2019 has brought Wanderful so many fruitful connections, new ventures, and major accomplishments. As we close the chapter on yet another year, we are incredibly proud to announce one more major milestone!

The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) will honor Hostelling International (HI) USA and Wanderful with a Gold Adrian Award for public relations excellence for its winning entry of a multicultural campaign. This award will be presented at the 63rd annual Adrian Awards, the largest and most prestigious global travel marketing competition. 

HI USA and Wanderful worked collaboratively to develop the 2018 Peace Postcards campaign to honor Sleep for Peace, an annual awareness initiative to bring hostels around the world together to celebrate the role of youth tourism in creating a better world. We coordinated the work of influencers to host postcard-writing parties in 13 Hostelling International hostels globally, and encouraged our community to write to the United Nations World Trade Organization about what peace means to them. The influencers were selected from our very own Creator Collective, an international network of content creators shaping the future of travel.

“Receiving this award is not just an honor for us at Wanderful on a personal level, but a testament that creators and influencers really are changing travel and the world,” said our founder, Beth Santos.

As a result of our collaborative work, the campaign reached over 31 million people around the world engaging over 25,000 in further actions!

“The Adrian Awards honor innovative travel marketing campaigns that lead the future of hospitality marketing, setting the standard for creativity and flawless execution,” said Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHBA, president and CEO of HSMAI. “HSMAI is proud to recognize these award winners and celebrate their remarkable campaigns and the people behind them at the Adrian Awards Gala.”

HI USA and Wanderful will be honored during the HSMAI Adrian Awards Gala on January 21, 2020 at the New York Marriott Marquis. Attended by nearly 1,000 hospitality, travel, and tourism marketing executives, this affair has largely become a must-attend industry event. 

“As an organization dedicated to bringing together people of different backgrounds, HI USA is especially honored to receive the top honor in the category of Public Relations’ Multi-Cultural campaign,” said HI USA’s Director of Communications and PR, Netanya Trimboli. “This achievement would not have been possible without the tireless support of Wanderful, who strategically organized influencers across the globe to engage millions in our campaign and share our story with the world.”

Winning entries will be viewable in the winners’ gallery on the Adrian Awards website. Visit www.AdrianAwards.com for more information on the event and competition and to view the Adrian Awards Winners’ Gallery.