*** WINNERS PUBLISHED IN FULL AT END OF RELEASE ***

The winners of the TravMedia Awards UK 2025 were announced tonight at a sold-out gala dinner at The Londoner, Leicester Square, with Greg Dickinson, Senior Travel Writer of The Telegraph announced as the new Travel Writer of the Year, in an evening that also saw wins for media titles including The Daily Telegraph, The Sun, National Geographic Traveller, and TTG Media.

Hosted by top broadcaster Vernon Kay, the packed event (https://travmedia.com/awardsuk/) drew almost over 300 top media, content creators, PR professionals and industry executives.

Dickinson won Consumer Staff Writer of the Year, with his entry leading to him securing the night's overall top accolade. Judges commented: “Greg has established himself as a go-to for travel news and trends. He approaches travel writing with the curiosity of an investigative reporter.”

The Outstanding Contribution Award was awarded to two of the nation's top travel editors: Mark Palmer, departing Travel Editor of the Daily Mail, and Nigel Thompson, Travel Editor of Reach's National Newspaper titles. Diversity Champion was awarded to BBC broadcaster Paul Carter for his programmes showing how technology is assisting disabled travellers enjoy a richer experience in many sectors of travel.

Highly commended in Travel Writer of the Year was Sarah Baxter, who earlier won Domestic Travel Writer of the Year. Freelance Writer of the Year went to Laura Millar; Specialist Writer of the Year for a Destination was landed by Chris Leadbeater (USA), and Sophie Morgan secured Specialist Writer of the Year for a Topic (Accessible Air Travel).

Uwern Jong won the inaugural Luxury Travel Writer of the Year Award, while Phoebe Smith took Sustainability Writer of the Year. Madeleine Barber, Head of Partner Content at TTG Media, was named Trade Staff Writer of the Year for the second year running, and Toyo Odetunde became the new Media Rising Star of the Year.

Julia Buckley's exclusive 'How the three-year cruise fell apart' for CNN Travel was named Exclusive of the Year, while Jonathan Thompson took home the Feature of the Year Award for an article on Baja California published in The Times.

Telegraph Travel won National Broadsheet Newspaper Travel Section of the Year, while The Sun took National Tabloid Newspaper Travel Section of the Year. National Geographic Traveller once again landed the spoils in the intensely fought Travel Magazine of the Year category. TechXplore Paris (BBC), presented by Paul Carter, won Broadcast Programme of the Year.

TTG Media landed both Travel Media Website of the Year and Trade Publication of the Year. Consumer Magazine Travel Section was won for the second time on the trot by Woman & Home.

The honours in the PR Awards were landed by Hannah Mulvey of Gosh PR, this year's PR Professional of the Year; FINN Partners, winners of PR Agency of the Year with FINN's Amy Skelding also winning PR Business Leader of the Year; Intrepid Travel the new In-House Team of the Year; G Adventures, winners of PR Campaign of the Year and Joyce Oladeinde, of Crescendo Digital, named the PR Rising Star of the Year.

In the Content Creator Awards, the prestigious Content Creator of the Year Award went to Cora Harrison of InsideOurSuitcase ; Blogger of the Year was scooped by Jonny & Hannah Verman of Finding Our Adventure, and Rising Star of the Year went to Danielle Flynn, Danielle's Travel Blog.

The Awards honour the finest journalistic, content creator and PR achievements in travel, and attracted another record response this year, with registrations up a staggering 20%.

The TravMedia Awards (https://travmedia.com/awards/) are now the leading global awards platform for the travel media, travel communicators and travel content creators, with ceremonies in 2025/26 planned across the entire globe.

Said Louise Napier, Managing Director of Travel UK: “Oh what a night! Thanks to everyone who made the TravMedia Awards 2025 a pulsating evening, and huge congratulations to Greg Dickinson, Mark Palmer, Nigel Thompson, Paul Carter and all our other winners on their considerable achievements! Oh, and superb work Vernon Kay, who the audience all loved.

“We witnessed a huge entry this year, and it was great to see so many new finalists and winners. We're also excited by all the TravMedia Awards rolling out globally across TravMedia's regions. TravMedia unites the travel industry with the media and content creators around the world, so it's incredibly rewarding to see all that talent gaining global recognition!”

This year's TravMedia Awards category sponsors were Deep South USA, G Adventures, Gran Canaria Tourism, Hyatt Hotels, MMGY, Princess Cruises, Protected Trust Services, Rocky Mountaineer, Switzerland Tourism, Tourism Australia, True Traveller, VisitPITTSBURGH, and Visit San Antonio.. The drinks reception sponsor was once again Hong Kong, and the destination sponsor was Universal Destinations & Experiences.

