BGTW International Tourism Awards and Members’ Excellence Awards 2023

Each year, the British Guild of Travel Writers organises two prestigious awards schemes: the BGTW International Tourism Awards and the BGTW Members’ Excellence Awards.

About the BGTW Awards

BGTW International Tourism Awards

Launched over 40 years ago, the BGTW International Tourism Awards scheme, brought to you in partnership with Sri Lanka Tourism, recognises excellence in tourism projects.

There are three categories:

  • Best UK and Ireland Tourism Project
  • Best Europe Tourism Project
  • Best Wider World Tourism Project

BGTW Members’ International Tourism Awards Winners 2023

Best UK and Ireland Tourism Project: Dundreggan Rewilding Centre, Glenmoriston, in Inverness.

Best Europe Tourism Project: FLUGT – Refugee Museum of Denmark, Oksbøl, Denmark.

Best Wider World Tourism Project: The Pekoe Trail, Sri Lanka.

BGTW Members Excellence Awards logo

BGTW Members’ Excellence Awards

For 2023, there are 16 Members’ Excellence Awards categories, 12 for individual pieces of work, and four requiring a portfolio of four pieces of work.

This year’s winners can be seen below. The full list of finalists can be found here.

BGTW Members’ Excellence Awards Winners 2023

Simon Parker: Travel Feature of the Year (UK), partnered with Essential Costa Rica.

Adrian Phillips: Travel Feature of the Year – Europe, partnered with Gran Canaria, while Nigel Tisdall was highly commended (HC).

Jessica Vincent: Travel Feature of the Year – Wider World, partnered with Visit Alabama.

Ben Lerwill: Travel Feature of the Year – regional, specialist and trade media, partnered with Gran Canaria, Kerry Walker (HC).

Penny Watson: Sustainability Feature of the Year, which was a new category partnered with Sustainable Journeys.

Ben Lerwill: Specialist Travel Feature of the Year – the Bryn Frank Award, partnered with Tourism Nova Scotia. Anna Richards (HC).

Simon Urwin: Transport Feature of the Year – The Kenneth Westcott-Jones Award, partnered with DFDS.

Caroline Mills: Travel Guide Book of the Year, partnered with Explore Charleston.

Mary Novakovich: Travel Narrative Book of the Year – The Adele Evans Award, partnered with ANTOR.

Rudolf Abraham: Travel Photo Feature of the Year, partnered with Meet Boston.

Bella Falk: Travel Blog Post of the Year, partnered with Tourism Seychelles.

Jonathan Thompson: Travel Broadcast of the Year, partnered with Visit Houston.

Bella Falk: BGTW Travel Blogger of the Year, partnered with Tootbus.

Aaron Millar: BGTW Travel Broadcaster of the Year, partnered with Visit Isle of Wight.

James Rushforth: BGTW Photographer of the Year, partnered with Visit Isle of Man.

Adrian Phillips: BGTW Travel Writer of the Year, partnered with Visit Scotland, with Jessica Vincent (HC).

Previous Award Winners (2018-22)

Note that the names of some awards have changed over the years and that in some years, the award wasn’t presented. There were no awards in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

BGTW Members’ Excellence Awards 

Travel Feature of the Year – UK

2018     Ben Lerwill

2019     James Stewart

2020     Nigel Tisdall

2022     Lorna Parkes

Travel Feature of the Year – Europe

2018     Ben Lerwill

2019     Adrian Phillips

2020     Adrian Phillips (combined with Wider World)

2022     James Stewart

Travel Feature of the Year – Wider World

2018     Adrian Phillips

2019     Jon Holmes

Travel Feature of the Year – regional, specialist and trade media

2019     Mike Unwin (Short read)

2020     Meera Dattani

2022     Ben Lerwill

Specialist Travel Feature of the Year – the Bryn Frank Award

2020     Sue Watt

2022     Jessica Vincent

Transport Feature of the Year – The Kenneth Westcott-Jones Award

2018     Tristan Rutherford

2019     Emma Thomson

2020     James Stewart

2022     Sue Watt

Travel Guidebook of the Year

2018     James Lowen

2019     Hilary Bradt

2022     James Rushforth

Travel Narrative Book of the Year – The Adele Evans Award

2018     Brian Jackman

2020     Emma John

2022     Tharik Hussain

Travel Photo Feature of the Year

2020     Simon Urwin

2022     Simon Urwin

Travel Blog Post of the Year

2020     Bella Falk

2022     Paul Healy

Travel Broadcast of the Year

2020     Cassam Looch

2022     Ash Bharwaj

BGTW Travel Blogger of the Year

2018     Kirstie Pelling

2019     Kirstie Pelling

2020     Richard Collett

2022     Paul Healy

BGTW Travel Broadcaster of the Year

2019 Adrian Phillips

2020     Aaron Millar

2022     Simon Parker

BGTW Photographer of the Year

2018     James Rushforth

2019     James Rushforth

2020     James Rushforth

2022     James Rushforth

BGTW Travel Writer of the Year

2018     Adrian Phillips

2019     Emma Thomson

2020     James Stewart

2022     Emma Thomson

BGTW International Tourism Awards

Best UK and Ireland Tourism Project

2018     Being Brunel, Bristol

2019     Walthamstow Wetlands, London

2020     Mayflower 400: Legend and Legacy, The Box, Plymouth, Devon

2022     Holocaust Galleries, IWM, London

Best Europe Tourism Project

2018     Electric Hybrid Cruise Boat, Championing Responsible Tourism, Backwaters Tours, France

2019     The CWGC Experience – Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Beaurains, Arras, France

2020     Juliana Hiking Trail, Slovenia

2022     High Scardus Trail, The Balkans

Best Wider World Tourism Project

2018     Waitukubull National Trail, Clearance and Restoration, Segment 11, Dominica

2019     Black Lemur Camp, Madagascar

2020     Partition Museum, Amritsar, Punjab, India

2022     Community Rhino Conservation Initiative, Zimbabwe

Armchair Award

2020     Visit Faroe Islands: Realtime Tour, Live Guide