Society of American Travel Writers Foundation

03/31/2026

Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition Welcomes Entries
Deadline is Tuesday, March 31 - tonight!

The SATW Foundation’s 2025-2026 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition is open for entries. The foundation invites print and digital writers, photographers, videographers, book authors and social media journalists to enter their best works for consideration in the prestigious contest. The deadline for entries is midnight tonight EST Tuesday, March 31, 2026.

The SATW Foundation will award winners more than $25,000 in prize money at the October 2026 SATW Convention in Haywood County, NC. The contest is managed electronically, using the BetterBNC Sanctioned Awards Platform (https://betternewspapercontest.com/). Again this year, the entries will be judged by the faculty from the University of Missouri School of Journalism, whose communication, journalism, writing and media program is among the best in the United States. https://satwfoundation.org/ Society of American Travel Writers SATW

2025-26 COMPETITION Welcome to the SATW Foundation’s Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition. We are celebrating our 42nd anniversary. Competition Now Open for Entries Please follow the instructions to enter the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition below LEARN MORE RECOGNIZING EXCELLENC...

03/25/2026

The SATW Foundation’s 2025-2026 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition is open for entries. The deadline is one week away: Midnight EST on Tuesday, March 31.

The foundation invites print and digital writers, photographers, videographers, book authors and social media journalists to enter their best works for consideration in the prestigious contest. The deadline for entries is midnight EST Tuesday, March 31, 2026.

The SATW Foundation will award winners more than $25,000 in prize money at the October 2026 SATW Convention in Haywood County, NC. The contest is managed electronically, using the BetterBNC Sanctioned Awards Platform (https://betternewspapercontest.com/).

The entries will be judged by the faculty from the University of Missouri School of Journalism, whose communication, journalism, writing and media program is among the best in the United States. Society of American Travel Writers SATW Missouri School of Journalism Catharine Hamm www.satwfoundation.org

2025-26 COMPETITION Welcome to the SATW Foundation’s Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition. We are celebrating our 42nd anniversary. Competition Now Open for Entries Please follow the instructions to enter the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition below LEARN MORE RECOGNIZING EXCELLENC...

03/18/2026

Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition Welcomes Entries
Deadline is March 31 - two weeks away!

The SATW Foundation’s 2025-2026 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition is open and invites print and digital writers, photographers, videographers, book authors and social media journalists to enter their best works for consideration in the prestigious contest. The deadline for entries is midnight EST Monday, March 31, 2026.

The SATW Foundation will award winners more than $25,000 in prize money at the October 2026 SATW Convention in Haywood County, NC. The contest is managed electronically, using the BetterBNC Sanctioned Awards Platform (https://betternewspapercontest.com/). The entries will be judged by the faculty from the University of Missouri School of Journalism, whose communication, journalism, writing and media program is among the best in the United States.

Please see our website for further information! www.satwfoundation.org Society of American Travel Writers Travel Media Association of Canada North American Travel Journalists Association

2025-26 COMPETITION Welcome to the SATW Foundation’s Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition. We are celebrating our 42nd anniversary. Competition Now Open for Entries Please follow the instructions to enter the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition below LEARN MORE RECOGNIZING EXCELLENC...

09/12/2025

Congratulations to the winners of the 2025 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards!

Choosing among 1,457 entries, 26 judges at the University of Missouri School of Journalism conferred 120 awards on editors, writers, photographers, podcasters, social media experts and videographers in the 2025 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition. The awards, overseen and funded by the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation, were announced yesterday at the SATW annual convention in Detroit. Please see the list of winner's on our website: https://satwf.com/lowell-thomas-competition/

The University of Missouri School of Journalism conducted the judging, managed by Jennifer Rowe, Professional Practice Professor and Carol J. Loomis Faculty Fellow, along with Professor Heather Isherwood and newsroom coordinator Ellie Newberry-Wortham, all of whom coordinated the 26 judges.
Missouri School of Journalism Society of American Travel Writers SATW

You can see this year's video created by SATW member, Michael Snell, written by SATW member, Jill Robinson, and narrated by Elizabeth Harryman Lasley on the Foundation website https://satwf.com/lowell-thomas-competition/

2024-25 COMPETITION Lowell Thomas Competition winners were announced at the SATW Convention in Detroit, Michigan on September 11, 2025. 2024-25 Lowell Thomas Competition Winners were announced at the SATW Convention in Detroit, Michigan. Congratulations to all who entered! SEE THE RESULTS SATW FOUND...

11/16/2024

Two of the winners of this year's SATW Lowell Thomas Awards, Mary Bergin (middle left) and Juliana Broste (middle right), both members of Society of American Travel Writers SATW, with Foundation President Catharine Hamm (far left) and Elizabeth Harryman Lasley (far right), who provided a silvery voice over for the video created by Michael Snell. All together, SATW members received 30 prizes, including Silver Awards in Short Narrative, Service-Oriented Consumer Work and Instagram Storytelling and Gold in Travel Video of Less than Two Minutes, Travel Blog and Guidebook categories. The Silver and Honorable Mention awards for the Travel Journalist of the Year went to SATW members Jill Robinson and Larry Bleiberg, respectively. www.satwf.com for the full list of winners.

