Inspire Global is delighted to announce the finalists for the 2nd annual Inspire Global Media Awards 2025. The winners will be announced at an exclusive event in London on Tuesday 1st April 2025.
The IGMAs recognise excellence across the travel media landscape, celebrating individuals and organisations bringing to life stories of sustainable, positive impact tourism.
CONSUMER NEWSPAPER FEATURE OF THE YEAR (PRINT/ONLINE)
Patrick Barkham for ‘My mission? A two-day voyage along the Norfolk coast to deliver potatoes for a chip shop’ published in The Guardian
Emma Gibbs for ‘On the whiskey trail’ published in The Guardian
Ailsa Sheldon for ‘Heighten the Senses ‘published in The Herald
Ailsa Sheldon for ‘More than a Highland fling: making wedding rings on a romantic Scottish holiday’ published in The Guardian
Mark Stratton for ‘Learning the science of whiskey on a Hebridean cruise’ published in The Telegraph
Carolyn Boyd for ‘Defend the product!’ How the French keep their artisan food culture alive’ published in The Guardian
Eddi Fiegel for ‘On the waterfront in Helsinki’ published in The Guardian
Chris Leadbeater for ‘This Baltic enigma is exorcising its demons through food, art and culture’ published in The Telegraph
Mike MacEacheran for ‘An eco-friendly stay at ‘the quietest ski village in Austria’ published in The Guardian
Teresa Machan for ‘It’s like stepping back in time’: an eco-tour across the wilds of Albania’ published in The Guardian
Mary Novakovich for ‘Slow travel at its most joyous’: our three-week road trip to Croatia’ published in The Guardian
Kevin Rushby for ‘Baltic Beauty – Exploring Estonia’s northern coast’ published in The Guardian
Ailsa Sheldon for ‘The secret Scandinavian islands that are now easier than ever to visit’ published in The Times
Emma Thomson for ‘Europe’s most wildly beautiful roadtrip’ published in The Times
Jessica Vincent for ‘A greener Spanish city break: electric boats, birds and rice fields in Valencia’ published in The Guardian
Richard Collett for ‘The North African country to visit now – before it becomes the next Morocco’ published in The Times
Yvette Cook for ‘Meet the women restoring Morocco mountain tourism’ published in The Independent
James Draven for ‘Animal Magic in the Congo’ published in The Metro
Lauren Jarvis for ‘Join the Queens of the Kruger’ published in The Metro
Sarah Marshall for ‘This Emerging Winter sun Destination Has Beachfront Rooms For £12 A Night’ published in The Telegraph
Nigel Tisdall for ‘Slowly does it on Rodrigues’ published in The Financial Times
Asia, Australasia & Oceania
Ash Bhardwaj for ‘The journey that made sense of my childhood trauma’ published in The i Paper
Kirsten Henton for ‘The epic, overlooked hiking destination with hardly any tourists’ published in The i Paper
Sarah Marshall for ‘A Voyage That Will Send You 40,000 Years Back In Time’ published in The Telegraph
Rob McFarland for ‘Wow, Palau’ published in The Sunday Telegraph Australia
Rashmi Narayan for ‘This is India’s most atmospheric region (and it’s off the tourist trail)’ published in The Times
Leyla Rose for ‘Guide to Lombok’ published in The Times
North America
Bella Falk for ‘My week on the river that built America’ published in The Telegraph
Stuart Forster for ‘A look at what’s new in Cincinnati, Ohio’ published in CityAM
Richard Franks for ‘8 incredible Californian road trips that are sustainable too’ published in The Standard
Katja Gaskell for ‘Miles of meals in Louisiana’ published in Mail on Sunday
Rashmi Narayan for ‘Move over New Orleans, Lake Charles is our new favourite destination for Mardi Gras’ published in The Independent
Latin America & the Caribbean
Jane Dunford for ‘Eight months off school, but we all learned so much: a family sabbatical in South America’published in The Guardian