The reputation of the Awards also depends heavily on the judges appointed to review entries. This year's line-up of judges yet again comprises an array of talent from across the media, communications and the wider travel industry. As with all previous years, TravMedia has ensured lots of change, with 15 of the 38 selected judges not involved in the Awards in 2024, and with any returning judges handed fresh categories to adjudicate.

Ends 

THE TRAVMEDIA AWARDS 2025 – THE WINNERS AND FINALISTS

 

THE CONTENT CREATOR AWARDS 

CONTENT CREATOR, RISING STAR OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Danielle Flynn, Danielle's Travel Blog

FINALISTS:

• Angharad Paull, Down Somerset Way
• Elise Myette, Elise Abroad
• Holly Lavender, Budget Bon Voyage
• Natalie Lynch, Grab Your Luggage

 

CONTENT CREATOR - BLOGGER OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Jonny & Hannah Verman, Finding Our Adventure

FINALISTS:

• Angharad Paull, Down Somerset Way
• Bella Falk, Passport & Pixels
• Brock and Betty Jeffrey, Brock and Betty
• Toti Maisto and Alessia Vurchio, Passport and Stamps

 

CONTENT CREATOR - CONTENT CREATOR OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by VisitPITTSBURGH

WINNER: Cora Harrison, InsideOurSuitcase

FINALISTS:

• Abigail King, Inside The Travel Lab
• Alex Hunter, Attaché
• Bella Falk, Passport & Pixels
• Claudia de Cesaris, In The Snow
• Kate Woodley, Kate Across Borders

 

THE PR AWARDS 

 

PR - RISING STAR OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Joyce Oladeinde, Crescendo Digital

FINALISTS:

• Bella Walls, Black Diamond
• Holly Burridge, Lotus
• Isabel Leon-Campos, FINN Partners
• Scarlet Fox, MMGY Grifco
• Tamzin Pinfold, FINN Partners

 

PR - PR CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR

WINNER: G Adventures, Project Viet-Man

FINALISTS:

• ABTA - Travel with Confidence
• Clover PR & Audley Travel - The Responsible Packing Guide
• FINN Partners & Visit Orlando – Orlando: Beyond the Theme Parks
• G Adventures - Project Viet-Man
• Princess Cruises - Cost of Loving
• Screaming Frog & InsureMyTrip - Inspiring travel PR boosts organic purchases by 123%

 

PR - IN-HOUSE PR TEAM OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Intrepid Travel

FINALISTS:

• ABTA
• Eurostar
• Intrepid Travel
• Preferred Hotels & Resorts
• Universal Destinations & Experiences
• VisitEngland

 

PR - PR AGENCY OF THE YEAR

WINNER: FINN Partners

FINALISTS:

• FINN Partners
• Fox Communications
• J/PR
• LOTUS
• Reed PR
• Spotlight Communications

 

PR PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Hannah Mulvey, Gosh PR

FINALISTS:

• Chloe Berman, Intrepid Travel
• Deborah Welsh, AM+A Marketing and Media Relations
• Hannah Mulvey, Gosh PR
• Kaya Cheshire, Eurostar
• Kylie Bawden, FINN Partners
• Natalie Bigbie, Lotus

 

PR - PR BUSINESS LEADER OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Amy Skelding, FINN Partners

FINALISTS:

• Abi Best, Lemongrass Marketing
• Jules Ugo, Lotus
• Lynsey Devon, Heaven Publicity

 

THE MEDIA AWARDS 

 

MEDIA - RISING STAR OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by True Traveller

WINNER: Toyo Odetunde

FINALISTS:

• Caroline Butterwick
• Clio Wood
• Kira Richards
• Queenie Shaikh
• Sam Kemp

 

MEDIA - TRADE STAFF WRITER OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Madeleine Barber, Head of Partner Content, TTG Media

FINALISTS:

• Beverley Fearis, Editor, The Business Travel Magazine
• Emma Dooney, Luxury Travel Reporter, TTG Media
• Katherine Masters, Features Editor, TTG Media
• Steve Hartridge, Editorial Director, Selling Travel
• Stuart Forster, Editor, BMI Publishing

 

MEDIA - DOMESTIC TRAVEL WRITER OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Sarah Baxter

FINALISTS:

• Ailsa Sheldon
• Daniel Stables
• Ed Grenby
• Fiona Whitty
• Helen Ochyra

 

MEDIA - SPECIALIST TRAVEL WRITER OF THE YEAR (DESTINATION)

Sponsored by MMGY

WINNER: Chris Leadbeater

FINALISTS:

• Ben Aitken
• Charlotte Wigram-Evans
• Imogen LePere
• Jacqui Agate
• Mike MacEacheran

