Finalists announced for Inspire Global Media Awards 2026

Inspire Global is delighted to announce the finalists for the 4th annual Inspire Global Media Awards 2026. The winners will be announced at an exclusive event in London on Monday 13th April 2026.

Die IGMAs würdigen herausragende Leistungen in der gesamten Reisemedienlandschaft und würdigen Einzelpersonen und Organisationen, die Geschichten über nachhaltigen Tourismus mit positiven Auswirkungen zum Leben erwecken.

CONSUMER FEATURE OF THE YEAR – UK & IRELAND BASED WRITERS

ENGLAND

Adrian Philips for I took my entire family on a canalboat holiday – and found the antidote to our hurried age published in Der Telegraph

Ben Lerwill for An unsung alternative to the Cotswolds‘: exploring Leicestershire’s Welland valley published in The Guardian

Caroline Mills for Gorge-ous days out in Shropshire published in Camping & Caravanning

Cathy Toogood for Little-visited Preston is spending £1bn on becoming a cultural hotspot published in Der Telegraph

John Harris for Wild camping the easy way: how a secret Exmoor trip pleased everyone – including the farmer published in The Guardian

Mike MacEacheran for The railway that got the world on track’: a walk through 200 years of history in County Durham published in The Guardian

Rebecca Pitcairn for Yorkshire now premium wine producing region published in Great British Life / Yorkshire Life Magazine

Sarah Baxter for Why ancient pilgrimages are back in vogue in the UK published in National Geographic Traveler (Großbritannien)

Sian Meades-Williams for Cream of the Crop published in WIZZ

Yvette Cook for The sleeper train holiday to Cornwall that doesn’t cost the Earth published in Der Unabhängige

 

BRITISH ISLES (exc. ENGLAND) & IRELAND

Antonia Windsor for Forest bathing in Jersey, published in Wellness & World

Caroline Mills for Crossing the Border published in Camping & Caravanning

Kerry Walker for When it comes to tourism, wet weather is the least of Wales’s worries published in Der Telegraph

Lily Canter for Is this off-grid Scottish community the ultimate model for sustainable living in Britain today? published in Adventure.com

Robin McKelvie for I’ve visited more than 100 countries – but nothing compares to this Scottish island published in Der Telegraph

Rupert Mellor for Wholly Crail published in OutThere Magazine

Sarah Gillespie for More to Morvern published in Scotland Magazine

 

NORDIC REGION

Ailsa Sheldon for Eating the Archipelago published in JRNY Reisemagazin

Cat Thomson for The Faroe Islands: majestic, eerie – and only 90 minutes away published in The Times

Charlotte Wigram-Evans for Shaped by ice published in National Geographic Traveler (Großbritannien)

Joseph Phelan for Inside the distillery crafting spirits on the edge of the world published in National Geographic Traveler (Großbritannien)

Phil Thomas for Are The World’s Most Beautiful Islands In Danger? published in BBC Travel

Sam Haddad for Deserted islands, seagrass meadows and endless ocean: kayaking in Sweden’s new marine national park published in The Guardian

 

EUROPE – WEST/CENTRAL/EAST

Carolyn Boyd for Whey to go: is cheese the new reason to travel? published in BBC Travel

Emma Truscott for The European bike trail that hits three countries in a day published in BBC Travel

Emma Gibbs for The real South of France published in JRNY Reisemagazin

Katja Gaskell for Carpooling? On vacation? Here’s what happened on a road trip across France using a ride-share app. published in Adventure.com

Rupert Mellor for Brave new whirl published in OutThere Magazine

Tristan Rutherford for The French city where you can eat gourmet food for €1 published in BBC Travel

Yvette Cook for How women are reviving traditional Seto culture in Estonia published in Der Unabhängige

 

MEDITERRANEAN & NORTH AFRICA

Alexandra Pereira for What I Learned About Family From Island-Hopping With My Father This Summer published in Vogue

Daniel Stables for From kasbahs to couscous—how Sicily has celebrated its diversity through the centuries published in National Geographic Traveler (Großbritannien)

Jessica Heather for Far from the crowds: A guide to Portugal’s lesser-known Côa Valley published in Adventure.com

Karen Edwards for The Rise of Rimini published in High Life

Mark Nicholls for Pathways to the Past published in Italia! Magazine

Mary Novakovich for It’s not all money, money, money here; the mellower side of Croatia’s Mamma Mia island published in The Guardian