Steph Dyson for ‘Forget crowded Machu Picchu – head to these under-explored sites instead’ published in The Telegraph
Imogen Lepere for ‘Off the beaten track in Oaxaca’ published in The Standard
Sarah Marshall for ‘How Women Are Turning Colombia’s Fortunes’ Around published in The Telegraph
Kevin Rushby for ‘The alternative Machu Picchu: a hike to find the ‘real’ lost world of the Incas’ published in The Guardian
Kevin Rushby for ‘The lost temples of Lake Titicaca: exploring the less developed Bolivian shore’ published in The Guardian
CONSUMER MAGAZINE FEATURE OF THE YEAR (PRINT/ONLINE)
Richard Franks for ‘Birmingham: the Peaky Blinders-inspired UK break you’d never think of’ published in National Geographic Traveller (UK)
Emma Gibbs for ‘On the whiskey trail’ published in Britain Magazine
Jane Knight for ‘Exploring the Gastronomic Wonders of Woolsery’ published in British Travel Journal
Caroline Mills for ‘A Grand Tour of Scotland: Scotland’s UNESCO Trail’ published in Camping & Caravanning
Estella Shardlow for ‘The vision behind Woolsery’ published in The Spectator
Antonia Windsor for ‘Small Island, Big Flavours’ published in High Life
Carolyn Boyd for ‘In France’s highlands, the flowers are tasty and the cheese is stretchy’ published in Food by National Geographic Traveller
Eddi Fiegel for ‘Fishing for red prawns off the coast of the Costa Brava’ published in Food by National Geographic Traveller
Katja Gaskell for ‘The story behind the world-travelling stonemasons of Samoëns’ published in National Geographic Traveller (UK)
Kirsten Henton for ‘Under Aphrodites Spell’ published in JRNY Travel Magazine
Adam Jacot de Boinod for ‘Where the Middle East meets the Mediterranean’ published in British Muslim Magazine
Diana Jarvis for ‘Landscape of Change’ published in JRNY Travel Magazine
Nellie Khossousi for ‘Bellevillle Defying Sterotypes as Paris’ most misunderstood neighbourhood’ published in Voyagers Voice
Sian Meades-Williams for ‘Khachapuri is everything to us’ published in Wizz Air in-flight magazine
Jessica Reid for ‘How community tourism is changing the face of travel in Albania’ published in Wanderlust
Martin Symington for ‘Shadows of Al-Andalus’ published in Wanderlust
Bella Falk for ‘This remote island destination is a slice of paradise’ published in Luxury Travel AU
Emma Gregg for ‘Make it count’ published in National Geographic Traveller (UK)
Steffen Michels for ‘Sense and sustainability’ published in OutThere Magazine
Ian Packham for ‘The perfume isles’ published in Jetsetter
Summer Rylander for ‘Danger in the Delta’ published in Beau Monde Traveller
Karlina Valeiko for ‘Born to be Wild’ published in National Geographic Traveller (UK)
Sue Watt for ‘South Sudan: The Greater Migration’ published in Travel Africa Magazine
Meera Dattani for ‘Eat Mumbai’ published in National Geographic Traveller (UK)
Jane Dunford for ‘Why Mongolia should be your next wellness escape’ published in National Geographic Traveller (UK)
Sarah Gillespie for ‘Meet the artisans of Bicol, the Filipino peninsula forged by fire’ published in National Geographic Traveller (UK)
Nori Jemil for ‘Mandurah: Meeting Place of the Heart’ published in Oceanographic
Jessica Jungbauer for ‘Meet the Women Chefs Helping Revitalize Bhutan’s Rural Villages, One Recipe at a Time’ published in Vogue
Chau-Jean Lin for ‘Ten Generations of Tea’ published in Fare Magazine
Lorna Parkes for ‘A slow journey through the waterways and islands of southern Vietnam’ published in National Geographic Traveller (UK)
Jessica Reid for ‘Uncovering the secrets of Australia’s Sapphire Coast’ published in Wanderlust
Kav Dadfar for ‘Where the mountains meet the sea’ published in JRNY Travel Magazine
Claire Dodd for ‘The Dead Are Alive’ published in JRNY Travel Magazine
James Draven for ‘Survival Language’ published in JRNY Travel Magazine
