The British Guild of Travel Writers is the UK’s premier association of media professionals who focus on travel. Our members include journalists, authors, editors, photographers and broadcasters, all of them men and women who are adept at bringing places alive and communicating their own enthusiasm for journeys and for destinations.

Whether it be a luxury cruise ship or a modest resort off the beaten track, the chances are that one of our members has written about it. Pick up any national newspaper and you’ll probably find the writing of a Guild member in its travel pages. And you’ll find our members’ work in trade and consumer magazines, on the airwaves, and on the internet. Guild members run some of the liveliest travel blogs around.

a seal of quality

The Guild’s name stands for reliability and respectability in the fiercely competitive worlds of travel writing, photography and broadcasting. The criteria for membership are tough – and every single one of our 270 members has to satisfy an annual audit to retain Guild membership.

Don’t be deceived! Travel writing is not necessarily the freewheeling and high-flying career that you might imagine. Many of our members are self-employed and many are very used to working alone. The Guild provides instant access to a cameraderie of like-minded professionals.

independence

We keep in touch with cognate organisations around the world and particularly value our good links with the UK travel industry. But we don’t work for PR companies, tour operators or tourist boards – although we enjoy very good relations with many individuals in those areas. We are independent souls, ever anxious to report on places and travel experiences as they really are.

We have been in the business since 1960. This year we celebrate our half-centennial. During those 50 years, travel in the UK, as more widely in Europe and across the world, has changed out of all recognition. As have the media. Members of the British Guild of Travel Writers have been the very thick of many of those changes. And we are determined to retain our position as Britain’s largest, liveliest and most respected association of travel media professionals.

reasons for joining

To see more of what you get from becoming a Guild member, see Benefits of Membership.