 

MEDIA - SPECIALIST TRAVEL WRITER OF THE YEAR (TOPIC)

WINNER: Sophie Morgan

FINALISTS:

• Adrian Bridge
• Lauren Jarvis
• Oliver Smith
• Sarah Marshall
• Tristan Rutherford

 

MEDIA - SUSTAINABILITY TRAVEL WRITER OF THE YEAR

WINNER:  Phoebe Smith

FINALISTS:

• Ben Olsen
• Diana Jarvis
• Emma Gregg
• Jessica Vincent
• Madeleine Barber
• Mike MacEacheran

 

MEDIA - CONSUMER STAFF WRITER OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by Hyatt

WINNER:  Greg Dickinson, Senior Travel Writer, The Telegraph

FINALISTS

• Cathy Adams, Senior Commissioning Editor, The Times
• Chris Leadbeater, Travel Correspondent, The Telegraph
• Francesca Street, Writer and Digital Producer, CNN Travel
• Niki Blasina, Deputy Editor, FT Globetrotter
• Sophie Dickinson, Travel Writer, The Telegraph

 

MEDIA - FREELANCE WRITER OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by Switzerland Tourism

WINNER:  Laura Millar

FINALISTS

• Christopher Beanland
• Ed Grenby
• Eddi Fiegel
• Laura Millar
• Qin Xie
• Ruaridh Nicoll

 

BROADCAST PROGRAMME OF THE YEAR

WINNER:  TechXplore Paris, Paul Carter, BBC (TV)

FINALISTS

• Ed Finn's America, Ed Finn, Virgin Media Television (TV)
• Gary Barlow's Wine Tour: South Africa, Charlotte Davis, ITV (TV)
• So You Think You Know Belize, Alex Outhwaite, Sky (TV)
• The Tourist Trap, Rajan Datar, BBC (TV)
• What I Learned From Cycling Across 11 States In America, Simon Parker, Times Travel (YouTube)

 

MEDIA – LUXURY TRAVEL WRITER OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by Rocky Mountaineer

WINNER:  Uwern Jong

FINALISTS

• April Hutchinson
• Charlotte McManus
• Laura French
• Lisa Grainger
• Niki Blasina

 

MEDIA - EXCLUSIVE OF THE YEAR

WINNER:  Julia Buckley: 'How the three-year cruise fell apart' (CNN Travel)

FINALISTS

• Hazel Plush: 'Why election fever could lead to cut-price summer holidays' (The Telegraph)
• James Draven: 'Maldives resort offers novel solution for colour-blind guests' (Condé Nast Traveller)
• Louise Cameron-Hall: 'British skier falls down crevasse as helicopter slides off mountain' (The Telegraph)
• Mark Stratton: 'Inside the Antarctic cruise hunger strike (The Telegraph)
• Saskia O'Donoghue: 'Why cheap medical tourism has become an increasing problem for airlines (The i Paper)

 

MEDIA - FEATURE OF THE YEAR 

Sponsored by Visit San Antonio

WINNER:  Jonathan Thompson in The Times: 'Mexican Waves'

FINALISTS

• Georgia Stephens in National Geographic Traveller: 'Malaysia's Belmond Express is back—here's what it's like aboard Asia's lux tiger train'.
• Jamie Fullerton in The Guardian: 'Why clubbers are raving about Germany's cross-country Techno Train'.
• Mark Parren-Taylor in National Geographic Traveller (UK): 'On Jeju Island, a new generation of South Korean 'mermaids' emerges'.
• Sarah Gillespie in The Times 'I was looking to connect with my late uncle's spirit in North Africa — instead I fell in love'.

 

MEDIA - TRADE PUBLICATION OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by Protected Trust Services

WINNER: TTG Media

FINALISTS:

• hertelier
• Onboard Hospitality
• Selling Travel
• Sustainable Hotel News
• The Business Travel Magazine

 

MEDIA - TRAVEL MEDIA WEBSITE OF THE YEAR 

Sponsored by G Adventures

WINNER: TTG Media

FINALISTS:

• Adventure.com
• Bradt Guides
• CNN Travel
• National Geographic Traveller (UK)
• The iPaper
• The Sun
• TTG Media

 

MEDIA - CONSUMER MAGAZINE TRAVEL SECTION OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by Princess Cruises

WINNER: Woman & Home

FINALISTS:

• Breathe Magazine
• Prima
• Radio Times
• Time Out
• Women's Health

 

MEDIA - TRAVEL MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by Gran Canaria Tourism

WINNER: National Geographic Traveller

FINALISTS:

