Cancún, Quintana Roo – Cancún, long one of Mexico’s flagship beach destinations, is taking center stage in regional tourism politics and promotion by landing the 2025 Latin America Gala Ceremony of the World Travel Awards and entering the competition in six major regional categories. The dual development—hosting the gala and being nominated across a broad slate of awards—was celebrated by Ana Paty Peralta, mayor of Benito Juárez, as a validation of sustained investment by the local hospitality sector and the daily work of thousands of tourism collaborators.
“These nominations and the election are a recognition of the effort, passion, and commitment of all of us who make up the great family called Cancún. They are the result of the constant work of hoteliers, entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders who have invested in this city,” Peralta said, framing the honor as collective and earned. She added that behind the destination’s global prestige are countless workers whose everyday dedication keeps Cancún visible and competitive on the world stage.
Cancún is vying in six categories for the 2025 regional awards: Leading Airport in Mexico and Central America; Leading Beach Destination in Mexico and Central America; Leading Business Travel Destination in Mexico and Central America; Leading City Getaway Destination in Mexico and Central America; Leading Urban Destination in Mexico and Central America; and Leading Meetings and Conferences Destination in Mexico and Central America. The nominations give the city multiple entry points to reinforce its image not just as a sun-and-sand resort but as a hub for business travel, urban escapes, and major events.
The timing carries momentum. In 2024, Cancún captured four World Travel Awards distinctions: Mexico’s Leading Beach Destination; Mexico’s Leading Cities Destination and Central America; Mexico’s Leading Tourism Office in Central America; and Mexico’s Leading Meetings and Conferences Destination in Central America. That string of regional recognitions helped sharpen the destination’s brand ahead of the current campaign.
The World Travel Awards, often described within the industry as one of the highest marks of external validation, are decided through a combination of expert jury input and public voting. They are administered annually by the organization in collaboration with travel and tourism stakeholders, with regional gala ceremonies serving as focal points for networking, benchmarking, and publicity. The voting window for the Central American segment opens April 1 and closes August 3, making the next few months critical for the city’s stakeholders to mobilize support behind its nominations.
Cancún World Travel Awards Latin America Gala 2025
Landing the gala ceremony itself gives Cancún more than the chance to collect trophies; it places the city under the international industry spotlight. The event will convene tourism leaders, buyers, influencers, and investors from across Latin America and beyond, offering a stage to project Cancún’s evolving identity as a multidimensional destination. Hosting duties also carry measurable economic upsides in the short term through event-related spending and in the medium term as the city’s association with the awards feeds marketing narratives and third-party coverage.
Local officials and private-sector partners are expected to coordinate promotional pushes during the voting period, aligning digital campaigns, outreach to past visitors, and industry allies to highlight Cancún’s strengths in the nominated categories. The combination of hosting the gala and campaigning for awards positions the city to leverage earned media and industry goodwill in a tightly concentrated window—a strategy that builds on last year’s award momentum.
As the deadline approaches, the broader goal for Cancún will be to translate visibility into durable competitive advantage—keeping the beach destination’s infrastructure, business venues, and urban offerings aligned with the expectations of international travelers, conference organizers, and business clients. The outcome of the voting and the success of the ceremony itself will serve as both a barometer and a catalyst for the next phase of the city’s tourism evolution.
