Featured image: Let’s lift each other up! Submit your nominations for the JourneyWoman Awards now | Photo by SabrinaBracher on Envato

Nominate a woman who inspires you by February 6, 2026 

by JourneyWoman staff

Nominations are now open for the third annual JourneyWoman Awards for Women Over 50, which honour and celebrate trailblazing women over 50 in travel.  Established in 2024, the awards honour the wisdom and influence of women over 50 in travel and present women of all ages with role models, while creating a more equitable and inclusive travel industry. There are four award categories, three of which rely on nominations from women travellers, vetted by expert judges in each category. The three awards open for nominations include: the Solo Travel Wisdom Award (for an individual female traveller over 50); the Woman-Owned Business Award (for a woman over 50 who owns or leads a travel business); and the Integrity in Travel Award (for a woman over 50 who owns a hotel or hospitality company).  Nominations are open until February 6, with the final awards announced on March 5, 2026 for International Women’s Day. 

“For more than 30 years, we’ve been advocating for women in travel and know better than anyone that women over 50 are leaders, teachers and the wisdom-holders, inspiring the next generation of travellers,” says Carolyn Ray, CEO, JourneyWoman. “It’s time to recognize older women in their 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and beyond, who are stepping into the future with courage and purpose. With these awards, we hope to break stereotypes about age and ability and spotlight women over 50 who are truly changing the world for the better through their own example.”

JourneyWoman’s 2025 ‘Invisible No More: The Ageless Adventuress” research shows that the Women 50+ Travel market in North America is estimated at more than 37 million women, representing USD$245 billion in spending, growing to USD$519 billion in 2035. While the research shows that women over 50 feel more ‘seen’ by the travel industry, there are still old stereotypes that are not representative of the mature traveller and the important role of older women as leaders in travel companies and hospitality businesses. 

Four JourneyWoman Awards Honour Women Over 50

This woman is actively involved with JourneyWoman and uses her positivity to advocate for JourneyWoman and the power of our global community of mature women travellers. She is a passionate, influential role model and generously shares her wisdom and voice to inspire women to follow their hearts and travel independently.

Previous winners have included Joy Fox, 90, in 2024 and Joyce Perrin, 89, in 2025. 

Process: This woman is chosen by JourneyWoman CEO Carolyn Ray. 

Nominate a woman over 50 now

These three awards are open to nominations, and the focus is exclusively on women over 50 travellers and small to medium-sized women-owned travel and hospitality companies.

1. The JourneyWoman Solo Travel Wisdom Award (an individual solo traveller, not a company or entrepreneur) 

Supported by Explore!, which is providing a solo trip to the winning solo traveller! (terms apply)   

This JourneyWoman Award is given every two years to a woman over 50 who generously shares her wisdom gained through travel, and inspires other women to discover the transformative power of independent travel for women by sharing her stories and experiences. (Need inspiration? Read about women trailblazers in travel here.

This woman uses her voice to inspire others, challenges status quo thinking and exemplifies the values of a JourneyWoman – kind, generous, grateful and courageous. While this woman may have a travel business, we are really seeking an ‘everyday’ traveller who is following her heart and passion to make her dreams happen, and is willing to be a role model for other women over 50 by sharing her wisdom and experiences.

The 2024 recipient of this award was Adriane Berg, 76. Through her US-based media platform, The Ageless Traveller, Adriane empowers 60+ travellers to embark on transformative journeys filled with connection, discovery, and purpose. Adriane, age 75, has visited 121 countries and has been named a New York Times Age-Boom Fellow. Adriane is also the host/creator of the Mature Market award-winning podcast Generation Bold: The Fountain of Truth About Aging and the United Nations podcast On the Ground.

Process and judges: This woman is nominated by JourneyWoman readers, with the final selection by the past two winners of the Evelyn Hannon Award, Joy Fox and Joyce Perrin, and the previous winner of this award, Adriane Berg.

2. The JourneyWoman Women-Owned Travel Company (for a woman who owns a travel business)

Supported by wmnsWORK, Women Travel Leaders and JourneyWoman, which are providing discounts and complimentary memberships (terms apply)

This JourneyWoman Award is given to the leader of a woman-owned or led travel business who is over 50. It is intended to support small and medium-sized businesses, entrepreneurs and women over 50 who have followed their passion and purpose to create a business in service to women. This audacious entrepreneur works to build a more equitable, sustainable and prosperous world for all through travel. (Need inspiration? Look at the companies in our Women’s Travel Directory here.

