok's Eurovision Asia finale on 14 November 2026, which nominating cities could cite under entertainment or visitor experience.
What are the categories and the new wellness prize?
The second cycle lists:
- Arts and culture
- Adventure
- Food and culinary
- Shopping
- Entertainment
- New: Wellness
Plus a flagship overall prize for the top destination across all areas. The addition of wellness reflects the post-2023 spike in longevity, spa and nature-immersion travel, where Southeast Asian destinations from Bali to Chiang Mai and the Malaysian highlands compete directly with Gulf resorts.
For nominees, category choice matters. A destination with a strong food scene and wellness retreats could enter both, but the jury will assess 14 criteria holistically. Safety and sustainability carry weight alongside visitor experience, so recent governance wins help. Examples from our coverage include Bali's 117 disaster-certified hotels on safety preparedness and Klook-Mastercard Asia Pacific partnership on experience distribution, both relevant to the judging lens.
Why should Southeast Asian destinations consider entering?
The Awards are global, but the structure suits SEA. The requirement for a distinct identity and governing body fits entities like Bali, Lombok, Palawan, Phuket, Da Nang or Luang Prabang. The 14 criteria mirror the priorities ASEAN tourism ministries already report on: authenticity without over-commercialisation, accessibility via air links, safety for visitors, and sustainable handling of growth.
Shortlisting alone brings value. Nominees get editorial exposure in the Business Wire and ANTARA syndication loop, and the Riyadh summit in March is timed for contracting 2027-2028 programmes. For Indonesia, which is actively courting Indian travellers via ITB India targeting 6,600 potential tourists and new packages for Mandalika MotoGP 2026, a Tourise nod would amplify those pitches in the Gulf source market.
What happens after nominations close?
After 19 November, the jury chaired by Albert Read will assess submissions against the 14 criteria and set shortlists per category. Winners and the two finalists per category will be announced at the awards ceremony alongside the summit on 23-25 March 2027 in Riyadh. Destinations should plan to update visitation, sustainability and safety data through Q4 2026, as recency helps under visitor experience and sustainability scoring.
For travellers, the Awards shortlist will become a useful watchlist. Past destination awards have lifted search demand for winners by 15-30 percent in the following quarter, as guidebooks and AI travel planners ingest the results. Expect the 2027 shortlist to feature prominently in "where to go" coverage next spring.
Frequently asked questions
How do you nominate a destination for the Tourise Awards?
Public nominations run from 1 September to 19 November 2026 via awards.tourise.com. Eligible nominees must be a defined city, region or site with a distinct cultural or landscape identity and a tourism governing body. Judging uses 14 criteria covering authenticity, accessibility, safety, sustainability and visitor experience. Each category will shortlist entries, then one winner and two finalists are chosen by jury.
What are the Tourise Awards categories?
There are six judged categories covering arts and culture, adventure, food and culinary, shopping and entertainment, plus a new wellness prize introduced for the second edition. A flagship overall prize recognises the top destination across all areas. The awards are powered by the Saudi Ministry of Tourism and were announced by Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb. Jury chair is Albert Read.
Why should Southeast Asian destinations enter?
SEA cities and regions fit the Awards' definition of a distinct identity plus governing body, from Bali and Borneo to Bangkok, Singapore and heritage sites. The 14 criteria reward sustainability and visitor experience, areas where recent Indonesia initiatives such as disaster-certified hotels and integrated travel packages show progress. Shortlisting brings global editorial exposure ahead of the March 2027 Riyadh summit.
