SINGAPORE, 21 OCTOBER 2024—TravMedia today announced the launch of the TravMedia Awards Asia, an awards platform for travel media, PRs, and influencers across Asia. The winners will  be revealed at IMM Asia 2025.

Asia is the second global region to launch the TravMedia Awards series, following the UK's creation in 2019. The TravMedia Awards UK were quickly established as one of the highest-profile events in the travel industry calendar.

To celebrate the announcement, TravMedia revealed four initial winners of the TravMedia Awards Asia in front of a packed industry audience at The TravMedia Summit 2024, taking place as part of IMM Asia at Equarius Hotel, Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore.

Nick Wayland, TravMedia CEO and Founder, said: “The TravMedia Awards have become a memorable event in the UK's travel industry calendar, and we're thrilled to announce we are bringing them to Asia.

“We look forward to announcing full details of the categories and sponsorship opportunities next year, after which we'll be counting down with immense anticipation to the big reveal of the Award winners at IMM Asia 2025.”

The four winners announced this year were:

TravMedia Lifetime Achievement Award
Siew Hua Lee – Travel Editor of The Straits Times

Siew Hua has worked in Washington, where she established the US Bureau for The Straits Times and later joined the World Bank as a consultant. In Bangkok, she covered Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam and Cambodia as a foreign correspondent. Since becoming ST's first Travel Editor, she has traveled to all seven continents and continues to inspire her readers to explore the world.

TravMedia Lifetime Achievement Award
Reene Ho-Phang – Founder BrandStory Asia

BrandStory Asia is an award-winning Brand Representation and Digital PR Consultancy with offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Hong Kong, Taipei and Singapore. BrandStory's portfolio of clients includes Brand USA, Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority, Hawai'i Tourism Authority, TripAdvisor, NYC & Company, Washington DC, Travel Alaska, Australia's Northern Territory, Visit Luxembourg, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, Skyscanner and Universal Studios Hollywood .

TravMedia Campaign of the Year
Accor – ALL - Accor Live Limitless Jazzes Up the Jakarta International BNI Java Jazz Festival 2024

This release was the most-read press release on TravMedia Asia in 2024 and part of a broader campaign showcasing the Accor Live Limitless loyalty program in Asia and its support of music and culture in the destinations in which it operates.

TravMedia Travel Writer of the Year
Claire Turrell – This Day of Silence Brings a Fresh Start for Bali's New Year (National Geographic)

Claire's evocative story about Bali's Nyepi Festival in National Geographic was the most-read story on TravMedia Asia in 2024.

The TravMedia Awards Asia 2025 will honor the finest journalistic, influencer, and PR achievements in travel and set a new bar for recognizing each sub-sector's finest output.

Highlights will include Travel Writer of the Year, Influencer of the Year, and PR of the Year. Media titles, editors and freelance writers will all enjoy opportunities for glory. In the Influencer and PR categories, a range of Awards will be up for grabs for brands and individuals alike.

The formal launch of TravMedia Awards Asia 2025, the categories, and the entry process will be announced in early 2025.

The Awards are independent, not linked to any grouping or association, and open to all journalists, influencers, and PR professionals. They will be adjudicated by an expert panel of judges from across Asia's travel industry, including senior trade executives, media figures and commentators, and communications heads.

For more information, visit travmedia.com/awards

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About IMM

TravMedia's IMM is the world's leading travel industry event for travel brands and destinations to connect with the media. The TravMedia Summit, held on day one of IMM, is the forum for the travel industry to connect and learn from our most influential leaders. The one-day conference brings together travel PR professionals, editors, and travel writers to inspire ideas, share insights, and discuss the trends, opportunities, and challenges affecting our industry.

In its twelfth year, IMM hosts over 2,500 media and international travel brands annually in seven countries worldwide. Upcoming International Media Marketplace events include IMM North America in NYC on 22-23 January 2025; IMM Australia in Sydney on 13-14 February 2025; IMM UK in London on 17-18 February 2025; IMM Germany in Berlin on 3 March 2025; IMM France in Paris on 12 March 2025; IMM Brazil in São Paulo on 11 April 2025; IMM Asia in October 2025; and soon to be announced, IMM Middle East.

For more information, visit  travmedia.com/imm .

Lauren Moelk
Chief Communications Officer
lauren.moelk@travmedia.com 

Julie Ott
Chief Marketing Officer
Julie.Ott@travmedia.com

About TravMedia

TravMedia is the travel industry's only global media network. Founded in 1999 by Nick Wayland, a former travel editor seeking an easier way to research and report travel news, TravMedia is the one-stop solution trusted by travel PRs and media to network and share press releases, stories and ideas. The platform hosts thriving online communities and is an essential daily tool for collaborating and developing long-lasting professional relationships. 

TravMedia provides global travel newsfeeds and connects more than 25,000 travel media and more than 20,000 travel brand PRs worldwide via an online newsroom, press release distribution, events, Journalist Alerts and daily industry updates. To learn more and register for TravMedia, visit  travmedia.com .