SATW (Society of American Travel Writers)

Individual “Active” membership is open to travel writers, editors, photographers, bloggers, website owners, and multi-media/AV communicators who reside in the U.S. or Canada or whose work is published primarily in North American media. SATW accepts members based on a qualification procedure that requires applicants to document their recent travel publications and audience reach. There is also a mandatory requalification process to ensure that all members continue to be active in the travel space.

Individual “Associate” membership is open to public relations professionals representing clients and working in a public relations or marketing capacity for brands and organizations such as Visitor and Convention bureaus, cruise ships, airlines, hotel chains, and other travel and hospitality providers.

Organizational memberships can be “Active” or “Associate,” and are available for companies working in either publishing or public relations.

As of the early 2020s, SATW had approximately 1000 members, with about 700 "actives" and approximately 300 "associates."[4]

Actives are divided into councils according to their primary professional activities: The Editors Council is made up mostly of staff editors, Freelance Council includes self-employed writers and photographers, and the Digital Media Council is open to bloggers and website owners whose sites meet certain traffic and usage minimums.  Members may participate in multiple councils, if they meet that council's requirements for membership.

Active and associates are also grouped into geographically determined chapters: The four chapters are the Eastern States, Central States, Western States, and Canadian.

The Society holds one conference each year, generally in the fall. As much as possible, the location for the conference alternates between international and domestic destinations. Conferences offer a wide range of programs and tours to support networking opportunities, destination familiarization, professional development, and the business of the organization.[5]

SATW conventions typically include:  

• Chapter, council, and society-wide business meetings
• Professional development sessions
• A media marketplace that connects actives with associates
• Tours that introduce members to the destination
• Awards ceremonies for the Lowell Thomas (writing), Bill Muster (photography), and Phoenix (sustainable destination) Awards[6]
• Pre-tours and post-tours (usually 2 – 4 days each) before and after the convention are also available. Tours are designed to foster networking between members and to give travel writers an opportunity to research their particular editorial interests.

In addition, each chapter and council holds its own conference; these are usually scaled-down versions of the society-wide convention. Chapter and council conferences include business meetings, professional development sessions, destination-specific information sessions, day-tours, and pre-tours and post-tours.

For most conferences, (except the Editors Council conferences, which do not seek sponsorship) destinations bid to host the event. Large public relations firms, destinations, and other corporate sponsors cover some of the costs because they consider the event prestigious or because they expect an ROI from the media generated by the hundreds of travel writers who attend.[7] For example, Tourism New Zealand described the benefits of the 2011 convention in Wellington, saying "North America is a key visitor market for New Zealand and this is a great way to share our holiday experience with potential visitors. Delegates will travel the length and breadth of the country through pre and post tours, and will be writing about their experiences in a huge variety of publications across the US and Canada.[8] A newspaper in West Virginia, which hosted the Freelance Council in 2021,[9] reported that the region saw almost immediate dividends from the travel writers conference.[10] Other examples of recent meetings have included Milwaukee (general convention),[11]Barbados (general convention, 2018),[12] and Shreveport (Central States meeting, postponed due to Covid),[13][14]    

Individual associates attend for professional development and in order to introduce themselves and their clients to active members. Actives attend for professional development, for information about the host destination, for networking, and to glean new ideas and make connections with associates who can assist them in their future projects via information, images, and access to media trips.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced SATW address how the pandemic was affecting travel and media coverage of travel for both its members and the general public. The organization postponed most meetings in 2020 and 2021, or met virtually. The Society's 2020 conference, originally scheduled for Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was held virtually;[15] in 2021, Milwaukee was able to reschedule the conference and hold it in person.[16] In spring, 2021, the freelance council held an in-person meeting,[17] but the meeting of the central states chapter, scheduled for spring, 2022 in Shreveport Louisiana, was canceled and rescheduled for 2023 owing to the Omicron variant and the resurgence of Covid numbers. As the pandemic developed, meetings were evaluated on an ongoing basis. To spotlight the work of members who were addressing the ramifications of COVID-19 on travel health, safety, and business, the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards Program, administered by the sister organization, the SATW Foundation, instituted an award for travel health writing in 2021.

The Society offers professional development programs both in person and online.

Each conference has a professional development component, with time devoted to multiple sessions and panels. Topics vary from technical issues (computers, apps, website monetization, SEO) to writing and photography techniques to public relations strategies.

SATW professional development also includes year-round online programs that change as the media landscape changes. In recent years, these have included website optimization and writing techniques along with diversity and inclusion training for writers and editors.

Members receive discounts from multiple suppliers of travel gear, car rentals, travel insurance, and other relevant travel-related products. The SATW membership card is recognized by many museums and attractions, allowing for discounts or free entry for working travel writers.

• SATW Foundation official website
• SATW official website