Rebecca Pitcairn for The Pick of the Bunch  published in Sainsbury’s Magazine

Robin McKelvie for The Spanish island that loves tourists (especially Britons) published in Der Telegraph

Ross Clarke for Meet the stew queens of Northern Spain published in National Geographic Traveler (Großbritannien)

Uwern Jong for The Odyssey published in OutThere Magazine

 

AFRICA & INDIAN OCEAN

Annabel Grossman for Why you should visit – and stay in – Johannesburg’s Soweto published in Der Unabhängige

Bella Falk for Making a Splash published in Travel Africa Magazine

Charlotte Wigram-Evans for We are one published in National Geographic Traveler (Großbritannien)

Dom Tulett for Breaking barriers in Botswana – The trip that helped my dyslexic daughter overcome her writing fears published in The Times

Emma Gregg for Peaceful Connection published in Travel Africa Magazine

Kate Eshelby for The thrilling under-the-radar alternative to Mauritius published in The Times

Rowena Marella-Daw for Delta Force published in Billionaire

Siobhan Grogan for More Than Gorillas: How Rwanda Is Reinventing Itself published in Citizen Femme

Sue Watt for Kavango-Zambezi – Foundations published in Travel Africa Magazine

 

ASIA

Angela Locatelli for The Stuff of Legends published in National Geographic Traveler (Großbritannien)

Annabel Grossman for There is a Bali beyond influencer’s Instagram reels – and it’s far more beautiful published in Der Unabhängige

Claire Boobyer for Overtourism is causing this city to suffocate in trash. These eco-pioneers are trying to change that published in Adventure.com

Estella Shardlow for How to Safari Sensitively at Jamtara Wilderness Camp published in Mr & Mrs Smith

Farida Zeynalova for Explore Azerbaijan’s wine history – and its unexpected German past published in National Geographic Traveler (Großbritannien)

Imogen Lepere for You can feel the gods here’: a village homestay in Nepal that supports Indigenous women published in The Guardian

Kate Crockett for The little-visited region that could be the answer to Japan’s over-tourism problem published in Der Unabhängige

Laura French for Why now, more than ever, an over-touristed Bali – and its visitors – need to embrace responsible tourism published in Adventure.com

Lorna Parkes for In Raja Ampat, new coral conservation voyages give a unique perspective on the reefs published in National Geographic Traveler (Großbritannien)

Steffen Michels for Back to the garden published in OutThere Magazine

 

AUSTRALASIA & OCEANIA

Bella Falk for The Pacific paradise where guests are guardians published in National Geographic Traveler (Großbritannien)

Karen Edwards for In the footsteps of the ancestors published in JRNY Reisemagazin

Keith Drew for This Beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site is Reversing the Damage of European Settlement published in AFAR

Lauren Jarvis for Since Time published in OutThere Magazine

Nori Jemil for A life-affirming cargo ship cruise through the Marquesas Islands published in Adventure.com

Rebecca Crowe for From Haka to Hangi, Kohutapu Lodge in New Zealand Gives a Glimpse of Māori Life published in Azure Road

 

NORTH AMERICA – CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES

Ailsa Sheldon for Alberta’s Mountain Women published in JRNY Reisemagazin

Hannah Newton for Canada’s tourism is booming – but these enchanting islands remain secret published in The Times

James Draven for Medicine Water published in JRNY Reisemagazin

James March for North America’s First Indigenous-owned Winery published in TONIC Magazine

Kate Eshelby for Mālama: The word embodying the spirit of Hawaii published in BBC Travel

Laura French for What I discovered travelling Missouri’s lesser-trodden stretch of Route 66 published in Der Unabhängige

Megan Eaves for Road trips that reveal America’s darkest skies published in Wildsam

Robyn Wilson for Cape Cod has had its day – in-the-know travellers head to this nearby beauty published in Der Telegraph

Sian Meades-Williams for Searching for Flavour published in JRNY Travel Magazine

Uwern Jong for Bayous and byways published in OutThere Magazine

 

CENTRAL AMERICA AND MEXICO

Jamie Fullerton for Guatemala’s volcano guides offer locals a different path – but at what risk? published in Adventure.com

Meera Dattani for The other Camino: Hiking the coast-to-coast Camino de Costa Rica published in Adventure.com

Rachel Dixon for Walking the Mayan camino: a five-day hike in Mexico’s Yucatán published in The Guardian

Robyn Wilson for The five-day trek in the Guatemalan jungle that’s worth every blister published in Der Unabhängige

