Archive for category: News

June 18, 2020: The Australian Society of Travel Writers (ASTW) committee today released a Request For Tender for an accommodation partner for the upcoming 2020 ASTW Convention scheduled to be held in October in Sydney, NSW. With the release of the RFT, the ASTW is inviting interested parties to submit an offer for the contract position by June 26, 2020. The tender document can be viewed here. 

 ASTW president Elisa Elwin said the ASTW as a whole is looking forward to reuniting as many members as possible in Sydney after what has been the most turbulent year for the travel and media industry in the history of the ASTW. 

 “We are already in strong discussions with industry partners to assist us in creating our convention and, although it will look different to previous years, the event will be an uplifting and inclusive occasion,” Elwin said.

“The convention will also provide opportunities for members of the ASTW to support our domestic tourism industry, which has also faced unprecedented challenges throughout the year, from the bushfires to the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic,” she says.

Elwin said members of the ASTW are focused on planning stories and content and continuing the relationship with fellow members of the tourism industry by inspiring readers to think about where they next want to travel to.

For further details, please email pr@astw.org.au

The Australian Society of Travel Writers (ASTW) has been the peak travel writing body in the country for more than 40 years. Its more than 350 members include writers, photographers, editors, radio and television presenters, filmmakers, bloggers, digital influencers and public relations representatives who are professionally engaged to produce articles, reviews, photographs, stories and social media commentary on national and international travel destinations and experiences.    

For more information about the ASTW, visit our website or contact our PR representatives Saskia Baker or Kylee Kay PR@astw.org.au

The request for tender document can be viewed here

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Global Travel Media Alliance (GTMA), unveiled the inaugural Global Travel Awards at TravMedia’s International Media Marketplace (IMM) held in New York in January 2020.

The GTMA awards will honour the 2020 Global Travel Writer, Global Travel Photographer, and Global Travel Communicator.

The GTMA is a collaboration between the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), the British Guild of Travel Writers (BGTW) and the Australian Society of Travel Writers (ASTW).

In September 2018, the three organisations, which represent the top travel writers, photographers, and PR professionals in three regions of the world, signed an agreement to identify synergies, to share best practices, and to collaborate on bi-national projects. The Global Travel Awards, open to members of SATW, BGTW and ASTW, represents a significant initiative.

***** Entry period extended until 11.59 p.m. HST (Hawaii Standard Time) which is 8.59 p.m. AEDT (Australian Eastern Daylight Time)  on March 10, 2020.

2020 Global Travel Writer is sponsored by AccorHotels. The prize includes a five-night stay at the legendary Raffles Singapore. Originally opened in 1887, the Raffles Singapore reopened last August following a painstaking, two-and-a-half-year restoration. The winner will be among the first to experience this new chapter for an iconic hotel, now a flagship property for Accor.

Gaynor Reid, Vice President Communications and CSR Accor Asia Pacific, said that Accor is delighted to be involved in the inaugural Global Travel Awards because it will bring together the very best travel writers from around the world and help to inspire people to travel more and experience more of this beautiful planet. “With 5,000 hotels and resorts globally, including almost 1,200 in Asia-Pacific, Accor is the most diverse hotel operator in the world with the broadest geographical footprint. We are always keen to help support great storytelling around the wonders of travel.”

2020 Global Travel Photographer is sponsored by Abercrombie & Kent, which will award an exciting Arctic Cruise Adventure to the winning photographer. The 15-day trip for two aboard the luxurious, all-balcony ‘Le Boreal’ will journey in search of the polar bear — from the Svalbard Islands to the remote east coast of Greenland on to the West Fjords of Iceland – in the company of an award-winning Expedition Team of scientists, historians and a dedicated photo coach.

Geoffrey Kent, Founder and Co-Chairman, Abercrombie & Kent said: “As the world’s leading luxury and adventure travel company with over 55 offices in more than 30 countries, we are pleased to sponsor this new global award to honour the best travel photography of the year. Distinctive images that capture authentic experiences inspire curiosity and fuel the desire to travel.

2020 Global Travel Communicator is sponsored by TravMedia, the travel industry’s global media networking platform. TravMedia will award a PR firm or individual for their work in PR communications focused on sustainable travel. The three organisations are committed to the promotion of responsible, sustainable and balanced tourism, and this award is designed to reward that effort on a global level. The winner will receive a $5,000 Apple gift card.

