News and feedback
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Atlas : putting destinations on the map »
The International Travel Writers Alliance has launched Atlas its integrated service for travel industry partners and agencies with travel related clients.
Through Atlas, the Alliance will devise a unique package for each destination which will include :
- generating hundred's of story ideas and photographic opportunities
- staging travel workshops, networking events awards ceremonies
- running travel symposiums, and
- arranging individual and group press trips.
In addition, the Atlas package will help destinations broaden their appeal by securing coverage of it in a wide range of non-tourist publications.
As well as generating media interest the Alliance will also manage the response from individual journalists.
Ashley Gibbins, Director General of the Alliance says :
“The current economic climate will bring challenging times for destinations around the world and Atlas has been designed to help them remain on the tourist map.
“Atlas enables destinations access a unique and highly cost-effective package of services that will reach and influence over 7,350 professional travel writers, broadcasters and photographers worldwide.
“And with AllWays (www.allwaystraveller.com), its consumer travel service, the can also ensure our writers and photographers produce text and images on destinations and travel pursuits for the AllWays traveller e-newsletter and the online travel features and guides
For more information on the Atlas service from the Alliance call Ashley Gibbins on 0776 419 8286 or email ashley@itwalliance.com.
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Alliance unveils its services to the travel industry
The International Travel Writers Alliance has unveiled its news package of services to the travel industry and to agencies with travel related clients.
The Alliance can support the travel industry through the following distribution initiatives :
The Alliance bulletin
The Alliance will be happy to include items in its bi-monthly bulletin.
The Destination dossier
The Alliance can work with who and its partners on the production of a detailed media dossier.
The dossier will be:
distributed to all 7,200 members of the Alliance as an attachment to a covering email, and published on the Alliance website in a word format that is easy to use and download.
In addition, items from the dossier can be used for items in the Alliance bulletin when a link to it will be included.
The dossier can also be used by who and other partners for their own press pack material.
Finally the dossier can form the briefing document for all independent and group press trips.
Once produced the dossier can be updated and reissued annually at minimal cost.
1. The Alliance alert
This is a special alerts to Alliance members to notify them of particular events, activities and initiatives.
The alert will also appear on the Alliance website and be included in the Alerts section of the bi-monthly bulletin.
A brief version of the alert will also appear on the ‘roll bar’ at the top of every Alliance web page.
The Alliance can also provide a range of website services including:
2. The partner profiles
All partners and agencies can register with the Alliance and have their profiles placed in the partner or agency profiles section of the Alliance website.
3. The portfolio pages
Partners and agencies can also have a dedicated page in the, soon to be created, portfolios section of the website.
This page containing copy, images and advertising messages, as appropriate, would be accessed via the profile pages and by direct access.
4. The Alliance viewfinder package
Alliance partners and agencies can place information on group and individual press trip facilities in the Opportunities section of the Alliance website.
The Alliance can support the travel industry through the following consultancy initiatives:
6. Networking events
The Alliance is able to work with the travel industry in organising UK or USA press networking events which bring together the what travel partners and agencies with professional travel writers, editors, broadcasters and photographers.
7. Press trip management
The Alliance is able to support the planning, arranging and running of group and individual press trips.
Partners and agencies can place images of the what as 26 images throughout the Alliance website with a caption and web link to each.
Reference to these will be made in the bi-monthly published while the images are live.
5. The opportunities
AllWays
The Alliance can also provide a range of services to the travel industry through AllWays – its new consumer travel service.
Distribution services
8. AllWays traveller e-newsletter
Items and images on can appear in AllWays traveller, the monthly e-newsletter to subscribers.
9. AllWays traveller to
A special AllWays traveller can be produced and sent to all subscribers.
10. The AllWays alert
The AllWays alert is a special email to AllWays subscribers.
11. The AllWays viewfinder package
The viewfinder package will enable partners and agencies to select the images at the top of the home pages of the AllWays website with a web link.
12. AllWays online
Travel Writers who visit a destination can produce features and images on the what for AllWays online – the travel features archive.
Alliance members visiting the destination through an Alliance organised press trip they will be asked to agree to produce a feature when accepting a place on the trip.
13. AllWays more
The AllWays more mini-guides will provide essential information and images on a particular destination or travel pursuit.
14. The AllWays travel club
The AllWays travel club section of the website enables the travel industry to offer discounts and incentives to AllWays subscribers who book direct with them.
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Alliance and AllWays alerts
The International Travel Writers Alliance can now send out alerts, on behalf of its travel industry partners to Alliance members and AllWays subscribers.
Alliance alerts
Alliance alerts provide specific information of genuine interest to 7,200 professional travel writers, editors, broadcasters and photographers.
This can be to alert them to a new project or product or other initiative or activity or to a press trip opportunity or networking event.
AllWays alerts
The AllWays alerts perform a similar role but from
a consumer travel perspective.
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News : The International Travel Writers Alliance launched crisis management service
The International Travel Writers Alliance has launched a support service for destinations going through a period of crisis following a disaster.
The Alliance knows the long-term damage that short-term news media coverage of a natural or other disaster can do.
