Benefits of membership

free monthly meetings

At our monthly events (mostly in London) we meet each other and members of the travel industry. Expect lots of lively debate as we discuss such topics as the ethics of travel writing, developments in civil aviation, eco-tourism, webwise journalism or what’s new in the world of online blogging. We organise regular trips for our members. Over the last few years, for example, we’ve sent delegations to Oman, Nord-Pas de Calais, Tenerife, Bydgoszcz and Zakopane in Poland, Manchester, Yorkshire and Malta. Some of these visits have attracted well over one third of our membership.

press card

Your BGTW card is widely recognised in the UK and abroad, and is an invaluable tool getting all sorts of discounts and free admissions.

full website access

You gain access to areas not accessible to the public:

• listings of all members
• a huge searchable database of travel industry listings
• news feeds
• news gathering service, where you can log in your latest news and have it relayed to the travel industry
• a lively forum with other members
• a list of facilities, such as free memberships and reductions on airport parking
• your own profile, which you update as often as you like
• an easy-to-use facility to create your own public-access mini-website

a free copy of the BGTW Yearbook

Regarded as the travel industry's 'bible', with full details of all members, lists of national and regional newspapers, travel PR contacts, and much more. Sold widely to the travel industry for £95 and sent free of charge to all commissioning editors. Your half-page profile appears in the Members' section, and there's a section on listings of members' skills and specialities.

big discounts on our Awards Dinner

The day before the World Travel Market kicks off is the night of the prestigious BGTW Awards Dinner, held in November, with some 400 including BGTW members and many from all branches of the travel industry.

jobs and self-marketing

• the opportunity to meet commissioning editors and prs, find out about jobs and press trips
• the chance to display your words and photos on the Guild website and in other Guild projects
• a great personal advertisement in your yearbook and website profile, accessible to all commissioning travel editors and PRs
• annual members' awards for travel writing, photography and broadcasting
• affordable professional training from photography to copyright law, broadcast interview techniques and web technology
• a website discussion forum where fellow members will help you with problems, sympathy, support and inspiration, and where you can post your photos and submit articles for the front page for the world to read
• basic legal and accounting backup if you run into contractualdifficulties and need a first free consultation

Globetrotter

Our monthly, informative members-only newsletter, with news and views around the Guild.

discounted memberships

Big discounts on membership of the London Press Club, Royal Geographical Society, Tourism Society, Travel Writers UK, the Travel Club and Royal Commonwealth Society.

interested?

To join us, you'll need to submit an application form demonstrating that travel writing, editing, photography or broadcasting is a significant component of your professional work. Then we'll invite you to an interview with the committee. For more, see How to Join.