What is NATJA (North American Travel Journalists Association)?

Updated

NATJA is a professional association for travel media and destination marketing organizations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It serves travel journalists, media professionals, DMOs, bloggers, influencers, and travel agents through educational and networking opportunities, and it runs an experiential learning program that connects professors and college students with industry professionals and destinations. If you work in travel media or destination marketing—or are a student aiming for a travel writing or photography career—NATJA is the membership body to evaluate.

Who NATJA serves

NATJA describes itself as the premier professional association for travel media and destination marketing organizations across the three North American countries. Its stated mission is to provide educational and networking opportunities that help its audience thrive in a multiplatform environment.

The association has operated for 35 years and positions itself as more than a trade group: a community of travel journalists and destination marketing organizations working toward shared educational and professional goals.

Membership types

NATJA lists three membership tracks, each with its own eligibility criteria:

Membership type Who it's for Eligibility notes
Media member Established editors and travel content creators for print or online, including photographers, videographers, and podcasters Open to established media professionals
DMO / publication / tour operator Convention & visitors bureaus, destination marketing organizations, PR agencies, cruises, airlines, properties, tour operators, and other travel service providers Open to organizations and travel service providers
Student member Students starting a travel writing and/or photography career out of college Requires a valid student ID and an active university email address

The student tier is the most concrete on requirements: without both a student ID and a university email, you don't qualify. For media and organizational membership, the site frames eligibility around being "established" or being a relevant travel organization, so expect to describe your professional work when you apply.

What members get

NATJA organizes member benefits into three areas:

  • Connections — a private Facebook group, an annual conference, and in-person member gatherings.
  • Learning — practical webinars, conference sessions, and year-round professional development.
  • Accolades — the chance to share work through TravelWorld International and earn recognition in the annual NATJA Awards, now in its 35th year.

The awards program is a recurring, long-running feature rather than a one-off, which matters if recognition is part of why you'd join.

How to decide whether to join

Use these conditions to sort yourself:

  • Join as a media member if you're an established editor, writer, photographer, videographer, or podcaster producing travel content for print or online, and you want peer connections, professional development, and an awards venue for your work.
  • Join as an organizational member if you represent a DMO, CVB, PR agency, cruise line, airline, property, tour operator, or similar travel service provider and want to reach and work with travel media.
  • Join as a student only if you can supply a valid student ID and an active university email; this tier is designed to launch writing or photography careers straight out of college.
  • Look elsewhere first if you're outside the US, Canada, or Mexico, or if you're a casual traveler rather than a media professional or industry organization—the association's stated scope is North American travel media and destination marketing.

Getting started and getting help

Membership sign-up is handled through the "Become a NATJA member" path on natja.org, and the site says you can join whenever you're ready. If you're already a member and need to use your benefits, NATJA directs questions to dedicated addresses:

The site states the team replies shortly after you reach out, so route your question to the right address rather than the general inbox to avoid a handoff.