Travel Writers Can Change the World: Planet Earth 2010
Sustainable travel — eco-travel — green travel — cultural travel . . . what does all this mean? The current trend of travel experiences that enrich and fulfill the traveler while contributing to the welfare of a place and its inhabitants presents a grand opportunity for us as writers.
By choosing to focus at least some of our work on such topics as philanthropic travel opportunities; resorts, hotels and tour companies that operate sustainably; travel with a purpose; responsible tourism; and/or “cultural sojourns” (as described in the New York Times 2009 summer travel magazine), we become part of a new millennium crusade to appreciate and to save the planet and its inhabitants.
As Bradley Weiss wrote in “The Untold Travel Story: A Travel Writer’s Guide to Sustainable Tourism and Destination Stewardship” for National Geographic magazine, “The tourism industry does not merely make use of the destinations on which it depends, it interacts with them. It can sustain them. It can ruin them. Sometimes, it can save them. If carefully managed, tourism can alleviate poverty and provide an incentive for wildlife conservation, historic preservation and cultural enrichment.”
Travel writers can influence millions of people to look at their vacations, their travel-related activities, and even the sustainability of their hometowns and states, in new ways.
Believing in the power of its growing and influential membership, and that of travel writers around the world, BATW is again sponsoring an international writing competition — Planet Earth 2010 — that is open to all journalists and authors. The focus of the competition:
“Travel writing that helps to sustain or enhance the unique and valuable character of a place — its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and/or the well-being of its residents."
The Bay Area Travel Writers organization, based in San Francisco, announces its latest travel book and travel article competition for writers from around the United States and the world. Travel journalists, writers and authors are welcome to enter Planet Earth Awards 2010 with works of this description:Travel writing that helps to sustain or enhance the unique and valuable character of a place — its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and/or the well-being of its residents.
Categories:
Best Travel Article or Essay for Planet Earth
Best Travel Book for Planet Earth
Deadline: September 1, 2009
Prizes: $200 Gold, $100 Silver and $50 Bronze in each category
Contest rules and information: http://www.batw.org/contests/planetearth2010/
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