11/16/2024

At 40, SATW Foundation Announces the 2024 Recipients of the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards. Please go to our website for the list of awards. www.satwf.com Congratulations to all of the winners and many thanks to all of the entrants.

Choosing among 1,371 entries, the 27 judges at the University of Missouri School of Journalism conferred 120 awards on editors, writers, photographers, podcasters, social media experts and videographers in the 2024 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition. The awards were announced at the SATW annual convention in Istanbul, Turkey, this week.

Professor Jennifer Rowe and Carol J. Loomis, faculty fellow, along with Professor Heather Isherwood and newsroom coordinator Ellie Newberry-Wortham, of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, oversaw the judging. “The work produced by travel writers this year reverberated with the joy and surprise of traveling,” she said, “while remaining grounded in current times. Entries were, in turn, ‘playful’ or ‘captivating,’ yet also reflective of the demands of socially conscious travelers.”

Human connection was a theme throughout the entries. One judge noted that the stories are a “ “reminder of why we travel.” In helping audiences meet people, explore places and learn history, travel writers explain people live in and perceive our world. Society of American Travel Writers SATW
Missouri School of Journalism Catharine Hamm

2023-24 COMPETITION Winners of the 2023-24 Lowell Thomas Competition were announced on November 13, 2023 at the SATW Convention in İstanbul, Türkiye. 2023-24 Lowell Thomas Competition Winners were announced at the SATW Convention in İstanbul, Türkiye. Congratulations to all who entered! SEE THE ...

02/29/2024

The SATW Foundation 2023-2024 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition is open, and the foundation invites print and digital writers, photographers, videographers, book authors and social media journalists to enter their best works for consideration in the prestigious contest. The deadline for entries is Sunday, March 31, 2024. www.satwf.com

The SATW Foundation will award more than $25,000 in prize money to winners at the SATW Convention in Istanbul, Turkey, in early November 2024. The contest is managed electronically, using the BetterBNC Sanctioned Awards Platform (https://betternewspapercontest.com/).

Again, this year, the entries will be judged by the faculty from the University of Missouri School of Journalism, whose communication, journalism, writing and media program is regarded as among the best in the U.S. www.satwf.com Missouri School of Journalism Society of American Travel Writers SATW

OPEN FOR ENTRIES Information on entering the 2023-24 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition is available here. 2023-24 Lowell Thomas Competition You can now enter the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition for 2023-24. Entry deadline is March 31, 2024. LEARN MORE RECOGNIZING EXCELLENCE IN....

12/15/2023

Dear Friends and Colleagues -

Happy Holidays!

As you consider end-of-year charitable gifts, I hope you will include a donation to the SATW Foundation, presenter of the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards.

The Lowell Thomas Awards are the most prestigious in travel journalism with good reason. They are judged by professional faculty of one of the nation’s most honored journalism schools, the University of Missouri. And unlike most awards, the Lowell Thomas Competition pays substantial cash prizes. This comes at a cost that far exceeds competition entry fees. That is why we ask for your support.

This year, we have a special reason to celebrate. As the Competition turns 40, we are seeking to raise $40,000 to honor our esteemed record and ensure future success. All contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

If you are of “a certain age,” you can make your contribution from your minimum required distribution from qualifying retirement investments.

Please help us celebrate this landmark anniversary with a contribution of any size. If your company or organization is interested in a sponsorship of $10,000 or more, please contact me with details about recognition opportunities.

You can make your donation by going to our website and donating through PayPal or sending a paper check to our Administrator, Victoria Larson.

Thank you for your consideration, and for your ongoing dedication to maintaining the highest professional standards in travel journalism.

Sincerely,

Jane Wooldridge
Board Member, SATW Foundation
Past President, Society of American Travel Writers

09/09/2023

Big Congratulations to all of the winners of the 2023 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition. From 1,430 entries, judges in the 39th annual Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition awarded 117 editors, writers, photographers, podcasters, social media experts and videographers Friday for their outstanding work in helping to make the world of travel accessible, understandable and achievable. Pictured here are the members who won awards this year and attended the SATW Convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Society of American Travel Writers SATW Discover Puerto Rico Missouri School of Journalism

09/08/2023

At the SATW Convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico, this afternoon, the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation (SATW Foundation) announced the 2023 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards. In the premier professional recognition for outstanding work, travel journalists and communicators earned 117 awards and more than $25,000 in prize money given by the SATW Foundation.

“If there’s one word to describe the mood of travel writers and the work they produced this year, it’s optimism,” said John Fennell, professor emeritus at the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism and coordinator of the 25 judges who evaluated articles, photography, videos, podcasts, and websites, among other work. “Another important theme that emerged is consciousness, especially about the environmental effects of travel. Sustainability became a buzzword.”
Please go to our website for information about the winners and the 2023 awards. www.satwf.org Missouri School of Journalism

08/07/2023

SATW Foundation is keeping its eye on the excellent reporting from The New York Times about AI and travel guidebooks. Rick Steves is a well-known travel writer and won a silver award in the Travel Book category in the SATW Foundation’s Lowell Thomas Travel Awards in 2022. Rick Steves Missouri School of Journalism Society of American Travel Writers SATW The New York Times - Travel

Shoddy guidebooks are flooding Amazon. Their authors claim to be renowned travel writers, but are they A.I. inventions? And how big is the problem?