Mexico, Peru and Chile dominated the Latin American gala of the 2025 World Travel Awards in Cancún, taking top honors in beach, adventure, culture and hospitality tourism and strengthening their position as regional leaders.
The awards, established in 1993 and often called the “Oscars of tourism” for their global reach, are divided into 11 regional programs: Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central America, Europe, the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, North America, Oceania and South America.
The structure highlights the most competitive destinations on each continent ahead of the global gala that brings together the industry’s top players.
At the event on Saturday, Mexico was named “Leading Destination in Mexico and Central America,” a title that underscores the breadth of its tourism offerings.
Isla Mujeres won “Leading Island Destination,” while Cancún reinforced its role as an industry hub with honors in beach, business travel, meetings and conference categories.
The host country also excelled in hotel categories, with resorts ranked among the best in Latin America. The luxury Chablé Yucatán resort was chosen “Leading Hotel,” and AVA Resort Cancún received the title of “Leading Luxury All-Inclusive Resort.”
Peru emerged as one of the night’s big winners, crowned “South America’s Leading Destination.” The country also collected three additional awards: “Leading Adventure Tourism Destination,” “Leading Culinary Destination” and “Leading Cultural Destination.”
Machu Picchu, the country’s iconic historic site, was recognized for the eighth time as “South America’s Leading Tourist Attraction,” even as it faces criticism over management, infrastructure and access problems that have sparked warnings about the need for a comprehensive conservation plan.
Chile won in five South America categories. The country was named “Leading Adventure Tourism Destination,” “Leading Green Destination” and “Leading Romantic Destination” with the Atacama Desert as the standout site, as well as “Leading Nature Destination” and “Leading Cruise Destination,” extending a record of honors earned in past editions.
These awards highlight the breadth of Chile’s tourism offerings, from national parks and protected areas to desert, mountain and fjord experiences. With this latest series of awards, Chile reinforced its standing as one of the region’s most consistent and recognized destinations.
The ceremony brought together representatives from across Latin America and was described by organizers as a showcase of the region’s vibrant hospitality.
“Our winners represent the very best of our industry, and we applaud their achievements in shaping the future of travel across the region,” said Graham Cooke, president and founder of the World Travel Awards.
The results from Cancún correspond to the 2025 Latin America edition and reflect the performance of the region’s destinations. The winners will go on to compete in the World Travel Awards global gala later this year, where the top international honors will be decided. (https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2025/09/30/mexico-world-travel-awards-mexico-chile-peru/7361759242481/)