Owner and CEO of TravMedia, Nick Wayland, said they are thrilled to be supporting the collaboration of the travel media organisations spread across three regions of the world. “Awards highlight the hard work and dedication of individuals in our industry, and it’s exciting to see our colleagues recognized for their contribution in promoting both great destinations and sustainable travel.”

Judging will be by an independent panel, three per category (nine total) of top travel editors, photographers, and PR professionals representing the US-Canada, Great Britain, and Australia. Contest rules are on the awards website, GTMAlliance.com, and entries will be accepted from January 31 – February 28, 2020. Winners will be announced on May 12, 2020. #GTMAawards

For more information contact:
ASTW: Mandy Dwyer or Saskia Baker – pr@astw.org
SATW: David Swanson or Barbara Ramsay Orr – info@satw.org
BGTW: Alastair McKenzie – alastair@bgtw.org

ASTW & HKTB’s Rising Star Winner Announced

Tayla Gentle has been named the 2019 winner of the Australian Society of Travel Writers (ASTW) and Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) Rising Star Award for her article published on the popular Adventure.com site.

Craig Platt, Managing Editor of Nine’s Traveller.com.au, who selected the winner from a shortlist of finalists, said: “Tayla Gentle’s story took a relatively common travel experience – a lesson at a cooking school – and turned it into a powerful story with humour and heart. Her piece on the inspirational women of Nepal showed that there are ways to go beyond the surface and learn from a local culture.”

Judges included Hong Kong Tourism Board’s Regional Director – Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific, Andrew Clark; former editor for RoyalAuto and travel writer for 20 years, Jeremy Bourke, and award-winning freelance journalist and media industry academic, Lee Mylne.

Sarah McCarthy of the Hong Kong Tourism Board and ASTW secretary Jeremy Bourke are pictured with Tayla Gentle (centre), who was named the winner of the ASTW’s 2020 Rising Star Award

Tayla wins a hosted four-night famil to Hong Kong, sponsored by HKTB, with her subsequent story to be published on Traveller.com.au and considered for print. She also receives an annual Rising Star membership to the ASTW.

The award and prize were presented at the Melbourne ASTW Christmas lunch on December 5 by Sarah McCarthy, HKTB’s Manager, Public Relations & Media.

“I am incredibly grateful to be accepting the Rising Star Award – it’s such an honour to have my words recognised by the industry panel.,” Tayla said. “Travel to me has always been an antidote to ignorance, the best dose of perspective you can get, and it’s a privilege to think I might be able to share stories that help bring people and cultures together.

“As for Hong Kong, I am super excited to get on the ground and eat my way through the dai pai dongs. I’m also excited to work with the teams at Traveller and the Hong Kong Tourism Board to see what we can create together.”

Since studying journalism, Tayla has spent the last several years working as a freelance producer creating content for brands such as Intrepid Travel, Kathmandu and Pedestrian.TV. Her passion for adventure travel began when she moved to Guatemala as a 19-year-old and has since taken her into the wilds of Patagonia, the Mongolian steppe and the Lesotho Mountains.

The Rising Star Award collaboration between HKTB and the ASTW was introduced in 2018 and is aimed at encouraging a new generation of travel writers in Australia. The Award was open to writers and digital influencers who had their first paid travel story published in the past two years.

“The HKTB is thrilled to partner with the ASTW for the second consecutive year of the Rising Star Award and to be a part of an initiative that supports emerging travel writers. We look forward to welcoming Tayla to Hong Kong and working with the ASTW to continue to grow this award,” said Mr Clark.

Australian Society of Travel Writers (ASTW) is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to promoting ethical and honest travel and the unbiased reporting of it. Its membership comprises of more than 300 travel writers, editors, broadcasters, digital influencers, authors, photographers and travel industry public relations professionals whose work appears regularly in Australian and international media. Members must satisfy strict criteria to join and are obligated to substantiate their membership annually by providing details of their published output or industry participation.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) is a government sub vented organisation with the principal responsibilities of marketing and prompting Hong Kong as a preferred destination worldwide, as well as enhancing visitors’ experience once they arrive.

For more information contact:

Sarah McCarthy – sarah.mccarthy@hktb.com / 02 8262 6810

Saskia Baker – saskia@smbcommunications.com.au / 0407 752 813