The Alliance and AllWays – its consumer travel service – can support a destination to recover from the crisis by :
- placiing out specific dispatches to members
- producing a detailed destination dossier
- placing images of the destination throughout the Alliance website
- staging media networking events, and
- organising individual and group press trips.
Through AllWays the Alliance can :
- put item and images in the AllWays traveller newsletter
- produce a special AllWays traveller newsletter on the destination
- place images of the destination throughout the home pages of the AllWays website
- run a series of features on the destination in AllWays online
- produce an AllWays more mini-guide to the destination, and
- display offers and incentives in the AllWays travel club.
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News : Alliance numbers exceed 7,200
Membership of the International Travel Writers Alliance has exceeded 7,200.
The Alliance now sends its information to over 7,200 professional travel writers, editor, photographers and broadcasters.
Membership is increasing by an average of 55 a month.
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News: Alliance reaches 7,200 members at second anniversary
The International Travel Writers Alliance has celebrated its second anniversary by revealing that it has over 7,200 members.
These are all individuals with a 'genuine and professional interest in travelling to write, edit, broadcast or create images.
The Alliance launched in June 2006 with 800 members (from the previous Chartered Institute of Journalists Travel Writers).
This number had increased to over 4,500 on its first anniversary and has risen by another 2,700 in the last 12 months.
Membership is currently increasing by approximately 78 a month.
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News: Alliance members contribute features to AllWays online
Members of the International Travel Writers Alliance have begun contributing images and features for AllWays online
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News: Alliance stresses its 'opportunities and responsibilities' philosophy
The International Travel Writers Alliance has reiterated its operating philosophy of opportunities and responsibilities.
While Alliance members have the opportunity to visit destinations worldwide, as the guest of travel industry partners and their agencies, they also have a responsibility to act professionally at all times.
In particular, the Alliance stresses that members requesting group or independent 'press' trip facilities should ...be on assignment, have a commission or be able to obtain one.
In return Alliance partners and their agencies should understand their responsibility for providing Alliance members with the information they need to complete an assignment.
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News: Stakeholder registration in full flow
The International Travel Writers Alliance is stepping up the official registration of its
stakeholders who are :
- Members (travel writers, broadcasters and photographers)
- Editors
- Partners (travel industry representatives), and
- Agencies (those with travel related clients)
The registration process, which is free, enables the Alliance to work more effectively with all sectors of the industry.
The online profiles, submitted by stakeholders, also provides valuable for use by all of the Alliance's members, editors, partners and agencies.°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
News: Destination Cultural Orlando
The International Travel Writers Alliance has published Destination cultural Orlando, a media dossier detailing the reasons to feature Orlando from an arts and culture perspective.
The dossier has been produced with the Orlando Peabody alliance for Arts and Culture and sponsored by the Peabody Hotel, Orlando.
Other destination dossiers in the series include :
- Destination Luxembourg
- Destination South Dakota
- Destination Rab (Croatia), and
- Destination Taiwan
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News: Alliance bulletin goes bi-monthy
The International Travel Writers Alliance is increasing the frequency of its bulletin for once to twice a month.
This will help to accommodate the increasing demand from the travel industry to include items without overloading Alliance members.
The Alliance bulletin is distributed to its 7,000 plus members and 850 plus editors.
It is also syndicated to travel writers groups in the USA and Canada.
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News: Alliance launches AllWays traveller website
The International Travel Writers Alliance has launched www.AllWaystraveller.com the official website for AlWays – the consumer travel service from the Alliance.1 April 2008.
The site will contain a home page with link to the registration form to enable individuals to become AllWays travellers by subscribing for free to the service.
The official launch of the AllWays service takes place the first week of July 2008.
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News: Alliance introduces its AllWays travellers
The International Travel Writers Alliance has introduced its AllWays travellers – the subscribers to its new consumer travel service.
AllWays travellers will enjoy the finest travel writing and images from the Alliance’s 7,000 professional travel writers, editors, broadcasters and photographers and take advantage of the many offers and incentives from a wide range of travel partners.
AllWays travellers, will be individuals worldwide who enjoy a zest for life and a passion for travel.
As well as visiting popular travel and tourist destinations, AllWays travellers will also be interested in seeking out new and unusual destinations and travel pursuits.
AllWays travellers will also have a genuine interest in the culture and character of the places they visit and will want to travel in ways that are economically, socially and environmentally responsible.
Finally AllWays travellers will welcome the fact that AllWays helps them to make the most of two very precious resources – their time and money.
Individuals will become AllWays travellers by subscribing free on the AllWays website.
In doing so they will provide contact and lifestyle information, which will enable the Alliance to work with its partners and their agencies in providing AllWays travellers with carefully targetedtravel information.
The Alliance will be encouraging its 7,000 travel writers, editors, broadcasters and photographers to subscribe and to persuade their own family, friends and colleagues to do the same.
In addition, every AllWays traveller will be encouraged to pass on the message about AllWays.
The Alliance’s partners and agencies will also be encouraged to pass on information about AllWays and, together, this should ensure a substantial consumer base that will be keen to enjoy the travel features and images from Alliance members and the incentives and initiatives from its partners and their agencies.°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
News: Alliance launches new website
The International Travel Writers Alliance has unveiled its new branding and launched its new website.