Samantha Falewee for ‘In the Canadian Rockies, Indigenous Tour Guides Offer Adventure with Respect of Land’ published in Conde Nast Traveller
Karen Gardiner for ‘Nunavik—with Inuit Storytelling and Arctic Wildlife—Is Opening Up to Travelers’published in Conde Nast Traveller
Zoey Goto for ‘Wild Memphis: how a new paddle-powered tour sees the musical city in a new light’published in National Geographic Traveller (UK)
Lynn Houghton for ‘The 220-year anniversary of the Lewis and Clark Expedition is the perfect time to explore the national trail’ published in Wanderlust
Sally Howard for ‘Now Is the Time to Heal’ published in FT How to Spend It
Lauren Jarvis for ‘River Deep, Mountain High’ published in JRNY Travel Magazine
Tara Loader Wilkinson for ‘The Still Wild West’ published in Billionaire Magazine
Steph Dyson for ‘How citizen science projects are safeguarding wildlife in Costa Rican rainforests’ published in National Geographic Traveller (UK)
Sarah Gillespie for ‘A cultural exploration of Ecuador’s Angochagua communities’ published in National Geographic Traveller (UK)
Imogen Lepere for ‘Ecotourism in Oaxaca’ published in Wanderlust
Shafik Meghji for ‘What it’s like to hike to the end of the world in Chile’s Tierra del Fuego’ published in National Geographic Traveller (UK)
Sarah Reid for ‘What it’s like to cross Antarctica’s Weddell Sea’ published in National Geographic Travel
Kate Wickers for ‘Dances with Wolves’ published in The Ethicalist
Farida Zeynalova for ‘Harvesting Heritage’ published in National Geographic Traveller (UK)
CONSUMER ONLINE FEATURE OF THE YEAR
Kassondra Cloos for ‘How wallabies took over the Isle of Man’ published in Adventure.com
Stuart Forster for ‘Whisky Tasting at Beautiful Schloss Roxburghe in the Scottish Borders’ published in Trip Reporter
Emma Gibbs for ‘The Scottish isle you can only visit on a day trip’ published in BBC Travel
Kirsten Henton for ‘Discover Shetland’ published in Coast
James March for ‘It’s all my dad’s ever known’: The young families keeping the Birmingham balti alive’published in TimeOut
Shafik Meghji for ‘The ‘desert’ of Kent: What we can learn from the history of Britain’s forgotten beaches’published in Adventure.com
Tracey Croke for ‘The Irish city you should visit in 2024’ published in BBC Travel
Rebecca Hughes for ‘Friendly locals, lemon orchard hikes and mouthwatering food: Why I loved Spain’s lesser-known camino’ published in Euronews
Diana Jarvis for ‘An expedition through the hearts and homes of Albania’ published in Intrepid: The Good Times
Caroline Mills for ‘The Cherry on Top: Eating Local in Spain’s Extremadura’ published in Sustainable Journeys
Queenie Shaikh for ‘Acapella songs and Alpine views: How Croatia transported me to the Pakistan of my childhood’ published in Adventure.com
Kate Wickers for ‘Green & Serene Ljubljana’ published in The Ethicalist
Tamara Davison for ‘Should you travel to the Middle East and North Africa in 2025?’ published in Adventure.com
Emma Gregg for ‘Harnessing the Power of Sustainable Tourism for Wildlife Preservation’ published in Beyond Green
Sarah Kingdom for ‘10 years ago Kadiatu Kamara couldn’t swim; now she’s Sierra Leone’s only pro female surfer’ published in Adventure.com
Toyo Odetunde for ‘The ancient lore of the humble Nigerian yam’ published in BBC Travel
Ian Packham for ‘How people in Ghana are learning to profit in a win-win for wildlife too’ published in Environment Journal
Summer Rylander for ‘What Does Successful Low-Volume, High-Value Tourism Look Like?’ published in Azure Road
Sue Watt for ‘Women Guarding the Wild: World Female Ranger Week’ published in Expert Africa
Richard Collett for ‘The Western tourists going to Iraq for vacation’ published in CNN Travel
Rebecca Hughes for ‘Boutique hotels and buzzing souqs: Discover the historic heart of Jeddah’ published in Euronews
