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How to join the Guild

Who is eligible?

1. Membership of the Guild is open to writers, photographers, cameramen, editors and broadcasters, currently involved in any aspect of travel journalism; travel journalism must be their principal profession.

2. No one working in public relations is eligible for membership. The Guild believes in equal opportunities and welcomes applications for membership from all sections of the travel community who meet the membership criteria.

How to apply

3. Press the Apply button and fill in the brief form. The Membership Secretary will send you an application form, which you should fill in and submit it, along with a short biography and proof of professional status.

4. The minimum body of evidence is as follows:

For authors and editors:
(i) not fewer than twelve articles published in the past twelve months, or
(ii) one published book, written, or edited within the twelve months, or
(iii) a letter from the employer confirming the applicant’s employment in a staff writer or editorial capacity.

For photographers:
the illustration of
(i) one major work i.e. a book, or
(ii) not fewer than twelve feature articles, or
(iii) 40 pictures published in miscellaneous sources or records of payment from a picture library clearly indicating their level of sales.

For broadcasters:
production of tapes of travel programmes for a total of 60 minutes of radio programming or a television showreel, of which the applicant was the reporter, presenter or producer.

5. If you wish, you can submit name(s) of any member(s) of the Guild to act as proposer(s) backing up your application (but note that this is not a requirement). Proposers must have personal knowledge of the applicant and should provide information as to his or her professional qualifications and suitability for Guild membership in letters sent to the Membership Secretary at the time of application. It is your responsibility to ensure that these letters are forthcoming.

6. On approval of the application by the Membership Secretary, you will be invited to meet the committee, the members of which are authorised to approve or reject any applications, and may not be called upon to give reasons for refusing an application. The committee will consider each application on its merits, subject to the proviso that no candidate for membership of the Guild will have their application approved if they are in any way involved in public relations activities in the tourism and/or travel industry, are under contract to promote a particular company or companies, or are actively involved in the running of a company engaged in tourism and/or travel.

7. When satisfied your suitability for election to membership of the Guild, the Committee publishes (through two successive editions of Globetrotter, our monthly newsletter) to all members your name and a brief description of the work you do, and the name of your proposer(s) if relevant, and invite comments from the Guild’s members.

8. If there are no adverse comments, you will be invited to join the Guild; if queries are raised, the matter will again be brought to the attention of the committee who will make the final decision.

9. Upon election, you will be asked to pay a joining fee of £100, plus an annual subscription of £100. If you are accepted partway through the financial year, the subscription will be paid on a pro rata basis.