The National Geographic Traveller Travel Writing Competition 2022 is open for entries

Are you an aspiring travel writer? Submit your 500-word entry before 24 July to be in the running to win an 11-day cruise to Greenland, courtesy of National Geographic Expeditions — plus, the chance to kick-start your travel writing career.

By National Geographic Traveller (UK)
Published 4 Apr 2022, 09:00 BST, Updated 6 Apr 2022, 16:06 BST
For your chance to win, write up to 500 words on an inspiring travel experience, which could ...

For your chance to win, write up to 500 words on an inspiring travel experience, which could be anything from hiking in Hawaii to horse-riding in Herefordshire.

Photograph by Getty Images

Do you have a way with words? Are you forever regaling your friends and family with tales from your travels? If the answer’s yes, then our annual Travel Writing Competition is just the thing for you.

Submit your 500-word entry before 24 July to be in the running to win the Grand Prize — a luxury expedition cruise to Greenland for two people courtesy of National Geographic Expeditions.

The judges at National Geographic Traveller (UK) want to see flair and finesse with your words — and a written style that captures the essence of the magazine: a strong sense of place, immersive experiences and authentic storytelling.

Every year, the competition receives hundreds of entries, and the aim is simple: to recognise and reward the UK and Ireland’s best new writers. Past winners have gone on to write for the title, often reporting on their winning trip and kick-starting their media careers.

So, what are you waiting for? Enter before 23:59 on Sunday 24 July 2022.

Terms and conditions apply

SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY*


 

National Geographic Expeditions is offering one grand prize winner and a guest the opportunity to discover the spectacular east coast of Greenland.

Photograph by AWL Images

National Geographic Expeditions is offering one grand prize winner and a guest the opportunity to discover the spectacular east coast of Greenland on board Le Commandant Charcot, Ponant’s luxury expedition ship. The 11-day voyage through fjords, icebergs and glaciers offers the chance to spot seals, Arctic foxes and even polar bears. Travellers can also learn about the traditions of the Greenlandic Inuit, too, whose lives follow the rhythm of the changing seasons. The prize includes return flights from London to Iceland for fixed departure dates (5-15 May 2023), and is non-transferable.

See the world through the eyes of National Geographic and Ponant cruises as you embark on an unforgettable expedition alongside National Geographic Experts, photographers and researchers to some of the world’s most remote destinations. Learn more about National Geographic Expeditions at nationalgeographicexpeditions.co.uk

Photograph by National Geographic Expeditions & Ponant

How to enter

For your chance to win, write up to 500 words on an inspiring travel experience, which could be anything from hiking in Hawaii to horseriding in Herefordshire. The editors of National Geographic Traveller (UK) want to see flair and finesse in your entry. This should be a well-crafted ‘snapshot’ narrative with an original, impactful beginning, middle and ending. Don’t forget to capture the essence of great travel storytelling: a strong sense of the destination, an emphasis on local voices and a focus on authentic and immersive experiences. Submit your entry via the entry form linked to on this page. Entries submitted by post or email cannot be counted.


 

Left: Top:

During each shore landing, depending on the ecological resilience of the biome encountered, hikes for different levels will be proposed, in the company of your experienced naturalist guides. Supervised by licenced expert guides, you can also try your hand at kayaking, a method of sailing favoured by the Inuits for at least 4,000 years.

Right: Bottom:

Le Commandant Charcot, Ponant’s luxury expedition ship, is fitted with the most modern oceanographic equipment and all the facilities necessary to accompany a scientific team in its research.

photographs by Nicolas Dubreuil / Ponant

*External link. This competition is organised by APL Media Limited, publishers of National Geographic Traveller (UK). Any personal data submitted will be processed in accordance with APL Media Limited's privacy policy, available here.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

By participating in any promotion, you are deemed to accept these rules and the specific directions/terms and conditions applicable to the relevant promotion as well as any terms and conditions of any relevant third party.

The Promoter
The Promoter is APL Media Limited, Highgate Studios, 53-79 Highgate Road, London NW5 1TL.

The Prize
There is one prize consisting of two places aboard Ponant’s Encounters with the Inuit and Spring Traditions cruise (CC050523), departing 05/05/2023, including flights.

