Las Vegas, NV  — Five travel journalists captured top honors in the U.S. Travel Association's and Brand USA's 2021 IPW Travel Writer Awards competition, sponsored by Resorts World Las Vegas. The winners were announced today during a media reception at IPW, the U.S. Travel Association's annual international inbound travel trade show, in Las Vegas. U.S. Travel, which coordinates the awards, received more than 100 entries from journalists representing five continents. The winners are as follows:

Best IPW Host City (Anaheim, California) — Jennifer Merrick, a contributor to Canadian World Traveller Magazine, took top honors in this category. The “Best IPW Host City” category judges media placements that highlight the most recent IPW host city destination. After attending IPW 2019 in Anaheim, California, Merrick's “California Dreaming in Anaheim” story drew a line from the city's mid-19th century resettling to today's theme parks. The judges felt her story was creative and did a great job of describing potential traveler experiences.

Neil Murray, a freelance travel journalist from the United Kingdom, was a finalist in this category. His article, “California dreamin',” was published in the Scottish Sunday Mail.

Best Trade Publication Article — Lauren Jarvis, a freelance travel writer from the United Kingdom, took top honors in the trade category for her article, “Highways to Heaven,” published in Selling Travel magazine. Jarvis set out to discover the star attractions of the Golden State by putting the pedal to the metal and taking the road trip of a lifetime along California's Pacific Coast Highway. The judges remarked that her descriptive writing and first-person narrative were inspiring.

Two additional writers were recognized as finalists in the trade category: Cristina Melis (Italy), editor of L'Agenzia Di Viaggi Magazine, for her article “La città sulla baia: San Diego festeggia 250 anni di storia” and Ann Rupenstein (Canada), managing editor of Travel Courier, for her article “Experience the magic of The Beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel.”

Best U.S. Travel Destination — Due to the high number of outstanding entries in this category, three winners are selected annually by the judges.

The first winner was Irish journalist Fionn Davenport for his article, “In search of the kind of America I'd always heard about in Michigan,” published in The Irish Times. Davenport's article painted a vivid picture of the Lower Peninsula, from the beach town where Ernest Hemingway spent his childhood summers to the Irish connections he saw as he drove through the area, with counties named after Antrim, Clare, Roscommon and Robert Emmet. The judges enjoyed his first-person narrative featuring engagement with residents and his examination of the local culture.

The second winner for “Best U.S. Travel Destination Article” was Brazilian travel writer Mari Vidigal, for her piece Da Califórnia À Florida De Motorhome (Ou De Trailer): Roteiro Detalho Dessa Jornada Incrível Pelos EUA (From California to Florida by Motorhome: A Detailed Roadmap Across the USA), published in her popular blog, Ideias na mala (Ideas in a Suitcase). The judges enjoyed Vidigal's engaging and comprehensive account of her family's ten-week RV journey across the United States.

Cecilia Nuñez, editor-in-chief of the Mexican edition of Food and Travel magazine, was the third winner in the “Best U.S. Travel Destination Article” category. Nuñez's article, “La conjura del ritmo” (The Conjuring of the Rhythm), explored the dazzling fusion of culture, music and vibrance that is infectious throughout the streets of New Orleans. The judges remarked that Nuñez's vibrant writing conveyed the energy of New Orleans by really digging into the culture and evolution of the city.

Finalists in the “Best U.S. Travel Destination Article” category were Lynn Houghton, a freelance travel writer from the United Kingdom, for her article on San Diego, “Border Song,” published in OutThere magazine; and Rosemary McClure, a freelance travel writer from the United States, for her article, “Wine tasting in Napa and Sonoma will never be the same. Here's why that's a good thing,” featured in the Los Angeles Times.

During their evaluation of the entries, this year's panel of judges looked for articles that featured original ideas and exceptional storytelling skills, as well as writing that would inspire readers to travel to the United States.

The IPW Travel Writer Awards competition is held annually. Each of the winning writers receives $1,000 U.S. and an award certificate. This year's competition was sponsored by Resorts World Las Vegas, the Strip's newest integrated resort.

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About U.S. Travel Association

U.S. Travel Association is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the travel industry. In 2020, travel generated $1.5 trillion in economic output and supported 11 million jobs, a drastic decline from pre-pandemic figures. U.S. Travel's mission is to increase travel to and within the United States. U.S. Travel owns and operates IPW, country's leading international inbound travel trade show. Visit ustravel.org for information and recovery-related data.

About Resorts World Las Vegas  
Resorts World Las Vegas was developed by Genting Berhad, a publicly traded Malaysian corporation registered with the Nevada Gaming Commission. The company has affiliated operations in the Americas, Malaysia, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the Bahamas. In partnership with Hilton, Resorts World Las Vegas integrates three of Hilton's premium brands into its resort campus, including Las Vegas Hilton, the resort's full-service brand; Conrad Las Vegas, Hilton's lifestyle luxury brand; and LXR, Hilton's network of independent luxury properties, which operates as Crockfords Las Vegas, Genting's internationally renowned ultra-luxury brand. Resorts World Las Vegas features 3,506 guest rooms and suites, an innovative, next-generation gaming floor, world-class food and beverage options, a 5,000-capacity theatre, distinct nightlife venues, a curated retail collection of designer and boutique shops and more. The integrated resort weaves time-honored traditions of the international Resorts World brand into the fabric of Las Vegas, introducing a bold, fresh take on hospitality to the city with stunning design, progressive technology and world-class guest service. Resorts World Las Vegas is Sharecare Health Security VERIFIED™ with Forbes Travel Guide, a verification that ensures the resort has appropriate health safety procedures in place. For more information, visit www.rwlasvegas.com or find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.