Media Awards

Visit USA UK Media Awards 2023 - WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

Check out our video of the day courtesy of Steve Dunlop HERE

6 July 2023

VISIT USA MEDIA AWARDS HONOUR TRAVEL WRITERS FOR CHAMPIONING TRAVEL TO THE USA POST PANDEMIC 

The Visit USA Association UK was delighted to welcome media back to its first in-person Media Awards since the pandemic. The awards ceremony was held at Hyatt Andaz Hotel in London on Wednesday 5 July 2023 and recognized outstanding contribution to USA media coverage since the skies opened and travel to the USA resumed. 

The Association gratefully acknowledges its member sponsors for this year’s awards: 

Visit San Antonio – Headline Sponsor

Daytona Beach Area CVB – Awards Sponsor

Visit Central Florida – Awards Sponsor

New Jersey – Awards Sponsor

 

The full list of the 15 Winners and Highly Commended media, who this year received eco-friendly wooden trophies, are listed below:

Consumer Magazine Feature

Lynn Houghton - Winner

BBC Wildlife Magazine

American Dream

 

Consumer Travel Publication Feature

Jacqui Agate - Winner

Wanderlust

Deep South The Write Way

Tom Burson – Highly Commended

Nat Geo Traveller Food

On the Trail of True’Cue

 

Trade Publication Feature

Lauren Jarvis - Winner

Selling Travel

Reborn in the USA

Qin Xie – Highly Commended

Travel Weekly

USA: On the Bourbon Whiskey trail in Kentucky

 

Regional Feature

Abi Jackson - Winner

PA Media

A Special City Full of Surprises

Hannah Stephenson – Highly Commended

PA Media

Pacific Coast Highway

 

Broadcast including Podcasts

Aaron Millar - Winner

Armchair Productions

Hidden Trails of Oregon, A Travel Podcast

 

Photographic Travel Feature

Simon Urwin - Winner

JRNY

Southern Comforts

 

Online/Digital Feature

Megan Eaves - Winner

The Independent

All Aboard the Pacific Surfliner: a car free journey across America

Alicia Miller – Highly Commended

The Times

25 Reasons to Visit New York right now

 

National Newspaper Feature

Luke Jones - Winner

Sunday Times

Cape Expectations

Zoey Goto – Highly Commended

The Telegraph

Why I Took My Children On An Educational Road Trip Across America

Jonathan Dean – Highly Commended

The Sunday Times

Thrill & Chill

 

Social Media

Helen Wright - Winner

Passport Stamps

Passport Stamps & Visit Florida Social Media Campaign

 

With travel firmly back on the map this year the association also wanted to acknowledge three writers who have made an outstanding contribution to USA features with special awards:

Simon Calder - The Independent – received the award for “Championing travel to the USA post pandemic”. He was the first British tourist to cross the Canada-US border in November 2021 when the USA opened its borders.

Zoey Goto and Jacqui Agate both received the “Outstanding Contribution to USA Features” award in recognition of the depth, diversity and substantial commitment and dedication to promoting travel to the USA in the last year.

 

Special thanks to this years sponsors:

 

 

 

Thanks to all those who entered.  

 

Here are our finalists:

Trade Publication Press:

Stuart Forster - Travel Weekly - Elvis Tours in Memphis are Booming: Here’s How to Visit Graceland and Other Music Spots in the City

Zoey Goto - Travel Weekly - Black History Trips are Booming: We Take a Look at Alabama's Civil Rights Trail

Tamara Hinson - Travel Weekly - How to Explore Boston's Food Scene on Any Budget

Lauren Jarvis - Selling Travel - Reborn in the USA

Qin Xie - Travel Weekly - USA: On the Bourbon Whiskey Trail in Kentucky

 

Social Media:

Abigail King - Inside the Travel Lab and associated channels - What You Really Need to Know About Civil Rights in Alabama

Roshni Patel - The Wanderlust Within - Florida's Best Kept Secret?

Tara Povey - whereistara.com - East Tennessee

The Marsh Family - Marsh Family YouTube - Experience Kissimmee Thanks to the UK's Marsh Family

Helen Wright - Passport Stamps – Passport Stamps and Visit Florida Social Media Campaign

 

Photographic Feature:

Kav Dadfar - JRNY Travel Magazine - Way Out West

Susan Schwartz (Words) and Simon Urwin (Photos) – Tonic - Badass Bourbon: The Moxie of Maker's Mark

Simon Urwin - JRNY Travel Magazine - Southern Comforts

 

Consumer Travel Publication:

Jacqui Agate – Wanderlust - Deep South the Write Way

Tim Burson - National Geographic Traveller - On the Trail of True Cue

Gareth Clark – Wanderlust - The Pacific Northwest, in Living Colour

David J Farley - National Geographic Traveller - A Guide to Culinary Culture in Washington, DC

Zoey Goto - National Geographic Traveller - Deep Roots in the Smoky Mountains

Lynn Houghton - Wanderlust - Back to Where it All Began 

Lynn Houghton - Wanderlust - Moon Rise Over the Mississippi

Lyn Hughes - Wanderlust - The Florida Keys of My Imagination

Neil Murray - Essentially America Magazine - The 10 Waterfront Titans of the Great Lakes Region

Simon Urwin - JRNY - Southern Comforts

 

Consumer Magazine:

Lynn Houghton - BBC Wildlife Magazine - American Dream

Lynn Houghton - Out There Magazine - Trail of Tears

Sarah Siese - House & Garden - Peak Practice

Paul Wade - Tonic - Moonshine and Motorsport: A North Carolina Tradition

 

Broadcast including Podcasts:

Jacqui Agate - Wanderlust: Off the Page - Podcast: Deep South USA

Simon Calder - Independent.co.uk - From Alligators to Astronauts: Go One Step Beyond Orlando

Lynn Houghton - Wanderlust - Adventure on the Mississippi

Aaron Millar - Archer Productions - Hidden Trails of Oregon, A Travel Podcast

 

Regional Press:

Abi Jackson - PA Media - A Special City Full of Surprises

Andrea McVeigh - Northern Ireland Travel News - A Part of Ulster in Pittsburgh

Hannah Stephenson - PA Media - Pacific Coast Highway

 

Online Digital Feature:

James Draven - LoveExploring.com - In Search of the Real Elvis - On a Road Trip Around the Deep South

Megan Eaves - The Independent - All Aboard the Pacific Surfliner: A Car Free Journey Across America

Richard Franks - The Telegraph - The Hip US City You'd Never Thought to Visit

Zoey Goto - BBC Travel - The Last Known Ship of the US Slave Trade

Lauren Jarvis - LoveExploring.com - How to Spend 48 Hours in Miami, Florida

Alicia Miller - The Times - 25 Reasons to Visit New York Right Now

David Williams - London Evening Standard - Florida Keys: The Eco Way to do a Great American Road Trip

 

National Newspaper Feature:

Jacqui Agate - The Times - On Location in Louisiana

Zoe Chamberlain - Daily Mirror, Daily Express, The People, The Irish Mirror, The Irish People and The Daily Record - Hitting the Trunk Road, The Diamond Geysers, The Really Wild Show... (USA Roadtrip)

Jonathan Dean - The Sunday Times - Thrill & Chill

Zoey Goto - The Telegraph - Why I Took My Children on an Educational Road Trip Across America

Luke Jones - The Sunday Times - Cape Expectations

 

Thanks to our Judges:

 

Kirsty Dillury (PR Committee Chair)

Phil Bloomfield

Margaret Henriksson

Barry Johnston

James Killick

Surinder Manku

Hannah Mulvey

Matthew Skeels

Jo White

 
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