In the hospitality landscape, a new initiative has been launched to reward tourism and HoReCa businesses that use music and sound as tools to enhance the guest experience: the “Hospitality Award – Note of Inclusivity and Welcome” has been created, a new project promoted by Hospitality – Il Salone dell’Accoglienza and WMF – We Make Future.
The underlying idea is that music should not be considered merely a background element, but a true component of hospitality, capable of creating atmosphere, conveying wellbeing, strengthening the identity of a place and fostering inclusion and a sense of belonging.
The project originates from a reflection developed at Casa Sanremo within “Casa Futuro”, where Hospitality and WMF discussed how sound can become an integral part of contemporary hospitality. The modern traveller is no longer satisfied with simply offering services and facilities: today the travel experience also passes through sensory and emotional elements, such as music, which make hospitality more human, engaging and inclusive.
“Hospitality today is increasingly measured by the ability to create lasting experiences and to make every person truly feel welcomed. Music and sound, when designed with awareness, can become extraordinary tools to generate wellbeing, inclusion and a sense of belonging. With this award we want to give space to all those realities that have understood the power of these elements and that are already experimenting with this vision, transforming hospitality into an emotional and sensory journey that speaks to everyone,” commented Giovanna Voltolini, Exhibition Manager of Hospitality.
The initiative is also connected to the long-term project Di Ognuno, dedicated to accessible hospitality, promoted by Riva del Garda Fierecongressi in collaboration with partners specialised in accessibility and design.
Who can participate
The call promoted by Hospitality – Il Salone dell’Accoglienza is open until 10 June 2026 and is addressed to hotels, campsites, holiday villages, restaurants, bars, wellness centres, mountain huts, event venues and more generally all tourism-related businesses that have developed experiences linked to music, sound or sound architecture.
The jury will evaluate projects capable of concretely improving the guest experience, with particular attention to inclusivity, innovation and the conscious use of sound as a design element. Sustainable and easily replicable solutions across other tourism and hospitality contexts will also be awarded.
Winners will have the opportunity to present their project at WMF – We Make Future, scheduled from 24 to 26 June 2026 at BolognaFiere, in front of an international audience, and will gain further visibility during the following edition of Hospitality – Il Salone dell’Accoglienza, taking place from 1 to 4 February 2027 in Riva del Garda. Application link: https://hospitalityriva.it/it/hospitality-award
Photo: Marco Parisi
Ana Beriain – Federación Española de Campings