SJ Armstrong for Sacred stones and sleeping giants—touring El Salvador’s ancient landscapes published in National Geographic Traveler (Großbritannien)

Steph Dyson for How dreamy ‘cloud forests’ make this central American country an ideal alternative to Costa Rica published in Der Unabhängige

Suzanne Bearne for Bacalar: Why now is the time to visit this chilled-out alternative to overtouristed Tulum published in The Standard

 

THE CARIBBEAN

Amanda Canning for Treasure Island published in National Geographic Traveler (Großbritannien)

Ian Packham for East side story published in Cacique

Kira Richards for Grenada stole my heart published in The Times

Lauren Jarvis for Sea Full of Stars published in Breathe

Rory Buccheri for Meet the family pioneering the Caribbean’s first ‘climate-smart islands’ published inAdventure.com

SarahLee for From caves to coral reefs, this is how you can discover the wild side of Turks & Caicos published in National Geographic Traveler (Großbritannien)

 

SOUTH AMERICA & ANTARCTICA

Daniel Stables for Find Rio’s samba beat on this new urban music trail published in National Geographic Traveler (Großbritannien)

Farida Zeynalova for City Life Cartagena published in National Geographic Traveler (Großbritannien)

Katy Dartford for 24 hours in lima published in Globetrotter Magazine

Lynn Houghton for The Man Helping Save Our National Parks published in Resurgence and Ecologist

Mike Unwin for The Perfect Self-drive Holiday in Ecuador published in Der Telegraph

Nori Jemil for One woman’s mission to protect the pumas of Chile’s southern pampas published in Adventure.com

Rupert Mellor for Resist this! published in OutThere Magazine

Sarah Gillespie for Labours of Love published in National Geographic Traveler (Großbritannien)

 

GLOBAL

Lucy Ruthnum for It felt like I was trespassing on the privilege of adventure travel published in Much Better Adventures

Mariam Amini for Challenges I’ve faced as a Muslim traveller, and how I’ve learned to overcome them published inUnerschrockenes Reisen

Meera Dattani for Travelling light, travelling right published in Diver Magazine

Rashmi Narayan for I’ll never go on another slum tour after speaking to a local published in Metro

Rebecca Crowe for What’s the growing appeal of small-group adventures? And why are so many more women booking them? published in Adventure.com

Steph Dyson for Should you use AI to plan your travels? published in Adventure.com

Stuart Kenny for Why Does Watching Bad Tourists on TV Make Us Want to Travel? published in Much Better Adventures

CONSUMER FEATURE OF THE YEAR – INTERNATIONAL WRITERS

UK, EUROPE & NORDIC REGION

Amelia Duggan for Shaped by Nature published in National Geographic Traveler (Großbritannien)

Asla London Palomba for In Ireland, a Stone Age wellness therapy is making a comeback published in The Washington Post

Chloe Berge for Top of the World: On a journey through a remote part of Greenland, published in Travel + Leisure

Daniel James Clarke for Exploring Portugal’s historic hilltop hamlets in a free electric hire car published in The Guardian

Laura Hall for Disneyland to living city: Dubrovnik’s bold fight against overtourism published in BBC Travel

Lola Akinmade for Meet the Afro-Swedes published in Wizz Air Inflight Magazine

Samantha Falewee for Meet the Women Forging Greenland’s Evolving Jewelry Scene published in Vogue

Sarah Reid for Green Shoots published in Escape

 

ASIA

Charukesi Ramadurai for A ‘hike for everyone’: The 300km route shining a spotlight on Sri Lanka’s tea history published in BBC Travel

Joshua Zukas for Tourism is breaking all records in Vietnam. Is that all it’s breaking? published in Adventure.com

Lauren Mowery for Of Craft and Humanity: Tracing the Modern Silk Road through Uzbekistan published in Azure Road

Leyla Rose for In search of Indonesian ikat published in The Straits Times

Mark Daffy for Cricket on top of the world published in Escape (Sunday Telegraph, Sunday Herald-Sun)

Megan Gilbert for The wild Asiatic lions of India’s Gir National Park published in Adventure.com

Samantha Falewee for “Mongolia’s Shifting Tourism Industry—And What It Means for the Country’s Nomads” published in Conde Nast Traveller

Silvia Pisci for Hokuriku: Nothing exists in isolation published in WideOyster Magazine

Veidehi Gite for Science and sustainability with the Baiga Tribe of Bandhavgarh published in Outlook Traveller

