Source: Skift
Skift IDEA Awards is travel’s annual recognition of excellence in design, creativity, and innovation – honoring the brands and businesses pioneering the industry’s future. Hundreds of entries were submitted from around the globe this year, to be reviewed and scored by Skift’s editors, analysts and travel experts. Today, we are excited to announce the shortlisted entries.
The projects entered this year not only advanced the frontiers in design, creativity, and innovation but re-emphasized the fact that travel’s future is competitive, intelligent, imaginative, cutting-edge and more purpose-driven than ever before.
This year’s categories were split across five criteria groups:
- Industry Innovators: For forward-thinking projects driving sector innovation.
- Change Makers: For projects creating a positive impact on people and planet.
- Creative: For awe-inspiring campaigns, content, and creative work.
- Solutions: For products and projects solving business and traveler challenges.
- Teams: For the departments, agencies, and companies driving innovation.
Plus a special Visionary 2030 award, presented by JetBlue Technology Ventures, which recognizes long-term visionary efforts to improve the overall travel experience.
Take a look at the shortlisted 2022 IDEA Awards applicants below and stay tuned for final results in September.
Industry Innovators
Aviation:
- Datalex Pricing AI – The next generation of AI-powered airline pricing
- Kiwi.com – Bergamo Lynk: Kiwi.com and Milan Bergamo Airport initiate self-connecting passengers
- SkyBuys – The future of travel retail
Hospitality:
- HiJiffy – Virtual Concierge
- IHG – Seamless Omni-channel Experience
- Wyndham Hotels & Resorts – Women Own the Room
- Walt Disney Company – Star Wars: Galactic Star cruiser
- Zoku – Hybrid Work Solutions
Meetings & Events:
- Groupize – GIA, the Groupize Interactie Advisor
- Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) and Clear Channel Airports- San Jose: First All Digital Advertising Airport
- TROOP – Plan your next meeting in minutes
Tourism:
- Business Iceland – Welcome to the Icelandverse
- Hong Kong Tourism Board – Hong Kong Neighbourhood: West Kowloon
- Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada – Original Original Campaign
- Kensington Tours – Personal Heritage Journeys
- Visit SLO CAL – Xplorit
- Visit Sun Valley – Stay Sunny
Change Makers
People & Community
- Carefree – Unpaid Carers Deserve a Break
- Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada – Lifting Indigenous Tourism
- Selina – Hyper-focused Impact, Local Community, and Connection
- The Travel Corporation – Make Travel Matter Experiences
- Wheel the World – Accessibility Mapping System
Sustainability:
- Amex Global Business Travel – Green Compass
- DEEM – EcoCheck in Etta Mobile
- Edelman – Booking.com – Travel Sustainable Program
- Neste – Delivering Sustainable Aviation Fuel Through Existing Oil Pipelines
- Radisson Hotel Group – Radisson Meetings: Carbon Negative. Planet Positive
Solutions
Business Outcomes:
- Hopper – Hopper Cloud: Supercharge margins with travel fintech
- Onriva – Business Travel Marketplace Platform
- Robosize ME – process automation for hospitality
- sherpa° – Global Travel Reopening Map Tool
- Teleperformance – TP Travel: Improving Agent Experience for Better Customer Satisfaction
Pandemic Response:
- Amadeus – Traveler ID for Safe Travel
- Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority – Pandemic Recovery Strategy for Hotels and Travelers
- Tourism Industry Association of Prince Edward Island & Tourism Prince Edward Island – Safe Haven Health & Safety Certification Program
Traveler Experience:
- Discover Puerto Rico – LA IDEA: Island Digital Education Academy
- point.me – Travel Better
- Hotelverse- A tool by hoteliers for hoteliers
- HRS Group – HRS Crew & Passenger Solutions
- Sensible Weather – Weather Guarantee for Travelers
- Virdee Virtual Reception
Creative
Content:
- Discover Puerto Rico – Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve 2022
- G Adventures – The Last Tourist
- Kampgrounds of America – Monthly Report for Travel Industry’s COVID Recovery Period
- Ontario’s Highlands Tourism Organization – Our Connections Campaign
- OYO – Come To OYO
Experimental:
- The Luminaire – Experience as a Service
- Balloon – Tiktok Meets Booking.com
- Lorem Ipsum – Doorways Into Open Access
Marketing:
- BRC Imagination Arts – Johnnie Walker Princes Street
- Business Iceland – Welcome to the Icelandverse
- Business Iceland – Sweatpant Boots
- Cossette Communications – Travel Yukon’s Different World in Canada
- Praytell Agency – Into The Lights: NYC Experiences Canada’s Northern Lights
- The Arcade Hotel – World’s first geek & gaming hotel
- Quantum Metric – Continuous Product Design Certification
Physical Experience:
- BRC Imagination Arts — Ravinia Music Box Experience Center
- Narratologies – AR Treasure Hunts & Shopping Rewards
- Praytell Agency – “Into The Lights”: NYC Experiences Canada’s Northern Lights
- PRISA Group – DISTRITO T-Mobile
Product Design:
- Appnovation – Visit California: Dream Theater
- Jumeirah Group – Check-In at any Jumeirah Hotel with a Selfie
- Travelin.Ai – Business Travel Platform – All-in-one-step booking
- Wyndham Hotels & Resorts – Road Trip Planner
- Microsoft Corporation – Microsoft Bing Travel
Teams
Companies on the Rise (Startups/Small Biz)
- BTP Automation – Let’s Change the Way We Work
- Dtravel
- HipMaps – Custom Maps With An Innovative Modern Twist
- Laya Technologies GmbH – Enabling hotel brands to sell vacation packages (flight + hotel + extras) with zero effort
- The Luminaire
- TrovaTrip – Group Trips Designed & Hosted by Topic Experts
Communications Team
- Guesty – Communications Team at Guesty
- Ketchum Travel, Hospitality & Leisure
- Knowland – Industry Recovery Forecast Communications
- TripActions – The State of Business Travel and Expense
Teams: Creative & Innovation
Visionary 2030
Presented by JetBlue Technology Ventures
- point.me – Travel Better
- Sensible Weather – Weather Guarantee for Travelers
- UrVenue – Next Generation All-Inclusive Experience Technology (Club Med partnership)
- Virdee Virtual Reception
Congratulations to all of the shortlisted finalists! Keep an eye out for final results in the upcoming weeks.