Cape Town, 16 April 2025 – Africa Travel Week (ATW) has announced the winners of its prestigious 2025 Media Awards, with five journalists recognised for excellence in travel reporting across the continent. A distinguished judging panel featuring Pat Riddell (National Geographic Traveller UK), Barry Neild (CNN Travel), Ellie Rothnie (Canon Ambassador), and Kojo Bentum-Williams (VoyagesAfriq) selected the winners from a competitive field of entries.
Now in their second year, the ATW Media Awards celebrate outstanding travel journalism that brings Africa's diverse tourism destinations to global audiences. Quality reporting plays a crucial role in shaping perceptions and raising awareness of the continent's travel offerings.
"Compelling storytelling is essential for showcasing Africa's extraordinary destinations and experiences," says Megan De Jager, Portfolio Director – Travel, Tourism & RX Africa Marketing. "These award-winning journalists exemplify the highest standards of travel reporting, helping to position Africa within the global tourism conversation."
2025 ATW Media Awards Winners:
DESTINATION FEATURE: Mike UnwinMike Unwin claimed the top prize for his piece "Rock of Ages" in Travel Africa magazine, a vivid exploration of Zimbabwe's UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Matobo Hills.
"I'm delighted that my feature on Bulawayo and the Matobo Hills has won ATW's Destination award," says Unwin. "Bulawayo was where my experience of Africa began – as a teacher many years ago – and I have held a deep affection for this magical corner of the world ever since. Many thanks to the always excellent Travel Africa magazine for allowing me the opportunity to put my feelings into words."
SUSTAINABILITY: Summer Rylander
Summer Rylander's thoughtful analysis "What Does Successful Low-Volume, High-Value Tourism Look Like?" examines Botswana's distinctive approach to balancing tourism development with environmental conservation.
"Sustainability is at the heart of my work as a journalist and I'm proud of this piece, which delves into the ethics of access in relation to the protection of nature and doing right by local communities," says Rylander. "What an honour it is to receive this award! Thank you to the judges and well done to the other nominees."
VISUAL TOURISM: Ryan Enslin
Ryan Enslin's captivating photo essay "A Wild Wild Life" documents the unique wildlife encounters possible in Cape Town, revealing an unexpected side of urban Africa.
"Travel writing and photography have always been deeply personal for me, ways of capturing and sharing the moments that speak directly to my soul," reflects Enslin. "Each story I tell is, in many ways, a passion project, born from a place of curiosity and connection. To have that recognised by the Africa Travel Week Media Awards is incredibly encouraging. It reminds me that these stories, rooted in heart and experience, resonate with others too."
TOURISM NEWS: Shanna Jacobsen
Shanna Jacobsen's investigative report "Addressing the Train-Retain Drain" examines critical staffing challenges facing South Africa's incentive travel industry in the post-pandemic landscape.
"This is a big deal for us – not just to spotlight the skills constraints the incentive travel industry is currently grappling with, but to try find a means to address the issue," notes Jacobsen.
YOUNG TALENT: Qaqamba Matundu
Qaqamba Matundu won for her remarkable report on the rediscovery of South Africa's "lost" golden mole, highlighting both an important conservation milestone and emerging journalistic talent.
"This award is a testament to the power of storytelling and the incredible support I've received along the way from my editor," says Matundu. "Here's to pushing boundaries, sharing impactful stories, and inspiring others in the media industry."
The annual ATW Media Awards are open to all media practitioners including journalists, bloggers, videographers, and photographers producing content related to African travel. The programme forms part of Africa Travel Week's broader initiatives to promote the continent's tourism offerings to international markets.
-ENDS-
Issued by: Big Ambitions
Contact: Sonnette Fourie
Tel: +27 81 072 2869
Email: sonnette@bigambitions.co.za
Now in its 32nd year, Arabian Travel Market (ATM) is the leading international travel and tourism event in the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals. Held annually at the Dubai World Trade Centre, ATM 2024 spanned 12 halls, making it the largest edition to date. The event attracted over 47,000 attendees and more than 35,000 visitors (including 6,000+ high-value buyers) and over 2,550 exhibitors and representatives from over 161 countries. In 2025, ATM will expand to 13 halls, growing across all sectors, and will continue to be a crucial gathering for the global travel and tourism industry. Arabian Travel Market is part of Arabian Travel Week. #ATMDubai
ATM takes place from 28 April to 1 May 2025, at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai.
https://www.wtm.com/atm/en-gb.html
Arabian Travel Week is a week-long festival of events from 28 April to 4 May, alongside Arabian Travel Market 2025. Providing a renewed focus for the Middle East’s travel and tourism sector, it includes Start-Up Competition, Influencers' Event, GBTA Business Travel Forums, and ATM Travel Tech. The event also features ATM Buyer Networking and a series of country forums.
https://www.wtm.com/arabian-travel-week/en-gb.html
About RX
RX is a global leader in events and exhibitions, leveraging industry expertise, data, and technology to build businesses for individuals, communities, and organisations. With a presence in 25 countries across 42 industry sectors, RX hosts approximately 350 events annually. RX is committed to creating an inclusive work environment for all our people. RX empowers businesses to thrive by leveraging data-driven insights and digital solutions. RX is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. For more information, visit www.rxglobal.com.
About RELX
RELX is a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. RELX serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs more than 36,000 people over 40% of whom are in North America. The shares of RELX PLC, the parent company, are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York stock exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX. *Note: Current market capitalisation can be found at http://www.relx.com/investors
World Travel Market (WTM) Portfolio comprises leading travel events and online portals across four continents. The events are Arabian Travel Market, WTM London, WTM Latin America and WTM Africa.
WTM London is the world’s most influential travel & tourism event for the global travel community. The show is the ultimate destination for those seeking a macro view of the travel industry and a deeper understanding of the forces shaping it. WTM London is where influential travel leaders, buyers and high-profile travel companies gather to exchange ideas, drive innovation, and accelerate business outcomes.
Next event: 4 to 6 November 2025 at ExCel London
WTM Latin America is held annually in São Paulo and attracts more than 29,000 tourism professionals during the three-day event. The event offers a qualified content combined with networking and business opportunities. In its most recent edition, in 2024, WTM Latin America maintained its focus on the effective generation of business and managed to secure the early scheduling of more than six thousand meetings that were held between buyers, travel agents, and exhibitors. WTM Latin America contents are available in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Next event: 14 – 16 April 2025, Expo Center Norte, São Paulo, Brasil
latinamerica.wtm.com
WTM Africa launched in 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa. In 2024, WTM Africa facilitated more than 10 thousand unique pre-scheduled appointments, an increase of more than 8% compared to 2023 and welcomed more than 10 thousand visitors (unaudited), 25% more than 2023.
Next event: 9 to 11 April 2025 – Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town http://africa.wtm.com/
About ATW Connect: Africa Travel Week’s digital arm, is a virtual hub packed to the seams with interesting content, industry news and insights, and the opportunity to hear from experts on a variety of topics in our new monthly webinar series. All with the aim to keep all of us in the travel and tourism industry connected. ATW Connect focuses on inbound and outbound markets for general leisure tourism, luxury travel and the MICE/business travel sector as well as travel technology.
WTM Global Hub, is the WTM Portfolio online portal created to connect and support travel industry professionals around the world. The resource hub offers the latest guidance and knowledge to help exhibitors, buyers and others in the travel industry face the challenges of the global coronavirus pandemic. WTM Portfolio is tapping into its global network of experts to create content for the hub. https://hub.wtm.com/
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