• JRNY Travel Magazine
• Much Better Adventures Magazine
• New Scientist Discover
• OutThere
• WIZZ Magazine

MEDIA - NATIONAL TABLOID NEWSPAPER TRAVEL SECTION OF THE YEAR

WINNER: The Sun

FINALISTS

• Daily Mail
• Express
• Metro Newspaper
• Mirror
• The Mail on Sunday

 

MEDIA - NATIONAL BROADSHEET NEWSPAPER TRAVEL SECTION OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by Tourism Australia

WINNER: The Daily Telegraph

FINALISTS

• The Daily Telegraph
• The iPaper
• The Independent
• The Sunday Times
• The Times

 

THE SPECIAL AWARDS 

 

DIVERSITY CHAMPION OF THE YEAR
Paul Carter, BBC, Accessible Travel presenter

 

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION AWARD
Mark Palmer, Travel Editor, The Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday

and

Nigel Thompson, Travel Editor, Reach National Newspapers (Express, Mirror, Star, People)

 

TRAVEL WRITER OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by Deep South USA
Greg Dickinson, Senior Travel Writer, The Telegraph

 

THE TRAVMEDIA AWARDS JUDGES 2025

• Adrian Phillips, Managing Director, Bradt Guides
• Amy Dowling, Head of Markets Communications, TUI UK&I
• Amy Skelding, Managing Partner, FINN Partners' UK & Germany Travel Practices
• Andrew McConnell, Deputy Director for Communications & Engagement, UK Civil Aviation Authority
• April Hutchinson, Editor & Publisher, TTG Luxury and TTG Media
• Barry Neild, Global Editor, CNN Travel
• Charlotte Humphrey, PR & Events Manager for Princess Cruises UK and Europe
• Daniel Pearce, CEO and owner, TTG Media
• Eliot Stein, Senior Journalist and Editor, BBC Travel
• Eulanda Shead Osagiede, TV Presenter, Content Creator, Co-Founder of “Hey! Dip Your Toes In”
• Fiona Anderson, Director, GEC PR
• Florian Valmy-Devillers, Business Development Director, Caribbean Tourism Organisation Chapter UK & Europe.
• Fran Lambert Head of Media & Communications (UK & Ireland), Switzerland Tourism
• Graeme Buck, Director of Communications, ABTA – The Travel Association
• Jamie-Lee Abtar, Head of Marketing, Not in the Guidebooks
• Jane Knight, Freelance Travel Journalist and Editor
• Jenni Holman, PR & Brand Communications Director
• Jim Odoire, Managing Director, Black Diamond
• Jules Ugo, CEO, LOTUS
• Julie Giraud, Director, MSL UK
• Laura Millar, Travel Writer and Editor
• Lisa Minot, Head of Travel, The Sun
• Louise Ferrall, Senior Marketing Communications Manager, VisitEngland
• Lucy McKean, Head of PR, one green bean.
• Lysbeth Fox, CEO of Fox Communications
• Marine Teste, Head of Public Relations, Atout France
• Mark Palmer, Travel Editor, Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday
• Nat Frogley, Co-Founder, Frog & Wolf PR.
• Paul Charles, CEO and Founder, The PC Agency
• Phoebe Irving, Head of Marcomms and Special Projects, GEN PLUS Group
• Richard Hammond, Founder and Publishing Director, Green Traveller Media
• Stuart Fyfe, PR Manager UK & Northern Europe, Tourism Australia
• Susan d'Arcy, Luxury Travel and Wellness Editor, The Times and The Sunday Times
• Tolene van der Merwe, Director UK & Ireland, Malta Tourism Authority
• Tracey Poggio-Magnus, UK Head Media and Marketing, Gibraltar Tourist Board and Chair, ANTOR
• Uwern Jong, Experientialist®-in-Chief and co-Founder, OutThere magazine

 

Ends

For information on TravMedia Awards 2025:

Louise Napier

Managing Director, TravMedia UK

T: +44 (0)20 3440 8915

E: louise.napier@travmedia.com

 

EDITORS' NOTES

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.

The technology used by TravMedia has become an essential tool for journalists and PR professionals in their day-to-day activities, as they connect and share information in their working lives.

In the UK, TravMedia is part of a family of websites that also includes Food4Media, Homes4Media.com and Property4Media.com, sites that are all owned by TravMedia.com.

TravMedia operates the worldwide event IMM (International Media Marketplace), a market-leading exhibition-style event connecting the travel industry with journalists and influencers.

The first-ever IMM was held in London in March 2013 and has since expanded to all corners of the earth, with annual events now taking place in countries including the USA, Australia, Germany, and France. IMM in the UK features two days of meetings, professional development sessions and breakout networking events.