Travel Article Results

Professional travel agent, Simon Gemmell, kindly adjudicated the recent Travel Article Competition for Erskine Writers and he greatly enjoyed reading the varied articles. He commented on the high standard of writing and awarded the prizes to those articles that most inspired him to visit the places highlighted.

He provided a few hints for writing travel articles, as opposed to a general interest piece:

• As always, it depends on the publication and the audience for which it is written
• Be careful to give enough information to enourage a reader to visit - ease of travel, directions
• Travel arrangements or advice should not be an afterthought - research at the beginning of your preparation
• Time of year and season are important - when are the best times of year to visit?
• Watch the article will not date too quickly with specific information
• Choose an area you know well in order to give genuine information or tips not found in brochures and guide books
• If possible, include your personal opinion of a place - what you like about it
• Don't assume a reader knows the location - relate it to the nearest large town or city and offer advice on how to get there

The Results

Winner:     Elizabeth Gillespie
2nd:          Wilma Ferguson
3rd:           Elspeth Munro

Well done to all!

Simon now works with Designer Travel and attended their company conference in Teneriffe last month where he won a prestigious award for Business Development. You can find out more about travel or be added to his newsletter list on his website.