ASTW announces winners of 2023 Awards for Excellence

Australian Society of Travel Writers (ASTW) is proud to announce winners of the annual Awards for Excellence, announced at a gala dinner at Rydges Sydney, Surry Hills on 25 November 2023.

The awards are the pinnacle of recognition for travel media professionals, with a rigorous judging process in place to ensure impartiality. This year, 640 entries were received across twenty categories, with the 55-strong judging panel including members of the British Guild of Travel Writers (BGTW) and the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), along with other experts based in Canada, New Zealand, the UK and Australia.

The ASTW thanks the judges and the generous sponsors of award categories and congratulates all the finalists and winners.

The winners are as follows:

ASTW TRAVEL WRITER OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by Virgin Australia
Belinda Jackson – Off the beaten path Visiting Saudi Arabia as a solo woman (Traveller),
Worlds apart, together (Traveller), Lore of the jungle (Gourmet Traveller)

BEST AUSTRALIAN STORY UNDER 1000 WORDS – Sponsored by Tourism Australia
Lynn Gail - Unknown utopia (Australian Traveller)

BEST AUSTRALIAN STORY OVER 1000 WORDS – Sponsored by Tourism Australia
Huw Kingston - Mountain high (The Weekend Australian Magazine)

BEST SUSTAINABLE TOURISM STORY – Sponsored by Norfolk Island Tourism
Kate Hennessy - Melting point (T Australia: The New York Times Style Magazine)

BEST FAMILY TRAVEL STORY – Sponsored by Club Med
Jessica Lockhart –Travels with Doris (A Gelato a Day: True Stories of Family Travel)

BEST FOOD / BEVERAGE TRAVEL STORY – Sponsored by Visit Sunshine Coast
Bonita Grima - Sweet temptation: The story of Istanbul's beloved brothel dessert (BBC Travel)

BET INSTAGRAM TRAVEL PHOTO – Sponsored by ASTW
Rachelle Mackintosh – Flame thrower

BEST 2022 CONVENTION HOST STORY – Sponsored by Tweed Tourism Co and Mavis Kitchen & Cabins
Tara Wells – There's a wave of middle-aged women learning to surf and I'm on it (Adventure.com)

BEST INTERNATIONAL STORY UNDER 1,000 WORDS – Sponsored by G Adventures
Emily McAuliffe - Japan's answer to hawker stalls is a deliciously unique experience (Traveller)

BEST INTERNATIONAL STORY OVER 1,000 WORDS – Sponsored by Globus Family of Brands
Kate Hennessy - Melting point (T Australia: The New York Times Style Magazine)

BEST TRADE AND TOURISM NEWS STORY – Sponsored by TravMedia
Sue Williams - From Contiki to first class: How your generation likes to travel (Traveller)

BEST TRAVEL BLOG POST – Sponsored by ASTW
Aleney de Winter - How to spend 48 hours in Vienna with kids (BoyEatsWorld)

BEST NATURE / WILDLIFE STORY – Sponsored by Tourism Ireland
Kate Hennessy - Melting point (T Australia: The New York Times Style Magazine)

BEST IMMERSIVE TRAVEL EXPERIENCE STORY - Sponsored by Azamara
Catherine Best - So far, so good (Escape)

BEST AUSSIE ROAD TRIP STORY – Sponsored by Outback Queensland Tourism Association
Briar Jensen - Captivating Kimberley (NRMA Open Road magazine)

BEST ACCOMMODATION STORY - Sponsored by the Lancemore Group
Belinda Jackson - Slow road to a blissful state (Canberra Times/Explore)

BEST TRAVEL PHOTO – Sponsored by Intrepid Travel
Kate Hennessy - Skjoldungen Sound (T Australia: New York Times Style Magazine)

BEST TRAVEL VIDEO – Sponsored by ASTW
Caro Ryan - The grand cliff top walk, Blue Mountains (Lostsafreshair)

BEST DESTINATION GUIDE – Sponsored by Samsonite
Nadine Cresswell-Myatt - 8 unique mail runs to experience around the world (TravelAwaits.com)

BEST CRUISE TRAVEL STORY – Sponsored by CLIA
Kate Hennessy - Melting point (T Australia: The New York Times Style Magazine)

For a full list of winners and finalists with links to their work, see
https://www.astw.org.au/awards/awards/astw-awards-for-excellence-2023-results/
* Australian Society Of Travel Writers https://www.astw.org.au/
* ASTW Secretariat at secretariat@astw.org.au