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
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