Travel Writer Award Winners Announced in Los Angeles at U.S. Travel’s IPW

At U.S. Travel’s IPW, five travel journalists were honored with U.S. Travel Association and Brand USA Travel Writer Awards. The competition recognizes outstanding travel writing by journalists in three categories: best U.S. travel destination article, best (past) IPW host city article for San Antonio (2023), and best trade publication Article.

Best U.S. Travel Destination Article

Pedro Montaño of Mexico and editor of POST Mag, won for “Alaska: La frontera desconocida.” Judges remarked that the engaging story and photography immediately drew them in. They could imagine themselves booking a trip based on the itinerary and tips included in the story.

Brazilian journalist Eduardo Burckhardt won for his article, “A Verdadeira Little Italy,” published in UOL (Universo Online). The judges remarked that the article was best in class visual storytelling and deeply reported, with a great combination of history and pop culture.

Shayla Martin, a freelance writer from the United States, won for her article “2 Black Heroes, 2 Cities in New York: A Journey Into the Past, published in The New York Times. Judges commented that the story was compelling and informative, noting that travelers could easily use the reporting to map out and explore these important historical destinations.

The finalists in the Best U.S. Travel Destination article category were Dirk Baumgartl (Germany, Spartacus Traveller), Marco Berchi (Italy, La Stampa), Helen Hayes (Australia, Vacations & Travel), Rashmi Narayan (United Kingdom, Adventure.com) and Wing Sze Tang (Canada, Toronto Star).

Best Trade Publication Article

Harmke Kraak of The Netherlands took top honors for her article, “Atlanta? Yes, Atlanta” published in We Love Travel magazine. The judges remarked it was a useful spotlight on a major U.S. gateway city used by millions of international air travelers, a story that would compel a stay beyond the point of entry.

The finalists in the Best Trade Publication category were Holger Jacobs (Germany,  fvw | TravelTalk) and Mike MacEacheran (United Kingdom, Travel Weekly).

Best IPW Host City Article (San Antonio, Texas)

Claire Dodd of the United Kingdom won for her article, “The Dead Are Alive,” published in JRNY magazine. Judges noted the beautiful reporting and accompanying images showcased an incredibly interesting cultural angle of San Antonio – and a topic that has captured the imaginations of many of people (Day of the Dead).

The finalists in this category were Aleney de Winter (Australia, BoyEatsWorld.com) and Andrea Miramontes (Brazil, Lado B Viagem).

Nearly 250 entries were received from journalists on five continents. During their evaluation of the entries, judges looked for articles that featured original ideas and exceptional storytelling, as well as writing that would inspire readers to travel to the United States.