What are the NATJA Awards and how does the annual competition work?

Updated

The NATJA Awards are the annual recognition program of the North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA), a professional association for travel media and destination marketing organizations in the United States, Canada and Mexico. According to NATJA, the program is currently in its 35th year, and members can "earn recognition in the annual NATJA Awards" by sharing their work through TravelWorld International, the association's publication. The site does not publish award categories, entry deadlines, judging criteria or fees, so those details must be confirmed directly with NATJA at [email protected].

Who the awards are for

NATJA describes its membership base as travel journalists, media professionals, bloggers, influencers, photographers, videographers, podcasters, destination marketing organizations (DMOs), PR agencies, and travel service providers such as cruises, airlines, properties and tour operators. It also runs a student membership track for college students pursuing travel writing or photography careers.

Because the awards are presented as a member benefit, the practical starting point is membership. The site lists three membership types:

Membership type Open to
Media member Established editors and travel content creators for print or online, including photographers, videographers and podcasters
DMO / publication / tour operator Convention & visitors bureaus, DMOs, PR agencies, cruises, airlines, properties, tour operators and other travel service providers
Student member Students with a valid student ID and an active university email address

How the annual cycle fits together

NATJA frames the awards as one of three core member benefits, alongside connections (a private Facebook group, an annual conference and in-person gatherings) and learning (webinars, conference sessions and year-round professional development). The awards sit at the "accolades" end of that structure: work is shared through TravelWorld International, and recognition comes through the annual competition.

The site does not specify how entries are submitted, whether work must have been published in a particular window, or how judging is conducted. For a task like preparing a submission, the reliable path is:

  1. Confirm your membership category is active, since the awards are described as a member benefit.
  2. Email [email protected] to request the current competition guidelines, categories and deadlines.
  3. Prepare your published work for sharing through TravelWorld International as directed.

Expected result: you receive the official entry requirements directly from the awards contact, rather than relying on secondhand summaries.

Common sticking points

  • Assuming the awards are open to non-members. The site presents them as a member benefit; confirm eligibility with NATJA before preparing an entry.
  • Sending awards questions to the general inbox. NATJA routes inquiries by topic: general questions to [email protected], membership to [email protected], technical/website issues to [email protected], awards to [email protected], and conference questions to [email protected]. Using the awards address avoids delays.
  • Expecting published rules on the site. The available NATJA material names the program and its 35-year history but does not list categories, dates or fees, so plan to ask.

Deciding whether to pursue it

If you are a travel media professional or destination organization already inclined to join NATJA for its networking and professional development offerings, the awards are an additional reason to join and a natural outlet for work you are already publishing. If recognition is your only goal, contact [email protected] first to confirm the current cycle's requirements before committing to membership.