AFRICA Travel Week (ATW) has officially opened submissions for its 2026 ATW Media Awards, inviting journalists, photographers, videographers, and digital content creators across the continent to showcase stories that celebrate Africa’s diverse travel and tourism sector.
The annual awards aim to recognise outstanding work in journalism, photography, and videography that inspires wanderlust, champions responsible tourism, and highlights the authentic spirit of African destinations to a global audience.
A statement by the organisation noted that a distinguished panel of international experts including Ellie Rothnie, wildlife photographer and Canon ambassador; Kojo Bentum-Williams, founder of VoyagesAfriq; Barry Nield, Global Editor of CNN Travel; Divia Thani, Global Editorial Director of Condé Nast Traveller; and Tom Hall, Vice President at Lonely Planet, will evaluate entries.
The awards span five categories: Sustainability Feature, Visual Tourism, Tourism News, Destination Feature, and Young Talent, each recognising excellence in storytelling, visual presentation, or journalistic mastery.
Entries must have been published or broadcast between 1 January and 31 December 2025, with the submission deadline set for 16 January 2026. Participants can submit multiple entries per category free of charge and must comply with the awards’ format requirements.
Winners will be announced at the Africa Travel Week Travel Leaders Lunch, with dates and locations to be communicated in advance.
For submissions and more information, media practitioners can visit the Africa Travel Week website or contact wtmafrica.helpline@reedexpoafrica.co.za.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M