Lux Travel DMC and Lux Cruises Group nominated for World’s Leading Luxury Tour Operator and World’s Leading Small Ships Cruise Line, bringing Vietnam’s cultural approach to luxury travel onto the global stage
HANOI, VIETNAM — October 6, 2026 — LuxGroup®, a Vietnam-based integrated luxury tourism group, announces that two companies within its ecosystem have been selected as world-level nominees in the World Travel Awards 2026. Lux Travel DMC has been nominated for World’s Leading Luxury Tour Operator 2026, while Lux Cruises Group has been nominated for World’s Leading Small Ships Cruise Line 2026.
The nominations bring together two complementary expressions of LuxGroup’s approach to travel: individually designed journeys supported by destination expertise, and boutique cruising shaped by Vietnamese culture, hospitality and waterways.
In its notification to the group, World Travel Awards described its World categories as the highest level of recognition within its programme. Both companies are nominees; the winners will be determined following the global voting period.
Voting is open until October 30, 2026, with participation available to travel professionals, media and tourism consumers. According to the announcement, the World Travel Awards Grand Final Gala Ceremony 2026 will take place in Tanzania on December 12, when the world-level winners will be formally announced.
A Vietnamese Perspective on Luxury
Founded by Pham Ha, LuxGroup has developed from its origins in travel into a portfolio spanning destination management, boutique cruises, hospitality, gastronomy, arts and cultural experiences. The group describes its organisational approach as a “House of Small Giants”: specialist businesses with distinct identities, connected by shared values and a commitment to thoughtful service.
Its belief, Luxury is Culture®, places Vietnamese identity at the centre of the guest experience. Culture is expressed through regional cuisine, artworks, architecture, local knowledge, storytelling and the relationships that develop between visitors and their hosts.
For LuxGroup, this belief carries practical implications. A cultural experience requires informed interpretation. Personal service requires listening and coordination. An unhurried journey requires sufficient time to enjoy each place. The group’s purpose, Delivering Happiness®, connects those decisions to the experience guests ultimately receive.
The two nominations offer an opportunity to introduce this perspective to a wider international audience and to highlight the work of the teams responsible for translating a brand promise into daily service.
Lux Travel DMC: Connecting Journeys Through Local Knowledge
Lux Travel DMC designs tailor-made journeys across Vietnam and Southeast Asia, connecting travellers’ interests with destination knowledge and carefully selected services. Its approach encompasses the planning that takes place before departure and the coordination required throughout the journey.
A meaningful itinerary begins with understanding why a guest wishes to travel. Cultural discovery, time together as a family, personal celebration and restorative leisure each call for different choices. Destination expertise helps translate those motivations into an appropriate rhythm, selection of experiences and level of support.
Vietnam provides a rich setting for this work. Historic cities, coastal landscapes, regional food traditions and river communities offer opportunities for journeys that connect scenery with the lives and stories of the people who inhabit it.
The company’s role is to organise these possibilities coherently, allowing guests to explore with confidence while retaining space for personal discovery.
Lux Travel DMC previously received the World Travel Awards titles of Asia’s Leading Luxury Tour Operator in 2023 and 2024. Its 2026 world-level nomination builds on that earlier recognition, with the outcome of the current competition still pending.
Lux Cruises Group: Experiencing Vietnam Through Its Waterways
Lux Cruises Group brings the group’s cultural perspective to cruising through brands including Heritage, Emperor and Amiral. Each contributes to an approach in which the waterway, the vessel and the hospitality aboard form part of a connected experience.
Boutique cruising creates opportunities for guests to engage with a destination at a different pace. Time on deck, changing shorelines, regional cuisine and conversations with the crew can become memorable elements of the voyage.
Vietnamese art and cultural storytelling add further dimensions to that experience. They help connect what guests see outside the vessel with the country’s creative life, history and traditions.
The nomination for World’s Leading Small Ships Cruise Line 2026 places Lux Cruises Group in a global category focused on this segment of cruising. For the group, it is an opportunity to present the character of its brands and the destination knowledge behind their experiences.
Many Specialists, One Connected Journey
An integrated tourism group can bring complementary capabilities together across a guest’s visit. Destination management, cruising, accommodation, dining and cultural experiences can share a consistent understanding of the traveller while preserving the character of each specialist business.
LuxGroup’s ambition is to make those connections meaningful in practice. Information shared during planning should inform the welcome guests receive. Preferences relevant to service should reach the people responsible for delivery. Expectations should remain clear as the journey moves between experiences.
This coordination is central to the group’s interpretation of personal hospitality. It also connects marketing with operations: an attractive description must be supported by the people, preparation and service capacity required to fulfil it.
Recognition for the People Behind the Experience
LuxGroup views the nominations as an occasion to acknowledge its employees, guides, crews, hospitality teams, creative contributors and business partners.
Their work gives cultural hospitality its substance. A guide helps visitors understand a place. A crew member offers reassurance and attentive service. A chef communicates regional identity through food. A travel advisor connects a guest’s interests with an experience that can be delivered.
The group’s People First® philosophy supports its belief that guest satisfaction depends on employees who are equipped, informed and empowered to serve.
Global Voting Now Open
LuxGroup invites guests, travel partners, industry professionals and supporters to participate in the official World Travel Awards voting process before October 30, 2026.
The two nominations represent an opportunity for Vietnamese travel expertise and boutique cruising to reach a wider audience. For LuxGroup, the continuing priority is to earn confidence through experiences that reflect its cultural belief and fulfil the expectations created before each journey.
About LuxGroup®
LuxGroup® is a Vietnam-based integrated luxury tourism group founded by Pham Ha. Its ecosystem connects specialist businesses in travel, boutique cruises, hospitality, gastronomy, arts and cultural experiences. Guided by Luxury is Culture®, Delivering Happiness® and Touching Hearts®, the group develops journeys rooted in Vietnamese identity and personal hospitality.
Website: luxgroup.vn