Zoe Baillargeon for How to Experience Ainu Culture in Hokkaido published in Azure Road

 

AUSTRALASIA & OCEANIA

Christine Retschlag for Designed to combat coral bleaching, how is the world’s largest underwater reef faring one year on? published in Adventure.com

Ellie Cobb for The Indian Ocean’s laidback paradise on Earth published in BBC Travel

Lynn Gail for The land where time stands still published in Vacations and Travel Magazine

Rachel Lees for Fresh Focus published in International Traveller

Sarah Reid for A year ago, this South Pacific territory was off-limits. What’s it like to visit now? published inAdventure.com

Tracey Croke for Remote and accessible: cycling New Zealand’s West Coast Wilderness Trail published in The Guardian

 

AFRICA, ARABIA & INDIAN OCEAN

Jonny Bierman for Remembering Jane Goodall published in Travel + Leisure

Katrina Lobley for Shifting sands published in The Sydney Morning Herald

Sommer Rylander for Kilimanjaro’s Vanishing Ice published in Wired for Adventure

 

AMERICAS, THE CARIBBEAN & ANTARCTICA

Annie Brown Verdin for What does freedom taste like? We meet the recipe-keepers of the first free Black town in the Americas published in Adventure.com

Emily Barlow for For hikers, this is one of the world’s best-preserved Inca roads. And no, it’s not the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu published in Adventure.com

Jonny Bierman for A Green Guide to the White Continent of Antarctica published in National Post, Canada

Nick Hines for In Post-Fire West Māui, Restaurants Are at the Heart of a Slow Recovery published in Matador Network

Tayla Gentle for How to spot rock art and eat ‘cow to cave’: Everything we learned on a low-impact road trip across Utah published in Adventure.com

Tim Wenger for New River Gorge Offers a Glimpse Into West Virginia’s Past – and Its Future published in Matador Network

Zanny Merullo for Fighting Extractive Economies in a Panamanian Paradise published in Bluedot living

 

GLOBAL

Kate McMahon for Breaking stereotypes and making records: Meet the Arab women mountaineers climbing their way to the top published in Adventure.com

Lebawit Girma for Can Tourism Foster Peace? These Socially Conscious Operators Say Yes published in Bloomberg Pursuits

Sommer Rylander for The Ethics of Exclusivity in Tourism published in Azure Road

Suzie Dundas for The Price of Paradise: Luxury Travel Can Save the World’s Wildest Places, but at What Cost? published in Matador Network

Tarang Mohnot for Why ‘best time to visit’ no longer applies published in BBC Travel

TRADE FEATURE OF THE YEAR

Claire Dodd for Five things Indigenous operators in Canada want agents to know published in TTG-Medien

Domhnall O’Donoghue for Portland Pride published in Travel Weekly

Jessica Reid for ‘We just want to be accepted’: When TTG met India’s ‘third gender’ community published in TTG-Medien

Lauren Jarvis for Wild and Free published in Reisen verkaufen

Madeleine Barber for This island has the aesthetics of Santorini but is blissfully serene published in TTG-Medien

Meera Dattani for Discover Kenya beyond the safari published in Travel Weekly

Olly Beckett for How this Canadian town is building back better after wildfires published in Travel Weekly

Rashmi Narayan for Eclectic Tastes published in TTG-Medien

Sue Watt for Kenya: Face to Face published in Postcards Magazine

Zanny Merullo for Visiting Indigenous Communities in the Yucatan Peninsula published in Travel Age West

TELEVISION BROADCAST OF THE YEAR

Ash Bhardwaj for Destination Dupes and AI in Travel Planning broadcast on BBC One BBC Morning Live

Mark Julian Edwards for Welcome to Sri Lanka broadcast on The Jet Set TV Show

Alex Outhwaite for The Wanderer Türkiye: Echoes of Eternity broadcast on Amazon Prime Video

PODCAST / AUDIO PROGRAMME OF THE YEAR

Christopher Beanland for Soviet Special episode broadcast on Park Date

Mary Novakovich for Krapanj’s sponge divers broadcast on BBC Radio 4

Nathan James Thomas for Understanding Chile and Other Adventures Since 1989 with Natscha Scott broadcast onThe Travel Writing Podcast

Phoebe Smith for Voodoo Child broadcast on Wander Woman: Ein Reise-Podcast

Richard Hammond & Holly Tuppen for Community Tourism: What does good community tourism look like and can we measure its benefits? broadcast on It’s a Journey – a sustainable travel podcast