This woman is an activist and community-builder – she anticipates the needs of women over 50, advocates for positive change in the travel industry and empowers women 50+ to travel with intention as a way to reach their full potential. This woman uses her business to create meaningful change. She hires women in her business, collaborates with women in local communities, and supports causes that she is passionate about. Perhaps this is a woman who has left a corporate career to start her own business, or helps women on their journeys through coaching or by creating transformational and sustainable travel experiences.  She could be a tour company owner, entrepreneur, coach, writer, advisor or travel agent.

The 2024 recipients of this award were Ginny Lunn and Sara Pease-Watkin, WalkingWomen. Based in the UK, WalkingWomen has a strong legacy spanning more than 20 years. It has been owned and run by sister duo Ginny and Sara since 2021 and champions women at every stage of the journey. Lesbian holidays are part of what WalkingWomen offers – and has always offered since the company began 24 years ago.  All of their guides around the world are women, 60% of their guides are over 50, and they seek out and showcase women-led businesses – from women winemakers to hosts.

Process:  This woman is nominated by JourneyWoman readers, and submissions are reviewed by our judges. 

Judges:

• • Alessandra LoTufo-Alonso, Founder & Managing Director, Women in Travel CIC: Alessandra is the plural-nominated, award-winning founder and MD of Women in Travel CIC and a professional with 20 years of experience in travel and tourism. Recognized as a trailblazer in the sector and an expert in gender empowerment and mentoring,  Alessandra was awarded the JourneyWoman Award in 2021 for her lifetime dedication to gender empowerment.
  • Iris Serbanescu, Founder, wmnsWORK: Iris is the founder of wmnsWORK, a multi-award-winning virtual tourism accelerator that has empowered nearly 70 women entrepreneurs across 15 countries to launch and grow meaningful tourism businesses.
  • Catherine Gallagher, Co-Founder, Women Travel Leaders: Women Travel Leaders is a professional network for purpose-driven women leaders in travel. Our mission is to elevate and support members through authentic connections, collective wisdom, and peer collaboration that drives personal growth and lasting impact.

3. The JourneyWoman Integrity in Hospitality Award

Sponsored by hertelier and Bouteco

This JourneyWoman Award is given to a woman over 50 who owns or manages a hotel or accommodation and creates safe, values-oriented, sustainable and memorable experiences. To be eligible, this woman must be a business owner listed on a third-party booking site such as booking.com or similar, as opposed to individuals renting a private property. Private Airbnb owners are not eligible. (Need inspiration? Read Juliet Kinsman’s article on “Integrity in Travel” here.

The 2024 recipient of this award was Deborah Szekely and her daughter, Sarah Livia Brightwood, of Mexico’s Rancho La Puerta. Deborah Szekely is often referred to as the “Spokesperson of the Modern Fitness Movement”.  The Brooklyn-born daughter of immigrant parents, Deborah lived in a palm frond cottage without running water or electricity on a beach in Tahiti from ages 8 to 13. In 1940, she co-founded an initially private “fitness camp” in Baja California, Mexico. At 18, with her husband Edmond Szekely, she welcomed the first guests and “ran the show” from Day One. Her daughter, Sarah Livia Brightwood, presides over the family business as president.

Process: This person will be nominated by JourneyWoman readers, with the final selection from our judges. 

Judges:

• • Juliet Kinsman, Founder, Bouteco: Juliet is an independent advisor to the world’s best boutique eco hotels and sustainable luxury travel brands, and a trusted strategist, author, lecturer and speaker on sustainability.
  • Emily Goldfischer, Editor-in-Chief, hertelier: Emily is a journalist, storyteller, speaker and trailblazing thought leader in hospitality, driven by a passion for gender equality. She has built a vibrant community that inspires, informs, and empowers women to thrive in their careers. Her work has been recognized with industry awards and honors, and she is a Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration graduate with a master’s from the London School of Economics.

Nominations and timelines for 2026

You can submit a nomination for yourself or someone you know.  

• Nominations open on January 15 and close on February 6, 2026.
• There is no cost to enter.
• Women can be entered in multiple categories.
• This is not about popularity or the quantity of submissions; it is about the quality of the submission.
• Winners will be announced on Thursday, March 5, 2026, for International Women’s Day at a special virtual event at 2 pm ET. 
• Prizes have terms and conditions which will be shared with the final recipient. In addition to prizes provided by our supporting sponsors, each recipient will receive a USD $100 JourneyWoman gift certificate to our Shop.

Judging process

Judging is being conducted by previous winners and industry experts which represent highly experienced solo travellers, industry experts and travel professionals from around the world. 

Judges will evaluate nominations based on:

• The quality of the nomination received for that particular nominee
• How strongly the nomination relates to the award category  
• Personal knowledge or experience with those nominated
• Previous winners cannot win again 

More News from JourneyWoman