In keeping with the global nature of the Alliance, the website has been designed by web wizard Malgorzata Bednarz.
Contact:
Malgorzata Bednarz designer at darkego.net
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Feedback
I just wanted to tell you again how much I LOVE your announcements. I'm working on my third private press trip, all beautifully arranged, through contacts from your newsletter. Your's is -BY FAR- the best of all that I receive. Keep up the good work-and I owe you a drink, or 2, next time I'm in town.
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News: Alliance announces rebranding and market positioning
On its first anniversary, the International Travel Writers Alliance has announced plans for a rebranding and refocusing of its market position within the travel industry.
The Alliance, which provides key information, in a no-frills format, for professionals who travel to write, broadcast or create images, now has over 7,000 members.
It has also established links publishing editors and forged relationships with a wide range of travel industry partners and agencies.
As part of its new focus the Alliance has identified four key stakeholder groups:- Members
Writers, broadcasters and photographers with a genuine and professional interest in travel - Editors
Commissioning editors in the press, broadcast and e-media and publishing editors of travel related guides and publications - Partners
Representatives of tourist associations and convention and visitor bureaux; transport operators and travel agencies; resort hotels and accommodation providers and those offering leisure and entertainment facilities. - Agencies
Representatives of public relations, marketing and advertising agencies and communications consultancies with travel industry clients.
The Alliance will be looking to unveil its new branding during World Travel Market in November 2007 and will roll out a range of new initiatives during 2008.
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News : Alliance heads into new year with 5,000 members
The International Travel Writers Alliance has recruited over 3,500 members in is first six months of operation.
The Alliance, a successor to the Chartered Institute of Journalists Travel Writers, provides key information, in a no-frills format, for professionals who travel to write, broadcast or create images.
"Our first six months have been tremendous", said Vice-president, Charo Moreno Pardo. "Over 3,500 travel professionals have decided to join us and we have also forged links with partners and agencies throughout the travel industry".
The Alliance is set to reach 7,000 members during 2007.
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News: New alliance for professionals who travel to write, broadcast or create images
The International Travel Writers Alliance has been set up to provide key information, in a no-frills format, for professionals who travel to write, broadcast or create images.
It will also embrace those editors who write from a travel perspective or who are in a position to consider commissioning work from travel writers.
The Alliance is a natural successor to the Chartered Institute of Journalists Travel Writers, which has been providing a service to travel writers through its Freelance group since 2003.
"The new Alliance will be of value to any professional who travels to writes and not just those who write about travel", said Alliance president, Ashley Gibbins.
"While many travel writers write about leisure and business travel pursuits, others will be interested in lifestyle, economic, political, social, education and other issues - from a global perspective".
Alliance information will also go to key media contacts in tourist associations' and convention and visitor bureaux; hotels and resorts; transport operators and public relations agencies with travel related clients.
In this way the Alliance will also look to act as a catalyst for promoting a genuine understanding of the importance of professional co-operation between all those involved in the travel writing industry.
"Over 1,500 travel writers, broadcasters and photojournalists already receive information from the Alliance and this figure is growing by the week as fellow professionals see the value of joining our ranks", said Ashley Gibbins.
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Feedback
A selection of the feedback received since the launch of the Alliance in June 2006 :
I'm a travel writer, travel editor and photographer based in Southern California and a vice-president of the North American Travel Journalists Association. Thank you for your continued good work.
Just wanted to tell you from across the water, that I think you're doing a fantastic job getting the word out on interesting press trips and story ideas. Thanks for all your hard work."
Congratulations again. Your work is astounding and to include so many editors and travel reps is extraordinary.
Keep up the excellent work on your Alliance newsletter. It is extremely informative, very well-produced, up-to-date and helpful in many ways.
I just received your current issue of the bulletin - my first - and I must tell you that I am so impressed with the quality of the content. I have already requested more info from eight of your PR contacts on stories I am eager to pitch to U.S. publications. Thank you for putting together such a thoughtful collection of story ideas. I look forward to receiving your bulletin every month.
Just an email to say thank you for your work in helping us travel writers travel and write. I have picked up some very good trips and copy from several of your listings. It is very helpful to be aware of the general climate and markets.
Well I certainly didnt expect the amount of emails we've had flooding in the past few hours! I cant believe it! There is alot of interest which is great."
Thank you so much for including our item in the Travel Writers Bulletin. We've already had several requests for further information from journalists, which is wonderful.
I just received your current issue of the bulletin - my first - and I must tell you that I am so impressed with the quality of the content. I have already requested more info from eight of your PR contacts on stories I am eager to pitch to U.S. publications. Thank you for putting together such a thoughtful collection of story ideas. I look forward to receiving your bulletin every month.
I think I once asked you to stop sending me this as I think I'd been just too busy to read it. However, you resumed not long ago, when I think you maybe started sending it to all members of the BGTW. I just wanted to let you now that I'm very glad you did. It is brilliant for tips and information. Keep it coming!