Apply to join the BGTW

Thank you for your interest in joining the BGTW. Please review the accreditation criteria and complete the application form below.

Why join the BGTW?

To be a member of the BGTW is to be a part of the UK’s leading, accredited organisation of travel media professionals since its foundation in 1960. Membership comes with a whole range of professional, networking and social benefits.
See the benefits of BGTW Membership

Who can join the BGTW?

While predominantly a community of travel writers and journalists, our membership includes a wide range of travel media. The BGTW accredits travel editors, photographers, bloggers, and broadcasters, alongside freelance and in-house writers. Please see the full membership requirements below.
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Any questions?

We aim to be a welcoming and inclusive community of travel media professionals, and we recognise that the realities of working in this industry are constantly changing. Writers, photographers, bloggers, podcasters… all of us have a role to play, so if you’re uncertain about whether to apply, please email any questions to the BGTW Administrator, Charlotte Copeman, at [email protected].
Meet the team
Payments

Membership Costs

A full membership subscription currently costs £175 per year, plus a one-off £50 admin fee when you join us. The BGTW’s annual membership year runs from 1st October; those joining part way through the year will be invoiced pro-rata.

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Application Process

The BGTW Board reviews applications against the accreditation criteria before they enter a 28-day gazetting period with BGTW Members. During this time, a short, friendly interview is scheduled. Applications are usually completed in ~40 days.

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Code of Conduct & Audits

All travel professionals joining the BGTW will be required to adhere to our Code of Conduct, which you can learn about via our Members’ Page once admitted, or request during your interview. Members must complete an annual self-audit confirming they still meet the membership criteria.

BGTW Accreditation Criteria

All Applicants Must Be:

(a) Freelance/staff travel writers, bloggers, editors, photographers or broadcasters working solely or primarily in travel.

(b) Either live in the UK/Ireland, or hold a British/Irish passport, or work for predominantly British/Irish travel publications.

(c) Have not worked in travel PR in the past 12 months.

(d) Confirm their work is their own and not written/edited/produced by Generative AI (LLM).

(e) Confirm their work is paid for commissions (or self-commissioned for applicant-owned blogs). While the BGTW doesn’t dictate which publications members can write for, we do not accept unpaid work or publications for accreditation, audits, or to enter our awards.

Travel Media Requirements:

Important: Quality (length, depth and topic) is just as important as quantity. If you fall shy of these requirements but still wish to be considered, please email [email protected] to discuss your personal situation.

(a) Writers / Editors / Authors should have produced sufficient travel articles as either writer or editor, with sufficiency dependent on the nature and depth of the features (usually 12 features, or less for in-depth reporting or cover stories), or published one guidebook or travel book, in the last twelve months.

(b) Bloggers must own and administer their own travel-focused blog, which should have been updated fortnightly over the past twelve months. Google Analytics that show consistent monthly page views of 25,000+ are required.  The BGTW does not accredit social media content. 

(c) Photographers should provide proof of 40 published travel photographs, 12 photography features or one major work, such as a photography book, in the last twelve months. 

(d) Broadcasters must provide a showreel/proof of 60 minutes of broadcast video or audio. Self-owned channels, such as Podcasts or YouTube channels, must provide statistics that meet the membership thresholds.

(e) A combination of the above.

Application Form

Please select your skillset/working areas.
Please add a brief professional bio including any relevant awards, qualifications, or additional information.
Please add work links from the previous 12 months as per the requirements. If you’re sharing print features/PDFs, please include links to a Google Drive or similar. Alternatively, these can be emailed to [email protected]
If you’re a blogger or platform owner, please upload a screenshot of your analytics for the previous 12 months.