Sarah Reid for ‘Pakistan is ready for tourists. Are tourists ready for Pakistan?’ published in Adventure.com
Leyla Rose for ‘Bullet trains and golden temples’ published in Adventure.com
Tsewang Sherpa for ‘Angels’, ancient trees and acts of kindness abound on New Zealand’s 3,000-kilometer Te Araroa trail’ published in Adventure.com
Katie Silcox for ‘On The Ground: 20 Years After The Boxing Day Tsunami In Sri Lanka’ published in Citizen Femme
Richard Franks for ‘Why does the music sound so good at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheater?’ published in Adventure.com
Tayla Gentle for ‘The Indigenous leaders and song keepers putting California’s ancestral wisdom in the spotlight’ published in Adventure.com
Rashmi Narayan for ‘You say Creole, I say Cajun. But don’t. Here’s why they’re not the same cuisine’ published in Adventure.com
Queenie Shaikh for ‘If you want to get to know Detroit, eat the pizza’ published in Adventure.com
Rishika Sharma for ‘Dog-mushing under the aurora oval’ published in Expedia
Robyn Wilson for ‘Hurricane to hope: The story of Puerto Rico’s rebirth and regeneration’ published in Adventure.com
Claire Boobbyer for ‘Surviving and thriving: Meet the Havana changemakers forging a future in crisis Cuba’ published in Adventure.com
Morgane Croissant for ‘A Small-Ship Expedition Cruise Is the Best Way to See the Galápagos Islands in All Their Glory’ published in Matador Network
Meera Dattani for ‘Where food culture meets community tourism in Belize’ published in Green Traveller
Megan Eaves for ‘The remote Argentinean community that is saving the stars’ published in BBC Travel
Lily Girma for ‘Brazil’s Afrotourism Push Is Better Late Than Never’ published in Bloomberg Pursuits
Charlotte McManus for ‘The promise of joy”: This ancient Mayan spirit is coming to a cocktail bar near you’ published in Adventure.com
Laurel Munshower for ‘A Rare Luxury: Warmth And Authenticity In The Andean Highlands’ published in Citizen Femme
CONSUMER FEATURE OF THE YEAR - GLOBAL (ONLINE/PRINT)
Mariam Amini for ‘By volunteering around the world, I found my purpose in life, my husband and my roots’published in The Guardian
Ash Bhardwaj for ‘Why we travel – 12 universal motivations’ published in Adventure.com
Megan Eaves for ‘How dark skies are transformimg travel’ published in Citizen Femme
Zoey Goto for ‘The rise of the digital ‘slomad’: Why travel is shifting down a gear’ published in Roadbook
Lauren Jarvis for ‘Swimming wild and free’ published in Breathe
Nori Jemil for ‘Are we Hardwired to Buy Souvenirs? The Psychology of Travel Trinkets May Surprise You’published in Adventure.com
Kate Wickers for ‘How to Create Conscious Travellers of The Future’ published in The Ethicalist
BLOG STORY OF THE YEAR
Kassondra Cloos for ‘The Lady Will Dine Alone’ published on Out of Office
Steph Dyson for ‘Chilean Tierra del Fuego: The Remote Patagonia You’ve Been Looking For’ published on Worldy Adventurer
Becki Enright for ‘Graz – Austria’s Second and Model Sustainable City’ published on Borders of Adventure
Bella Falk for ‘Olderkesi In Kenya: The Maasai Mara’s Newest Conservancy’ published on Passport & Pixels
Stuart Forster for ‘Things to do in Changsha, China’ published on Go Eat Do
Abi King for ‘Have we got it wrong about marking historic milestones?’ published on Inside the TravelLab
Rachel Poyser for ‘Making Makroudh – Tunisia’s sweetest treat’ published on The Flavour Narratives
BROADCAST OF THE YEAR (VLOG / PODCAST)
Paul Gardiner for ‘EPIC 110km RUN Through South Africa’s Emerging Mega-Biosphere Reserve!’ published on Natural Born Runners YouTube Channel
Tayla Gentle for ‘Adventure.com x Matt Costa ‘Explorations of Sight and Sound’ California’ published on Adventure.com
Shivya Nath for ‘First Women-Led Trek in Tirthan Valley’ published on The Shooting Star YouTube Channel
