AITO represents quality, variety and expertise – exactly what AITO seeks from its Travel Writer of the Year awards.  Says AITO Chairman, Derek Moore:  “The judges are mandated to mark the articles submitted against three key criteria – we look for articles that are interesting, informative and inspirational.”

AITO has announced the results of its 13th Travel Writer of the Year awards with two additional new categories being awarded for the first time. 

AITO Travel Writer of the Year
In third place, Anthony Peregrine’s ‘Gift of the Gab’ article written for The Sunday Times is a fresh take on Paris with “excellent word-play and flashes of Wildean humour.”

In second place is Ian Belcher with his ‘A slow boat to the refuge of the last dreamers’ article, written for The Observer, described as “a joy to read for those tied to their armchairs and giving a clear picture of life along the Mekong River in Thailand and Laos.”

The winner of the AITO Travel Writer of the Year 2009 award is Minty Clinch, writing for the Financial Times’ How to Spend It magazine. Clinch’s piece, ‘High Plains Drifter’, was an account of the first commercial riding expedition through Tajikistan’s High Pamirs. It resonated with the judges as having “exciting and adventurous content, where the style sweeps you along” in addition to being “an honest, scholarly and amusing portrayal of life on the tour.”

AITO Online Travel Writer of the Year
This new category was introduced to recognise much of the excellent work that appears exclusively online. The winner is Chris Leadbeater writing for Mail Online with his article ‘Africa holidays: Mountains, manes and meeting Mr Cheetah in sensational South Africa’. The judges liked its “clearly lively writing” that had “some style” and “carries the reader along easily.” 

AITO Young Travel Writer of the Year
The winner of this inaugural award is Matt Bolton writing for Lonely Planet Magazine and his piece ‘The people’s Carnival’ on the Mardi Gras in Salvador, Brazil. It was described as “a joy to read from start to finish” with “lots of delicious detail” and “an electric feature that crackles with all the exuberance of the carnival he describes.”

AITO Chairman, Derek Moore comments: “As always, there was an incredibly high standard of entries in addition to a record number of submissions. We are delighted to have Minty Clinch claim the top spot, a new name for the roll of honour, but also to see the online travel writing community and younger journalists being recognised for their efforts”.