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World Travel Awards Brings Europe Gala to Montenegro’s Kotor Bay for First Time

Hyatt Regency Kotor Bay Resort hosts the 17 October ceremony as European travel leaders gather on the Adriatic ahead of the 2026 Grand Final in Tanzania.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • The World Travel Awards Europe Gala Ceremony will take place at Hyatt Regency Kotor Bay Resort on 17 October 2026.
  • Montenegro is hosting a World Travel Awards event for the first time in the programme's 33-year history.
  • The gala programme includes a 5 p.m. reception and a 7 p.m. awards dinner and ceremony.
  • The event is the final regional stop on the 2026 Grand Tour ahead of the Grand Final in Tanzania.

Montenegro will host the World Travel Awards Europe Gala Ceremony for the first time on Saturday, 17 October 2026, bringing representatives of hotels, airlines, destinations and travel companies to the shores of Kotor Bay. The gathering at Hyatt Regency Kotor Bay Resort puts one of the Adriatic’s best-known heritage destinations at the centre of a continent-wide hospitality industry event.

The awards organisation, established in 1993, is staging its European ceremony in Montenegro for the first time in its 33-year history. According to the official event programme, a welcome networking reception is scheduled for 5 p.m. on 17 October at the resort’s Infinity Pool Terrace, followed by a gala dinner and awards ceremony in the ballroom from 7 p.m. The evening is scheduled to conclude at 10:30 p.m.

The event follows a welcome evening on Friday, 16 October, featuring local food, traditions, craftsmanship, culture and music. Together, the programme gives attending tourism professionals a chance to experience Montenegro’s visitor offering as well as meet industry peers.

Kotor Bay puts Montenegro’s tourism appeal in focus

The host resort stands on the waterfront in the Kotor Bay area, surrounded by steep mountains and the Adriatic coastline. Its facilities include a private beach, marina, spa and wellness services, restaurants and event spaces. The property’s accommodation offering comprises 252 rooms, suites and villas according to the event announcement, with 25 additional apartments planned for April 2027.

Guests can access the resort’s Lighthouse restaurant, Olé! Beach & Bar, Spa Soul and Vrmac Health & Wellbeing Retreat. Hyatt’s official resort website provides further information about accommodation and facilities.

Nearby Kotor’s historic walled town adds a cultural dimension to the host destination. Its churches, squares, narrow lanes and hillside fortifications reflect the maritime and architectural history of the bay, while the surrounding mountainous landscape supplies a distinctive setting for the ceremony. The UNESCO-listed natural and cultural-historical region of Kotor forms part of that wider visitor appeal.

Graham Cooke, founder of World Travel Awards, described the debut Montenegro ceremony as an opportunity to highlight the country’s growing luxury hospitality profile. He said the location was well suited to a gathering recognising European tourism businesses and destinations.

Hans Prins, general manager of Hyatt Regency Kotor Bay Resort, said the property was pleased to be the ceremony’s official host partner and to welcome the travel industry to the bay.

Final European stop before the 2026 Grand Final

The Montenegro event is the final regional ceremony on the World Travel Awards Grand Tour 2026, following earlier ceremonies in Zanzibar, Dubai, the Maldives and Jamaica. The tour is scheduled to culminate with a Grand Final in Tanzania, where the organisation’s worldwide awards programme will reach its conclusion.

For Montenegro, the hosting role provides a chance to present its accommodation, meetings and events infrastructure alongside its established appeal as a coastal and heritage destination. The ceremony will recognise European nominees across travel and tourism categories; winners should not be treated as announced until the awards take place.

Information on the ceremony is available from the World Travel Awards Europe 2026 event page, with European nominees listed separately by the organiser.

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