Alex Outhwaite for ‘Seeing Chimpanzees in Sierra Leonne’ published on Alex Outhwaite YouTube Channel
Nina Pullman for ‘How Did Food Help Finland Become the Happiest Country in the World?’ published on BBC Sounds
Jennifer Roberts for ‘The Slow Road’ to Tehran’ published on Travel Writing Podcast
Phoebe Smith for ‘Shifting Sands’ published on Wander Woman Podcast
Phoebe Smith for ‘Got Grass’ published on Wander Woman Podcast
BROADCAST OF THE YEAR (TELEVISION)
Ash Bhardwaj for ‘Destination Dupes’ as featured on BBC One Morning Live
Electric Eel Studios and Paul Carter for ‘Japan’s new golden route’ as featured on BBC One
Alex Outhwaite for ‘So You Think You Know? – Belize’ as featured on SKY UK
TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR
Ash Bhardwaj for ‘Why we Travel’ published by Bedford Square Publishers
Norman Miller for ‘111 Places in Chichester and West Sussex That You Shouldn’t Miss’ published by Emons
Caroline Mills for ‘Slow Travel The Cotswolds’ published by Bradt Guides
Tim Locke and Emma Gregg for ‘Sussex Slow Travel’ published by Bradt Guides
Phoebe Smith for ‘Wayfarer: Love, Loss and Life on Britain’s Ancient Paths’ published by HarperCollins Publishers
Emma Thomson for ‘Quiet Escapes’ published by Quercus
Luke Waterson for ‘Under the stars Europe’ published by Lonely Planet
TRADE FEATURE OF THE YEAR
Rebecca Barnes for ‘This is ocean cruising but not as your clients likely know it’ published in TTG Media
Madeleine Barber for ‘Who run the world’ published in TTG Media
Sarah Dennis for ‘The fam trip that nailed the experience of authentic travel’ published in TTG Media
Claire Dodd for ‘Six ways G Adventures is changing lives in India’ published in TTG Media
James Draven for ‘Tourist turned gamekeeper: my safari on Zambia’s conservation Frontline’ published in TTG Media
April Hutchinson for ‘African Odyssey’ published in TTG Media
Lisa Kjellsson for ‘Shinta Mani Mustang’ published in Sleeper
Jacob Lewis for ‘Fast Train to Fukui’ published in Travel Weekly
PHOTO OF THE YEAR (PRINT/ONLINE)
Kav Dadfar for image captioned ‘San Antonio Day of the Dead’ published in JRNY Travel Magazine
Stuart Forster for image captioned ‘A woman wearing a traditional Tujia ethnic dress by a statue of Monkey, a character in a Chinese legend’ published in Selling Travel
Jessica Jungbauer for image captioned ‘Lavash baker at Pandok Riverside restaurant in Armenia’s capital Yereven’ published in Vogue
Nellie Khossousi for image captioned ‘Portraits from Tunisian restaurant Chez Baya in Belleville, Paris, during Ramada’ published on Third Culture Nellie
Ben Pipe for image captioned ‘Inti Raymi Festival in Ecuador’ published in National Geographic Traveller (UK)
Mark Stratton for image captioned ‘Tablecloth seller on the Egyptian Nile’ published in JRNY Travel Magazine
Bella Falk for image captioned ‘Lion Cub’ published in Passport & Pixels
Stuart Forster for image captioned ‘A female macaque with its baby in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park’ published in Selling Travel
Sarah Gillespie for image captioned ‘Lyretail anthias, Verde Island, Philippines’ published in the South China Morning Post
Diana Jarvis for image captioned ‘Get the picture: Norfolk Seals’ published in Green Traveller
Nori Jemil for image captioned ‘Creery Wetlands Nature Reserve Kangaroo’ published in Oceangraphic Magazine
Summer Rylander for image captioned ‘Peekaboo zebra’ published in Audley Traveller
Lisa Young for image captioned ‘Evighed Fjord, once part of the glacier and now a small iceberg and resting place for birds in Western Greenland’ published in Billionaire Magazine
POSITIVE IMPACT STORYTELLER OF THE YEAR
Elisa Spampinato
Emma Gregg
Juliet Kinsman
Karen Edwards
Lauren Jarvis
Phoebe Smith
Sarah Reid
Sue Watt
Tamara Hinson
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