Shebs Alom for Levison Wood on “The Great Tree Story”: Why Forests Are Crucial broadcast on Take a Wander with Shebs

TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR

Ash Bhardwaj for Why We Travel: A Journey Into Human Motivation published by Bedford Square Publishers

Carolyn Boyd for Amuse Bouche published by Profile Books

Monisha Rajesh for Moonlight Express published by Bloomsbury

Shafik Meghji for Small Earthquakes published by Hurst

TRAVEL GUIDE OF THE YEAR

Daniel James Clarke for Pocket Algarve – 3rd edition published by Lonely Planet

Emma Gibbs for Scotland’s North Highlands – 1st edition published by Bradt Guides

Emma Gregg for Madeira & The Azores – 1st edition published by Rough Guides

Joshua Zukas for Vietnam – 1st edition published by Bradt Guides

Rebecca McVeigh and Jennifer Ladonne for Provence and The French Riviera – 14th edition published by  Fodors

Suzy Pope and Tristan Rutherford for Albania – 1st edition published by DK – Dorling Kindersley

BLOG STORY OF THE YEAR

Abi King for The Dark Side of Traditional Arts and Crafts in Sri Lanka published on Inside the Travel Lab

Ana Duek for “Community-based tourism itinerary in the Amazon: an immersion in the Rio Negro” published on Viajar Verde

Chiara Selvetti for “Once upon a time in a mining town far away” published on Umudugudu

Kirsten Henton for In search of a different kind of soul in Tennessee published on Weather2Travel.com

Lucy Ruthnum for Lukomir Village – Visiting Bosnia’s Most Remote Village published on Absolutely Lucy

Shivya Nath for What I Learnt From an Indigenous Shaman in the Amazon Rainforest published on The Shooting Star

Sue Watt for African Parks – 25 years of groundbreaking conservation published on Expert Africa

Valery Collins for Uzbekistan Uncovered with Great Rail Journeys published on ExperiencedTraveller.com

VLOG OF THE YEAR

Abi King für Is it worth visiting North Sri Lanka? published on YouTube

Eileen Aldis für 24 Hours in Dublin, Ireland published on YouTube

Lebawit Girma für More Than a Party: Inside Rio Carnival’s Afro-Brazilian Roots published on YouTube

Shivya Nath für Slow travel in Bali published on YouTube

Tayla Gentle für Explorations of Sight and Sound, Vol. 3 Ancient Instruments published on YouTube

SHORT-REEL OF THE YEAR

Gemma Jones for Amazon Rainforest, Peru published on Watch our World Instagram Channel

Phoebe Smith for Why can’t we all just get along – Belize published on Phoebe ‘Wander Woman’ Smith Instagram Channel

Stuart Kenny for The Grand Traversee of Reunion Island published on Much Better Adventures Instagram Channel

Tayla Gentle for Reel Series — The ultimate, low-impact Utah adventure published on Adventure.com Instagram Channel

Vanessa Ball for EXTREMADURA: Four Cities & Villages You Need To Add On Your Spanish Road Trip published on She Wanders Miles Instagram Channel

Veidehi Gite for Cairo published on The Krazy Butterfly Instagram Channel

PHOTO OF THE YEAR - COMMISSIONED

People & Community

Ben Pipe for images featured in Ecuador Supplement published in National Geographic Traveler (Großbritannien)

Karolina Wiercigroch for images featured in Stuff of Legends published in National Geographic Traveler (Großbritannien)

Lauren Mowery for images featured in Of Craft and Humanity: Tracing the Modern Silk Road through Uzbekistan published in Azure Road

Lola Akinmade for images featured in Meet the Afro-Swedes published in Wizz Air In-flight Magazine

Lynn Gail for images featured in Rare Breed published in International Traveller

 

Wildlife & Environment

Bella Falk for images featured in Focussed attention published in Travel Africa Magazine

Diana Jarvis for images featured in Forget Spain – I went to Sweden and found the ideal summer holiday destination published in TimeOut

Lynn Gail for images featured in Rare Breed published in International Traveller

Nori Jemil for images featured in A life-affirming cargo ship cruise through the Marquesas Islands published in Adventure.com

POSITIVE IMPACT STORYTELLER OF THE YEAR

Global

Elisa Spampinato
Emma Gregg
Juliet Kinsman
Karen Edwards
Lauren Jarvis
Phoebe Smith
Sarah Reid
Sue Watt
Tamara Hinson

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