The GTMA 2020 Global Travel Communicator award is open to PR professionals, DMOs and CVBs, including state and local tourism offices, and PR reps for travel entities such as hotels and airlines. Entrants are limited to current members of ASTW or SATW* in good standing.

NB. EXTENDED DEADLINE: Entries now close March 9th, 2020

“This award highlights the hard work and dedication of individuals in our industry”

Nick Wayland, TravMedia

Nick Wayland, TravMedia, said: “We’re thrilled to be supporting the first-ever global travel writers alliance awards. This award highlights the hard work and dedication of individuals in our industry, and it’s great to see our colleagues awarded for their contribution in promoting great destinations.”

Judging criteria

The GTMA award will go to an individual member for outstanding PR communications work done on behalf of a client or company they represent in 2019.

ASTW, BGTW and SATW are committed to the promotion of responsible and balanced tourism, and this award is designed to encourage that effort on a global level. Entries will be judged based on the creativity and effectiveness of communications, and with particular emphasis placed on PR projects that focus on responsible tourism.

The member-entrant does not need to be the sole person responsible for the project; they can identify other members of the creative team, and team members are not required to be ASTW or SATW members.

To be eligible, entrants must submit a case study illustrating their project.

The work may be focused on a specific niche — such as overtourism, wildlife preservation, or voluntourism, or it may cover the entirety of a destination’s PR effort — but where possible, it should tie back to the overarching concept of promoting responsible and balanced tourism.

Judges will review the entries to determine how well the key elements were established, how they were executed, and the results attained. The winner will have demonstrated a combination of creativity, inspired solutions, and documented results, including impressions, pick-up and social media.

An independent panel of three highly qualified judges — one each from Australia, Great Britain and US-Canada — will select the winner.

Preparation of entries

Entries will be submitted via single pdf document, to be uploaded to the entry site. On the entry form, entrants should include the name of the project, the start date and end date, and identify the individual member and any supporting team that contributed to the campaign. Entrants are asked to include as much of the following as possible or relevant:

  • Objectives of the project including if possible, measurable targets, target audience, and relevant budget (identify whether in US or Australia dollars) — maximum 300 words.
  • Identify the strategies and elements utilised for the project, including partners and their roles, and target audience (maximum 300 words).
  • Identify the techniques and tactics used, implementation timeline, examples of creative solutions, and any challenges that were encountered and how they were resolved (maximum 300 words).
  • Measure the results. This might include verified analytics such as increased market share, social media engagement uptick, expanded media visibility, economic impact, etc. Share subjective results, including feedback from client, business partners or members (maximum 300 words).
  • Include relevant press releases, examples of press coverage and/or viral social media, testimonials from client and/or media, photos and videos if applicable. Photos and video should either be embedded within the pdf or links provided.

Rights

Submission of entries automatically allows the GTMA as well as ASTW, BGTW and SATW the right to display, exhibit and publish the campaign for non-profit society-related uses, including their respective websites. Otherwise, all rights remain with the entrant.

Contest rules

  1. The entry fee is US$25 (via PayPal). Members can enter more than one project, paying a separate entry fee for each one.
  2. The sponsoring member will identify any other principles who worked on the project on behalf of the organisation or client. The other principles need not be members of ASTW or SATW, as long as the sponsor is a member in good standing.
  3. While initial work on the project may have started in 2018, the project must have largely concluded by December 31, 2019.
  4. Please observe maximum word counts and document limits in making submissions. Entrants who exceed the parameters will be disqualified.
  5. Entries must be received no later than the extended deadline,  23.59 HST (See T&Cs), March 9, 2020. Submissions received after this date will not be considered.
  6. The award will identify the entire team that created the campaign (limit: 10 ), as well as the sponsoring member. The prize will be issued to the sponsoring member.
  7. The decision of the judges is final.
  8. Winners will be announced May 12, 2020.

Prize

GTMA’s 2020 Global Travel Communicator will receive a US$5,000 Apple Gift Card, sponsored by TravMedia, the travel industry’s global media networking platform.

Entries now closed

* The BGTW does not have PR members.