The World Travel Awards were established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate the enormous achievements to be found in all sectors of the global travel industry. In the years since, new technology has ensured that travel has maintained its position as one of the fastest-growing industries on Earth. Also during that time, dedicated travel professionals and their clients have come to regard the World Travel Awards as the best endorsement that any travel product could receive.

Candidates for nomination are based upon the previous year's voting. This is the world's most comprehensive travel awards ceremony, with trophies awarded in all areas of the industry. Voting is cast by travel agents in over 200 countries around the world. Regional geographical categories are broken down from the Whole World category into eight smaller areas - Africa, Asia/Pacific, Caribbean, Central & Latin America, Europe, Middle East, North America and South America. These are then further divided into all areas of the travel industry. Additional worldwide awards covering specific markets, such as World's Leading Sports Resort, World's Leading Private Island, to name but two, broaden the scope of the voting.

Hundreds and thousands of votes each year are registered online at the official World Travel Awards website, with most of the leading travel internet sites offering additional online voting facilities.