- AITO revealed the winners of its 2026 Travel Writer of the Year Awards
- The awards recognised excellence across eight categories
- The ceremony was held at Six Park Place in London
- Winners include James Draven, Adrian Phillips and Christoffer Åhlén
- AITO represents more than 100 independent specialist travel tour operators
AITO, The Specialist Travel Association representing more than 100 of the England’s independent specialist travel tour operators, has revealed the winners at its 2026 Travel Writer of the Year Awards, recognising outstanding travel journalism across eight categories covering trade and consumer media. The winners were revealed at TWOTY, held at Six Park Place in London, bringing together travel writers and AITO members for an evening celebrating the breadth of travel journalism.
The winners across the eight categories include James Draven for Specialist Feature of the Year in Culture, Arts and Culinary Travel, Adrian Phillips for Adventure and Active Travel, Christoffer Åhlén for Responsible Travel and Conservation, Leyla Rose for Touring, Ren O’Flaherty for Rising Star of the Year, Abigail Flanagan for Trade Publications, Daniel Stables for Consumer Publications and Ian Belcher for Outstanding Feature of the Year of an AITO Member.
AITO would like to thank all the sponsors who supported this year’s Travel Writer of the Year Awards: Christopher Kirker, KE Adventure, AITO’s Sustainable Tourism Committee, Gran Canaria, AITO and Inside Travel Group, as well as all the writers and publications who entered this year’s awards.
Martyn Sumners shared “Congratulations to all of this year’s winners, runners-up and highly commended writers. The quality and range of entries across the eight categories made for an incredibly strong field, showcasing the many different ways travel journalism can inform, inspire and tell compelling stories.”
