More than 230 companies, individuals and destinations were celebrated by the readers of TravelAge West as part of the this year’s WAVE Awards, held June 4 in Marina del Rey, Calif., at The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey.
Honorees were recognized across 74 categories, including cruise lines, river cruise lines, tour operators, airlines, hotels and resorts, destinations, rail vacation providers, theme parks, tourism boards, technology companies and travel insurance companies. The annual awards give travel advisors the opportunity to recognize the outstanding qualities and services of their travel supplier partners.
In addition, top travel advisors were honored in five categories as part of the 2026 Trendsetters Awards, also presented at the gala. Categories included: Best Use of Social Media, Upward Bound Rock Star Advisor Under 40, Best Group Booking Effort, Best Targeted Marketing Idea and Saving the Day.
Thousands of travel advisor professionals throughout the U.S. and readers of TravelAge Westvoted on the best-of-the-best from a list of Editor’s Pick award recipients that were chosen after careful review by Ken Shapiro, Senior Vice President, Content Director of the Retail Group for Northstar Travel Group; Mindy Poder, Editor-in-Chief of TravelAge West;and the editorial team of TravelAge West. Review methods included product analysis, on-site visits, a survey of a select group of industry advisors and online research.
“Congratulations to all our winners, who are dedicated to the advisor-supplier relationship and being a true partner to travel advisors,” Poder said. “I can’t think of a better way to acknowledge their hard work than with a night that highlights how special our travel industry community is.”
This year, TravelAge West once again awarded its Excellence in Leadership Award, which honors individuals who, over the course of their careers in travel and tourism, have consistently demonstrated leadership and insight, affected change or innovation and made extraordinary contributions to both organizations and the industry at large. The 2026 TravelAge West Excellence in Leadership Awards were given to Gary Murphy of AmaWaterways and Mike Estill of WESTA.
“All of our Leadership Award winners show true dedication to the travel industry, helping to make their brands and organizations models for others to follow,” Shapiro said.
In addition, the third annual Legend of the West Award, sponsored by Azamara Cruises, was awarded to an individual who has made a significant impact on travel and tourism in the Western United States and beyond. This year’s recipient was Jackie Friedman of Nexion Travel Group.
TravelAge West will feature WAVE Awards coverage in the July 13, 2026, issue.
A list of this year’s WAVE Award winners is available here and Trendsetter Award recipients are listed here.
