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Call for Nominations

Share the places you believe deserve recognition.

Submit recent, first-hand hotel, restaurant and bar nominations. Every response is reviewed; eligible independent contributors may be invited to join The World’s Best Academy.

How nominations work

An initiative of The Worlds Best Media · theworlds.best

Editions by region

One nomination process. Distinct regional editions.

Each geography, category and year has its own nomination call and result. Asia is now open; further editions will be announced here.

Awaiting opening

World

Global editions

Now open

Asia

Hotels · Restaurants · Bars

Awaiting opening

Middle East

Regional editions

Awaiting opening

Europe

Regional editions

Awaiting opening

Americas

Regional editions

Awaiting opening

Oceania

Regional editions

Nominations now open

Asia · 2026

Choose the category you know. Nominate between one and ten places, in order of preference.

From nomination to ranking

One list. One call. One clear result.

World, Asia, Middle East, Europe and future regional lists follow the same method, but each remains entirely separate by geography, category and year.

WorldAsiaMiddle EastEuropeFuture regions
  1. 01

    Define the list

    One geography, one category and one year create one distinct list—for example, Asia × Hotels × 2026.

  2. 02

    Accept public leads

    Readers with relevant first-hand experience may place locations on the research record. These leads have no ranking weight.

  3. 03

    Apply separately

    A person seeking Academy appointment uses a different application, reviewed for experience and independence.

  4. 04

    Appoint annual members

    Approved candidates receive a confidential, category-specific appointment for the annual cycle.

  5. 05

    Receive official ballots

    Only appointed members may submit an official ballot, with per-place experience dates, funding and conflict records.

  6. 06

    Run the shadow edition

    The 2026 Asia Academy result remains confidential and separate from the published editorial record.

  7. 07

    Audit before publication

    No Academy-backed edition will publish before a 120–180 member cohort, regional minimums and an independent procedure review.

Separate by design

Every geography, category and year has its own form, dataset and ranking.

First-hand only

Recommendations must come from eligible experiences within the stated voting window.

Eligible nominations only

A submission is counted only after experience, independence and conflicts have been reviewed.

Commercially independent

Venues, sponsors and destination partners cannot buy or direct a position.

Who may submit nominations

Knowledge matters. Independence is essential.

Experience we consider

  • Established travel and hospitality journalists, editors, broadcasters and independent critics.
  • Travel advisors, curators and concierges with substantial recent, first-hand experience.
  • Relevant academics, designers, cultural specialists and former hospitality professionals.
  • Highly experienced independent travellers able to show breadth, judgement and freedom from commercial pressure.

Who cannot nominate in their own field

  • Hotels, restaurants, bars, hospitality groups, agencies and destination bodies cannot put themselves forward.
  • Owners, employees, sales, marketing and public-relations representatives cannot vote in the category in which they work.
  • No one may recommend an employer, owner, client, close relation or venue in which they hold a financial interest.

How to take part

Choose the route that matches your role.

  1. 01

    Choose one category

    Use the hotel, restaurant or bar nomination form that matches your recent experience.

  2. 02

    Submit public leads

    Share only places you have personally experienced. Public submissions never count as votes.

  3. 03

    Apply separately

    Use the Academy application if you want your experience and independence reviewed.

  4. 04

    Await an invitation

    Only an approved annual appointment unlocks a confidential official ballot.

Independence and privacy

Individual contributors and nominations remain confidential.

Academy appointments apply to one year and one category. They do not renew automatically. The panel changes each year, and no member may serve more than two consecutive cycles in the same category.

Sponsors, venues, tourism bodies and commercial partners do not receive individual nominations or direct the process. Public nominations and applications never enter ballot calculation.

We use a one-way network identifier and limited technical details to detect duplicate or coordinated responses. Raw IP addresses are not stored in the Academy record. Read our Privacy Policy.

Questions about nominations or the Academy

Speak with our team.

academy@theworlds.best