Aitken Spence Institute of Hotel Management recognised at World Sustainable Travel Awards

• Wins World’s Leading Sustainable Female Empowerment Initiative

Aitken Spence Institute of Hotel Management has been awarded the title of World’s Leading Sustainable Female Empowerment Initiative at World Sustainable Travel and Hospitality Awards 2025. 

This remarkable recognition, presented at the Terra Pavilion in Expo City Dubai, marks a defining milestone in the institute’s mission to nurture and empower the next generation of young professionals, readying them with the skills and confidence necessary to shape the future of the hospitality industry.

A powerful testament to the institute’s unwavering commitment to inclusive education and gender empowerment, this award was earned through a highly competitive and rigorous selection process, involving over 745 entries, a comprehensive evaluation by students of Sustainable Business at Nova Business School and more than 20,000 professional votes. 

The World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards are held under the guidance of an advisory board of global leaders, comprised of government ministers, leading academics, the World Travel and Tourism Council, World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance and senior figures from the international tourism sector.

Established in 2007, as part of Aitken Spence’s Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative, the Institute of Hotel Management operates in collaboration with the TUI Care Foundation and World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, providing world-class vocational education and hands-on experience. With Hotel Schools located at Heritance Ahungalla and Heritance Kandalama, the institute provides comprehensive training in food and beverage, housekeeping and culinary development, following an intensive five-month programme that blends classroom instruction with real-world experience.

Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings PLC Chairperson Stasshani Jayawardena said, “This recognition reaffirms our commitment to developing the next generation of hospitality leaders.”