South County Tourism Council Wins Travel Media Competition

PASADENA, CA – The North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA) today announced that South County Tourism Council won the Gold in the 2010 annual awards competition in the Visitors’ Guide – Marketing Budget Less than $400,000 category. This awards competition, now in its 19^th year, honors the “best of the best” in travel writing, photography and promotion that cover all aspects of the travel industry worldwide.

NATJA Awards recognize excellence in travel writing, photojournalism, social media, multimedia platforms, advertising, marketing and public relations for the travel and tourism industry. NATJA received more than 500 submissions.

“Can there be a greater compliment than to be recognized by the North American Travel Journalists Association yet again this year?” said Myrna George, president and CEO of South County Tourism Council (SCTC). “The breadth and scope of this publication is a testament to more than the beauty of our destination, it is also speaks to the dedication of a small team of passionate professionals and a supportive board of directors who market South County’s ‘unique sense of place’.”

SCTC’s submission was its 100-page South County Style Vacation Planner. The magazine features information on all of the 11 towns that constitute the leisure destination known as South County, accompanied by gorgeous photography of 449-square mile region.

“We are extremely pleased with this year’s entries; they were outstanding, both in quality of work and range of coverage,” said Helen Hernandez, CEO of the NATJA. “The number of entries is the largest we have ever received and the level of creativity and professionalism is reflective of the vibrancy of the travel journalists’ community. I also believe this year’s entry pool is an indication of the overall economic recovery and its positive effect on the travel industry.”

This is the second time SCTC has been recognized by NATJA. In 2008, South County Style Vacation Planner was recognized for its Editorial Excellence in Best Travel Magazine category, along with National Geographic.

The SCTC is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the towns of Charlestown, Coventry, East Greenwich, Exeter, Hopkinton, Narragansett, North Kingstown, Richmond, South Kingstown, West Greenwich, and Westerly as a leisure travel destination. 

NATJA is the second largest travel media association in North America. Members include travel media professionals, convention and visitors bureaus, social media, hotels and attractions, and other travel marketing agencies. Members are provided with professional development workshops, peer-to-peer evaluation, web tools and networking opportunities. NATJA also publishes Travelworld International Magazine (www.travelworldmagazine.com). For more information about NATJA or a complete list of 2010 award-winners, visit http://www.natja.org.

For more information about SCTC visit www.southcountyri.com.