TravelAge West, the leading travel industry trade publication in the Western U.S., has announced its Editor’s Picks as part of the magazine’s 2026 WAVE Awards.
Now in its 21st year, the goal of TravelAge West’s WAVE Awards is to give travel advisors the opportunity to recognize the outstanding qualities and services of their travel-supplier partners.
The Editor’s Picks were chosen by Ken Shapiro, SVP/Content Director for Northstar Travel Group, including TravelAge West; Mindy Poder, Editor-in-Chief of TravelAge West; and the entire editorial team of the publication. Review methods included product analysis, on-site visits and a survey of a select group of travel advisors and industry experts.
With this distinction, Editor’s Pick honorees are also in the running for a WAVE Award, to be determined by the votes of TravelAge West readers conducted from March 23 through April 23. Voting is open to readers of the print and online publication and will be available online.
“Travel advisors are only as strong as their supplier partners, who help them look like stars to their clients,” Poder said. “The WAVE Awards is one of the many ways we put travel advisors at the center of our coverage and celebrate their role as major decision makers in the travel industry.”
Shapiro also weighed in on the importance of the event and its honerees.
“Travel planning can be complex and, especially in uncertain times, unpredictable,” Shapiro said. “The WAVE Awards give travel advisors the opportunity to recognize the supplier partners they can truly rely on — the companies they trust to turn their clients’ dream trips into reality.”
Editor’s Pick recipients will be celebrated in person at the WAVE Awards Gala on June 4 at The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey, in Marina del Rey, Calif., where the award winners will be announced as well. TravelAge West will include a special WAVE Awards section in the July 13 issue, highlighting award winners.
