Italy, Hospitality and WMF launch the Hospitality Award: a recognition of barrier-free hospitality

A new award celebrates tourism facilities that champion truly inclusive hospitality: the “Hospitality Award – Inclusivity and Hospitality” is a joint initiative by Hospitality – Il Salone dell’Accoglienza and WMF – We Make Future. The award seeks to recognize projects that remove physical, sensory, cognitive, cultural, and dietary barriers, fostering a travel experience that is genuinely open and welcoming to everyone. The initiative targets the entire HoReCa sector – from hotels to campsites, restaurants to thermal centers – and seeks to reward innovative, sustainable, and replicable solutions, supported by compelling storytelling.

Applications are open until May 20, 2025, via the official website of the trade show. The winning organization will have the opportunity to share its story on the stage of the WMF Festival 2025, to be held in Bologna from June 4 to 6, and will also be featured at the 50th edition of Hospitality, taking place in Riva del Garda from February 2 to 5, 2026.

“We enthusiastically embraced the opportunity offered by WMF – We Make Future to create the Hospitality Award – Inclusivity and Hospitality, an award designed to highlight projects – either already implemented or in advanced stages of development – that promote truly accessible hospitality,” says Giovanna Voltolini, Exhibition Manager of Hospitality. “Our goal is to reward innovative ideas with strong sector impact that are both sustainable and replicable, and accompanied by effective storytelling. All tourism structures – from hotels and non-hotel accommodations to restaurants, catering services, campsites, and thermal centers – are invited to submit solutions, services, and initiatives that enhance the guest experience through the language of inclusion”.

Submissions will be evaluated by a panel of experts in accessibility, inclusive design, and communication, includingRoberto Vitali, CEO and co-founder of Village for all – V4A. Projects will be judged on four criteria: impact on accessibility, degree of innovation, sustainability and replicability, and quality of communication.

The award is part of the broader commitment of Hospitality – Il Salone dell’Accoglienza to fostering an inclusive approach in the tourism industry. Among the related initiatives are the “Startup for Hospitality” contest and “Di Ognuno”, a project dedicated to accessibility developed in partnership with Lombardini22 and V4A. “Di Ognuno” will also be featured at WMF, offering an experiential focus on the Breakfast Room, addressing diverse dietary and cognitive needs through immersive design.

Camping Business, official media partner of Hospitality, will closely follow the development of the Award and its related initiatives, continuing its commitment to covering a sector increasingly attentive to the value of inclusion.