One winner will receive the following:

2 x Adults over the age of 18 to share one cabin to join the 11-day expedition cruise (CC050523) from Reykjavik on 05 May 2023 and arriving back in Reykjavik on 15 May 2023. The prize includes all food and drinks on the expedition cruise, along with return flights from a London airport. The prize is offered by Compagnie du Ponant (Ponant), National Geographic Expeditions cruise brand licensee. The prize may not operate as a National Geographic Expeditions branded sailing.

The prize excludes: travel insurance; the cost of any passports, visas, or travel documentation required for the prize winner to travel to Iceland or Greenland; airport transfers between the prize winner’s home and the departure airport; personal spending money; tips; laundry; or any food, drink or activities not mentioned in the prize description. Any additional taxes, costs and expenses incurred during the trip will be the responsibility of the prize winner.

The winner is expected to comply with all health requirements as provided to them. This may include (but not limited to) COVID vaccination or testing requirements. Any charges need to be covered by the prize winner. If the winner fails to comply with health requirements, the prize will be cancelled with no alternative or refund given.

A full set itinerary is already pre-set, where further details can be found online. Changes cannot be made to this itinerary by the winner. However, the cruise itinerary itself is subject to change depending on weather and ice conditions.

The prize will not be bonded by ATOL or ABTA.

It is the winner’s responsibility to check all visa, passport, travel insurance and health requirements are fulfilled.

All winners must have a valid passport within 6 months’ validation, beyond the completion of your return to the UK.  Scanned copies of passports will need to be provided from the winner to Global on the day of winning.

Winners must be able to travel on the set dates for the cruise from Reykjavik 05 May 2023 – 15 May 2023. There are no alternative dates available. In case of cancellation of this cruise by Ponant, an alternative will be offered. This is at its absolute discretion and may include a different itinerary, a different ship or both. This may include a cruise of lower value.

Flight times and details will be provided to the winner at the time of confirmation by Ponant.

The flight will depart from a UK London Airport to Reykjavik, prior to the cruise date.

The prize is subject to availability, non-exchangeable, non-transferable and non-refundable. The prize for this Prize Promotion will be given to the winner as set out in these terms and conditions. The winner must accept the prize in that form. There is no cash alternative. No alternative will be offered.

In the event of cancellation by the winner, for whatever reason, no alternative prize will be given.

Ponant reserves the right to substitute the prize with another prize at its absolute discretion.

The Promoter will not be held liable for a prize if it does not reach the winner for reasons beyond its reasonable control.

The winner uses the prize at their own risk.

The Promoter shall not be liable in any way for any failure, liability or breach by any third party in connection with this Prize Promotion or prize and accepts no responsibility for any loss, property damage or personal injury suffered by the winner relating to this Prize Promotion or the prize, except in the case of death or personal injury caused by Promoter’s negligence or fraudulent misrepresentation and, so far as permitted by law, the Promoter its associated companies and agents exclude responsibility and all liabilities arising for reasons beyond its control including any act or default of any third party supplier.

Entrants
Entrants must reside in the UK or Ireland and be aged 18 or over. Entrants must be amateur writers and must not receive regular paid writing commissions for UK media outlets.

Employees and agents of APL Media Limited (APL) or any company connected with the production or distribution of a promotion or any of their associated companies are not eligible to take part in the applicable promotion, nor are their relatives or members of their families or households.

Entrants can enter the Prize Promotion only as specified in these terms and conditions.

The winner may be required to provide the Promoter with the form of proof of identity as Promoter in its sole discretion requests before receipt of any prize. Failure to produce sufficient evidence as to identity may result in disqualification.

No entries from agents, third parties, organised groups or entries automatically generated by computer will be accepted. No incomplete, illegible or corrupted entries will be accepted.  Failure to comply with any of these terms and conditions (including instructions) will disqualify any entrant from taking part in the Prize Promotion and the entry will be invalid. The Promoter retains sole discretion to refuse entrants the right to enter if it feels that these terms and conditions are not being complied with or for any valid and justifiable reason.

The Promoter reserves the right to disqualify any entrant and/or winner and/or amend these terms and conditions at any time in its absolute discretion.

