AITO Travel Writer of the Year Awards 2021-22 now open for entries

Have you written a travel article that is hugely inspirational, delves deep into the heart of a place or experience, takes hold of the imagination, and which truly takes readers on a journey?

Now in its 25^th year, The Specialist Travel Association, AITO (www.aito.com), is proud to announce that its 2021-22 Travel Writer of the Year Awards are open for entries (closing date 31 August 2022).

This year, AITO will be accepting articles written over an 18-month period, from 1 January 2021 through to 30 June 2022.

We are very excited to open entries for our annual awards, once again celebrating the huge talent of our superb travel writers.

After an extremely challenging time for the industry, we thank the writers who have kept people inspired through their travel tales – feeding curiosity, pushing people beyond the limits of their comfort zones and expanding knowledge through the discovery of new experiences and connections.

We encourage entries from both editors (on behalf of themselves or their teams) and from individual travel writers who would like to self-nominate. We wish everyone who enters the very best of luck.”
Martyn Sumners, Executive Director of AITO

Every year, the competition receives hundreds of entries, and the aim is simple: to recognise and reward the UK’s best travel writers.

The judges of the AITO Travel Writer of the Year Awards seek articles that are not only well-written, but inspirational, informative and interesting.

For 2021-22, there are five Travel Writer of the Year award categories:

1. Travel Writer of the Year – short (under 1,500 words
2. Travel Writer of the Year – long (over 1,500 words)
3. Young Travel Writer of the Year (aged 30 and under)
4. Blogger of the Year
5. Trade Writer of the Year

Last year, AITO gave a special award for the publication that, in the opinion of the judges, had strongly championed the travel industry and had gone above and beyond to support those affected by the global pandemic.

The gong for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Travel’ will once again be awarded by the panel of AITO judges for the 2021-22 awards. 

Over 300 articles were submitted for the 2020 awards, with the most hotly-contested Travel Writer of the Year awards going to Mark Stratton for A Vintage Tugboat (over 1,500 words), a piece for The Daily Telegraph, and to Alex Allen for his article Hiking the SW coastal path: UK breaks on a Budget, for The Sunday Times Travel Magazine (under 1,500 words).

The six 2021-22 awards will be presented on Tuesday 4 October at this year’s AITO Meets the Media event – details to follow.

AITO TRAVEL WRITER OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2021-22 – ENTRY DETAILS IN BRIEF:

AITO Travel Writer of the Year (split into two categories; please specify the category you are entering):

1. Under 1,500 words or

2. Over 1,500 words
The AITO Travel Writer of the Year accolade is the ultimate award for travel writers. Recognising excellence in the field of travel writing, past winners include some of the most respected travel journalists in the industry. Entrants must be bona fide published journalists.

3. AITO Young Travel Writer of the Year (30 and under)
This award is designed to celebrate the achievements of younger travel journalists. It is open to bona fide published journalists who are aged 30 and under on 31 December 2020.

4. AITO Travel Blogger of the Year
This award recognises the important role of travel bloggers as key influencers in the travel industry and celebrates the skill used by many to illustrate their posts in inspirational, fresh and interactive ways.

5. AITO Travel Trade Writer of the Year
This award recognises the technical writing abilities of travel trade writers and their skills in writing interesting and insightful articles. Their knowledge of the industry and grasp of complex issues, together with their campaigning skills and commitment to the travel sector, deserve recognition.

NB only two articles or blogs – print or online – may be submitted per writer per category; the submission must be in Word format, and the article must have been published between 1 January 2021 and 30 June 2022. 

Deadline for entries is 31 August 2022. Please submit entries via the AITO website, https://www.aito.com/media-area/awards, by that date.

For more information on AITO’s 100-plus specialist travel companies and their unrivalled collection of holiday ideas, covering every corner of the world – plus their close allies and colleagues, AITO Specialist Travel Agents – visit the website at www.aito.com.

Ends

Press: For more information on AITO, for quotes or comment on industry issues, please contact Laura Forbes or Sue Ockwell at Travel PR: l.forbes@travelpr.co.uk / 07585 780067 or s.ockwell@travelpr.co.uk / 07831 126 356.