N※N

Vote for Tulsa: Residents Urged to Cast Ballots for 2026 World's Best Awards

  //travel-leisure.news-articles.net/content/2025/ .. o-cast-ballots-for-2026-world-s-best-awards.html
  Published in Travel and Leisure on Sunday, December 21st 2025 at 13:12 GMT by WTOC-TV
      Locale: Georgia, UNITED STATES

Locals Urged to Cast Their Votes for the 2026 World’s Best Awards in Travel & Leisure

By WTOC News Desk – November 6, 2025

The World’s Best Awards (WBA) is gearing up for its 2026 voting cycle, and local voters in the Greater Tulsa area are being called upon to lend their support to their hometown’s travel and leisure offerings. The WBA, a globally recognized recognition program that honors the top 100 restaurants, hotels, cruise ships, bars, and other hospitality experiences worldwide, has opened its ballots to the public for the first time in a decade. For Tulsa residents, this means the chance to help put local attractions on the map of the world’s most beloved destinations.

What the World’s Best Awards Are and How the Voting Works

The WBA was founded in 2000 by the World’s Best organization, a for-profit entity headquartered in London that partners with the Travel + Leisure magazine to identify “world’s best” categories each year. According to the organization’s official site, the 2026 awards will celebrate 50 categories in the travel & leisure space, from “Best Hotel” and “Best Restaurant” to “Best Family Resort” and “Best Ski Destination.” The voting process is now open to anyone with a smartphone, laptop, or even a paper ballot in select locations across the United States.

Voters can access the ballots on the WBA’s dedicated portal, which requires a simple registration that includes an email address and a ZIP code to ensure regional representation. The voting period runs from November 15, 2025 through December 15, 2025. Winners are announced in early 2027 at a gala in Dubai, with winners announced each week on the WBA’s Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook feeds.

Why Tulsa Residents Should Participate

The Tulsa Chamber of Commerce and the Tulsa Convention & Visitors Bureau have partnered with the WBA to launch a “Vote for Tulsa” campaign, urging residents to support the city’s local businesses that could make it onto the World’s Best list. Tulsa’s tourism board estimates that over 2,500 local voters have registered on the WBA portal as of the time of this writing.

“We’re seeing a surge of interest in our local culinary scene,” says Lisa Riddle, the Tulsa Convention & Visitors Bureau’s director of tourism marketing. “From our award‑winning steakhouse, The Rookery, to the new pop‑up food hall at the Arts District, the city is brimming with places that deserve global recognition. We’re counting on our residents to help us showcase Tulsa on the world stage.”

The bureau’s campaign materials highlight several Tulsa establishments that have already earned national acclaim in the past:

• The Rookery – a contemporary steakhouse that has received a “Best Downtown Restaurant” rating from Travel + Leisure in 2024.
• Tulsa River Walk – a recently renovated riverside promenade that won a “Best Urban Trail” award from the Outdoor Life magazine.
• The Tulsa Zoo – recognized for its innovative conservation programs and the “Best Family Destination” accolade from Family Vacation Planner.

By voting for these local venues, residents can help secure a place in the top 100 lists that receive worldwide media coverage, travel blog features, and tourism boosts. The World’s Best Awards are known for driving measurable increases in tourism footfall; past winners have seen average increases of 20–30 % in visitor numbers the year after the award announcement.

How to Vote: Step‑by‑Step Guide

1. Register on the WBA Portal – Visit the official site (www.worldsbestawards.com) and click “Vote.”
2. Confirm Your ZIP Code – The system will verify you’re a Tulsa resident.
3. Choose Your Categories – Each category lists a short description and a link to the participating venues.
4. Cast Your Vote – You can vote once per category; each vote counts equally.
5. Share Your Vote – The WBA portal encourages voters to share their voting on social media with the hashtag #VoteForTulsa, amplifying the campaign.

The voting interface also allows voters to add “comments” if they wish to elaborate on why they chose a particular venue. These comments are displayed in a public forum and can be a source of feedback for business owners.

Links for Further Information

• World’s Best Awards Official Voting Portal – www.worldsbestawards.com/vote
• Tulsa Convention & Visitors Bureau – www.tulsavisa.org
• Travel + Leisure Magazine’s “World’s Best” Section – www.travelandleisure.com/worlds-best
• Local Winners’ Spotlight – www.tulsatimes.com/worldsbest2025

The Tulsa Chamber’s own blog post on the WBA campaign includes a short video interview with a local restaurateur who won the “Best New Restaurant” award last year. The video also outlines the financial impact that a World’s Best award can bring: a 25 % rise in reservations and a 15 % uptick in online bookings.

What Happens After Voting?

Once the voting period ends, the WBA’s analytics team compiles the results, cross‑checking for anomalies such as multiple votes from the same IP address. The top 100 entries in each category are announced through a combination of the WBA’s press releases, Travel + Leisure magazine features, and the Travel + Leisure YouTube channel.

The Tulsa Chamber has also announced a “Thank‑You” event for the city’s top‑voted establishments, scheduled for January 2027 at the Tulsa Convention Center. Winners will receive a commemorative trophy, a feature in the Travel + Leisure travel guide, and a free marketing package from the WBA’s partners, including a custom logo and a highlight on the WBA’s website.

Conclusion

The 2026 World’s Best Awards present a unique opportunity for Tulsa residents to elevate their city’s profile on a global platform. By voting for local travel and leisure venues, they help amplify Tulsa’s culinary scene, cultural landmarks, and natural attractions, ultimately contributing to a stronger tourism economy. As the countdown to the December 15th voting deadline begins, the Tulsa Chamber and Convention & Visitors Bureau are urging everyone to take a few minutes to register, vote, and share their support on social media with #VoteForTulsa.

For more detailed information on the World’s Best Awards process and how to get involved, visit the official WBA site or contact the Tulsa Convention & Visitors Bureau.