Entries and judging
To enter the competition, entrants must submit a 500-word travel piece using the entry form available at: https://natgeotraveller.typeform.com/to/FKOmjUQR

The competition closes at 11.59pm BST on Sunday 24 July 2022. All entries must be received before this time. Only one entry per named entrant and email address will be accepted.

Entries submitted must be original work and must not have been entered into any other writing competition or been published in any other publication or website. Entrants must own the copyright to any work entered. Entrants will retain copyright to their work. The winner will be revealed in the November 2022 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK), published on 6 October 2022.

The competition will be judged by National Geographic Traveller (UK) editorial director, Maria Pieri, and editor, Pat Riddell. The judges' decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into.

The winner will be notified by email before 6 October 2022 The winner will be contacted using the email address provided at the time of entry. Once notified, the winner must reply within 10 days.

If the selected winner is unreachable, ineligible, disqualified or fails to claim the prize within 10 days of notification being sent by the Promoter, that winner automatically forfeits the prize.

The Promoter’s decision in this Prize Promotion is final and legally binding and no correspondence will be entered into.

Prize Promotion
No purchase is necessary for entry in the Prize Promotion.

Any entry made giving another person’s (or a false) name or other dishonest information will be disqualified.

Publicity and Personal Data
All personal data submitted by an entrant in connection with this Prize Promotion is submitted voluntarily. All personal data collected from entrants will be used by the Promoter for the purpose of administering the Prize Promotion and by entering this Prize Promotion, entrants’ consent to Promoter using this information to contact them in respect of the prize.

Entrants may consent to receiving National Geographic Traveller (UK) email newsletters containing the latest travel features, events, competitions and offers, by ticking the relevant box on the entry form.

If at a later stage you wish to withdraw your consent to receive such materials please select the “unsubscribe” link which can be found on the National Geographic Traveller (UK) newsletters. Further information about how the information gathered will be held is available from the Promoter’s privacy policy.

Entrants may also consent to receiving direct marketing communications from National Geographic Partners and/or the prize providers by ticking the relevant boxes on the entry form. If you consent to such marketing your information will be processed in accordance with the privacy policies specified with the relevant tick box on the entry form.

You are under no obligation to consent to emails or direct marketing material and this in no way affects your eligibility to still enter the Prize Promotion.

By entering into this Prize Promotion you consent to your personal data being passed outside the EU for the purposes of processing and storing on the Promoter’s servers for the purpose of administering the Prize Promotion.

By entering this Prize Promotion, each of the entrants agree to the use of their name and/or likeness without compensation, for the Promoter’s promotional and marketing purposes.

If selected as a winner or runner up, entrants agree to permit National Geographic Traveller (UK) to publish their entry in the magazine, on the National Geographic Traveller (UK) website and on the National Geographic Traveller (UK) social media channels. The winning and runner-up entries may also be used by National Geographic Traveller (UK) and the competition sponsors in promotional material relating to the competition.

The winner will receive a 500-word paid commission at current National Geographic Traveller (UK) rates, following the winner’s trip that would be sent for consideration by the editors for publication in the magazine and online and used for promotion of future Travel Writing competitions.

Winners must co-operate fully for publicity purposes if so required.

Miscellaneous
Entrants indemnify the Promoter, its agents, employees, representatives, associates, affiliates, parent and subsidiary companies against any and all claim, losses, costs, damages, liability and expenses arising out of the entrant’s breach of any of these terms and conditions.

Each entrant by entering this Prize Promotion expressly releases the Promoter, its affiliates, agents, employees and directors from any claim, action or demand arising out of or in connection with the Prize Promotion or their prize, if any.

The Promoter reserves the right to modify these rules, suspend or discontinue the Prize Promotion at any time, including without limitation where it is necessary to do so due to circumstances beyond its reasonable control or if it cannot be guaranteed that the Prize Promotion can be carried out correctly for technical or legal reasons or if the Promoter suspects that any person has been manipulating the administration of the Prize Promotion or has acted unethically in any other way.

The determination and decision of the Promoter on all matters shall be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

The laws of England and Wales govern these terms and conditions.

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